The word "squaw" is a direct loanword from the Massachusett language, specifically from the term squà or squaws, meaning "woman." It was adopted into English by early colonists in New England during the 1600s as a neutral, descriptive term for Indigenous women. Over centuries of use within a context of cultural subjugation and stereotyping, the term accumulated profoundly derogatory and dehumanizing connotations. Consequently, in modern English, it is considered a highly offensive ethnic slur, and its use is widely condemned.

This word is a loanword from the Massachusett language (an Algonquian language), where "squaw" or related forms meant "woman." It entered English in the 17th century as a direct borrowing. Its functional role in English is as a noun.