Roanoke

/ˈroʊənəʊk/ noun

Definition

A city in Virginia; also historically refers to a Native American settlement and the 'Lost Colony' of English settlers.

Etymology

From Powhatan (a Native American language), 'Roanoke' originally meant something like 'scraped money' or 'shell money,' referring to wampum used as currency. The name was preserved when English colonists arrived.

Kelly Says

The Roanoke Colony (1587) remains one of America's greatest mysteries—an entire English settlement vanished, leaving only the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a tree. Historians still debate whether they died, were absorbed into Native American tribes, or moved elsewhere.

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