From where comes the term Indian summer?

JoshCaleb12

There are numerous theories about the origin of that phrase... Two that seem to make sense to me are: 1) The use of smoke by the Native Americans to drive game out into the open in a last effort to catch food for the winter... This was associated with warm weather after the first frost of autumn. 2) The fact that Native Americans would attack the settlements during the summer, so autumn, when the attacks ceased, would be viewed favorably... except when it was followed by an "Indian summer" since the attacks would resume then. Both the above explanations and others are on the following website: http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=20001004 Nov 08 05, 11:52 PM

my_baby_love

Great site Josh! Nov 09 05, 9:00 AM

kevinom

well once when the english empire were running india i guess some english queen remarked one autumn to some princess or something that it was so very hot for autumn its like an indian summer. Nov 11 05, 8:49 AM

kevinom

He states that European colonists endured raids by Indian war parties throughout the summer months. As the weather started to change, the raids would cease, so autumn was looked upon as a season of relative safety. If, however, warm weather continued into the autumn months, then this condition would mean another Indian Summer. A neat story, unfortunately as an explanation for the term's origin, it's quite wrong--proving that even a noted historian like Boorstin can be hoodwinked by popular etymology. (To give Boorstin some credit, his explanation is not totally without merit, having been first promulgated by Philip Doddridge in his 1824 Notes on the Indian Wars.) http://www.wordorigins.org/wordori.htm. this confirms what joshcaleb12 said. apologies all round.. Nov 11 05, 9:06 AM