A convenience store chain popular in the Mid-Atlantic U.S.; also, in some Native American languages, a word meaning goose or wild goose.
From Lenape (a Native American language) 'wawa,' meaning wild goose. The convenience store chain took its name from the goose symbolism when it was founded in 1902 in Pennsylvania. The name reflects both regional Native American heritage and the spirit of the company.
Wawa (the store) has a genuine cult following—people get emotional about it! But the word itself is from Lenape, a language of the people who originally lived where these stores now stand. It's one of those brand names that accidentally preserved Indigenous language in everyday conversation.
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