Footprints of the Red Men: Indian Geographical Names — Passage 80
[Edward Manning Ruttenber (1906)] unintelligible. _Sapanak-ock_ means, "Place of wild potatoes," or bulbous roots. (See Passapenoc.) Barrent's is from Barrent Coeymans, the founder of the village of Coeymans. The earlier Dutch name was Beerin Island, or "She-bear's Island," usually read Bear's Island. Achquetuck is given as the name of the flat at Coeyman's Hollow. The suffix _-tuck_ probably stands for "A tidal river or estuary," and _Achque_ means "On this side," or before. The reference seems to have been to land before or on this side of the estuary, or the side toward the speaker. Oniskethau, quoted as the name of Coeymans' Creek, is said to have been the name of a Sunk-squa, or sachem's wife. Authority not given. The stream descends in two falls at Coeymans' Village, covering seventy-five feet. The same name is met in _Onisquathaw,_ now _Niskata,_ of record as the name of a place in the town of New Scotland, Albany County. Hahnakrois, or Haanakrois, the name of a small stream sometimes called Coeymans' Creek, which enters the Hudson in the northeast corner of Greene County, is Dutch corrupted. The original was _Haan-Kraait,_ meaning "Cock-crowing" Kill, perhaps from the sound of the waterfall. Sankagag, otherwise written _Sanckhagag,_ is given, in deed to Van Rensselaer, 1630, as the name of a tract of land described as "Situated on the west side of the North River, stretching in length from a little