Feature by Pradeepthi Visamsetty
Lake Chaubunagungamaug, also known as Webster Lake, is a lake in the town of Webster, Massachusetts.
It is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1442 acres.
Since 1921, the lake has also been known by a much longer name having 45 letters comprising fourteen
syllables: Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
The lake’s name comes from Nipmuc, an Algonquian language, and is often said to mean, “Fishing
Place at the Boundaries — Neutral Meeting Grounds”. A more fitting translation is “lake divided by
islands”, according to anthropologist Ives Goddard.
Today, “Webster Lake” may be the name most used, but some (including many residents of
Webster) take pride in reeling off the longer versions.
This lake has several alternative names.
Lake Chaubunagungamaug is the name of the lake as recognized by the U.S. Department of the
Interior and is the name appearing in the earliest local records.
The exaggerated name “Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg” is a
45-letter alternative name for this body of fresh water, often cited as the longest place name in the
United States and one of the longest in the world.
All images from Digital Common Wealth and ctmq.org
