Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg is an unofficial name of Lake Chaubunagungamaug east of Webster, Massachusetts. The Nipmucks and other tribes gave it a variety of similar names. Most people call it Webster Lake, because they can't pronounce the Nipmuck name, but others, including many residents of Webster, take pride in reeling off the Nipmuck version. Spelling of the long name frequently varies, even in official signs near the lake. Webster schools also have Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg written around their cafeteria as they are proud of their long name. It is also a spelling word in the elementary school system in Webster. Webster is a town located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. ... Nipmuck emblem The Nipmuck are an aboriginal North American people, belonging to the family of Algonquian peoples, currently living in and around the Chaubunagungamaug Reservation of Webster, Massachusetts. ...

The name means approximately "Englishmen at Manchaug at the Fishing Place at the Boundary". Manchaug was the name of one of the tribes that lived by the shore of the lake, which was known before the Englishmen came as Chaubunagungamaugg, or "fishing place at the boundary". The lake was a noted fishing spot on the boundary of several tribes' territories, and for that reason was also used as a meeting place.

Larry Daly, editor of the Webster Times, wrote a humorous article about the lake, and about disputes concerning the meaning of its name. He proposed the tongue-in-cheek translation "You Fish on Your Side, I Fish on My Side, Nobody Fish in the Middle", which met with so much popular acceptance that the actual translation is fairly little known.

"Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg" is the longest place name in the United States and 6th longest in the world.

The lake has a surface area of 1,442 acres (5.83 km²). Route 16 passes along the shore of the lake near to the route's terminus at its intersection with I-395. Massachusetts Route 16, often referred to simply as Route 16, is a East-West state highway in Massachusetts. ... The 67 mile long north-south Interstate 395 begins at Interstate 95 near Waterford, Connecticut and ends at Interstate 90 in Auburn, Massachusetts, where it becomes Interstate 290. ...

See also

• Longest word in the English language
• List of interesting or unusual place names

There are endless debates over what is the longest word in the English language, demonstrating that the idea of what constitutes a word is not as straightforward as it seems. ... The following international geographical names are either interesting or unusual. ...

External links

• A history of the lake
• NY Times - What's the Name of That Lake? It's Hard to Say
• Photos of Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg:

• http://www.websterlake.net
• http://www.websterlake.net/ariel.htm

• USGS for official name