It is being proposed to rename Elangomats as “Luminaries.” “Luminary” is a lofty title, more like a high official than a companion. I appreciate the honor intended by those who proposed that name. Thank you for your tribute to the Elangomat concept. But that change would strip away the humility of the role.
Why “Luminary” Falls Short
Renaming Elangomats as “Luminaries” strips away that mystery. It turns a humble, physical role into a lofty title. It explains too much, revealing that the role “lights the way”. “Hi, I’m going to be your Luminary this weekend,” doesn’t work. It sounds arrogant.
The Elangomat was never meant to be a celebrity. We are companions in service. Friends who lead by example.
The word Elangomat was chosen carefully. There were perhaps ten of us, crowded around a small table in a truly tiny building. We had successfully used the new system, but it needed a name. I brought a list of possible words, each with its (Northern) Lenape translation. None of us knew Lenape, so I read the English words aloud, one by one. After debate, we agreed the role was best described as Friend.
Then I read the Lenape translation: Elangomat.
We asked ourselves: should we use “Friend” or “Elangomat”? The Scouts — those who had served as Elangomats or taken ceremonial parts — chose Elangomat. They wanted the mystery. They wanted candidates to discover its meaning through experience, not explanation. Because saying, “Hi, I’m going to be your friend this weekend,” doesn’t work.
The word Elangomat was chosen by Scouts, for Scouts. It came from lived experience, not marketing. It carries mystery, humility, and discovery.
Why “Elangomat” is an English Word
How Languages Adopt Words
When English adopts a word from another language, it doesn’t preserve the original language’s grammar rules. It applies English grammar instead. This process is called Anglicization, and it’s how English has always grown.
Examples of the Plural forms of Anglicized words:
German Kindergarten → English plural is Kindergartens
Japanese Emoji → English plural is Emojis
Hindi Bungalow → English plural is Bungalows
Spanish Ranch → English plural is Ranches
From Native American languages:
Tomato → English plural is Tomatoes
Chocolate → English plural is Chocolates
Avocado → English plural is Avocados
None of these are the correct plural form in the original language.
Elangomat Has Been Anglicized
The word “Elangomat” follows English grammar rules, not Lenape rules.
Plural form:
“Elangomats”
Verb conjugations:
“Elangomating” – present participle (“I been Elangomating for five years”)
“Elangomated” – past tense (“I Elangomated three times this year”)
This is exactly what happens when English adopts a word. We don’t preserve the original language’s grammar – we apply English grammar. That’s not disrespectful. That’s linguistic integration.
Anglicization Creates Specialized Meanings
When English adopts words, they often develop narrower, more specialized meanings than in the original language. Sometimes, a more generalized meaning. This is a natural feature of linguistic evolution. Two different English words may mean about the same thing, but there is almost always some slight shade of difference. The result of Anglicization is a richer vocabulary than most languages.
Examples of differences in meaning compared to the original word:
kindergarten
- German: Poetic term for any early childhood education
- English: Normal grade level for 5-6 year olds
guru
- Sanskrit: Religious or spiritual guide
- English: Any expert or authority figure (“tech guru”, “fitness guru”)
safari
- Swahili: Any journey or expedition
- English: Specifically a wildlife expedition, usually in Africa. Word “expedition” used otherwise.
Elangomat follows this exact pattern:
- (Northern) Lenape: friend
- English Primary Definition: An OA member who serves as an exemplar of OA principles during an Ordeal, leading candidates through personal example rather than instruction. Example: “I have been an Elangomat 3 times.”
- English Secondary Definition: The method of conducting Ordeals using Elangomats assigned to clans of candidates. Example: “Our lodge always uses the Elangomat system.”
This specialization of meaning demonstrates that “Elangomat” has been fully integrated into English. It has developed technical definitions that don’t exist in the source language. This is linguistic evolution, not appropriation.
The Cultural Appropriation Argument Fails
If using “Elangomat” is cultural appropriation because it comes from Lenape:
Then we must stop using
Moose, skunk, chipmunk, raccoon (Algonquian languages)
Tomato, chocolate, avocado (Nahuatl)
Toboggan, squash (various Native languages)
Kindergarten (German)
Patio, ranch, rodeo (Spanish)
Piano, opera, pizza (Italian)
Coffee, alcohol, algebra (Arabic)
Shampoo, jungle, bungalow (Hindi/Urdu)
And we must slso rename all 25 US states that have Native American names: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Not to mention Florida, which is from Spanish. And others from other non-English European languages.
English is Built on Borrowed Words
The English language has adopted many words from other languages. That’s not appropriation. That’s how language works. It’s respectful adoption, not theft.
When we use “Elangomat,” we honor the Lenape language by preserving a word that represents friendship, guidance, and leadership by example. We don’t claim it’s originally English. We acknowledge its Lenape roots while using it as an English word.
Conclusion
“Elangomat” is an English word. It has been so for over 50 years. It’s known by hundreds of thousands of Arrowmen. It follows English grammar rules. It appears in OA literature, training materials, and everyday conversation. Although it is sometimes defined as “friend”, it is usually used without definition, communicating between writer and reader, speaker and listener, a very specific role and program. We use it as an English word, with our specialized definition, not as a Lenape would have used it for “friend”.
Calling it “cultural appropriation” is linguistically inaccurate and historically dishonest.
It is reasonable to assume that very few have thought this through. So most honestly don’t realize that “Elangomat” is English.