A fact from Shelldrake, Michigan appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 14 January 2009, and was viewed approximately 2,866 times (disclaimer) (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
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If a source can be found, it would be good to specify which Native American language is the source of the name. Also, just what kind of duck is meant? I can't find any kind of duck called a "cross-bill". Shelducks are from the Old World, but that article also says the canvasback was historically called a sheldrake. Could this be the right variety? Ntsimp (talk) 17:49, 6 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I added further information about the origin of the name, including that the language was the Ojibwa language. Most of the sources say that Shelldrake, Michigan was named after the Merganser duck. That makes sense since Mergansers are very common in the Shelldrake, Michigan area. Thank you for your suggestions. Let me know if it needs anything else. --Wpwatchdog (talk) 22:08, 6 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
Resulting in this babble: Shelldrake derived its name from the Ojibwa word Anzeego-Sibi. Shelldrake is a translation of the word Anzeeg meaning a species of duck called the cross-bill. There is no more connection with Anzeeg than there is with Tadorne, which is French for sheldrake, the birds for which the town was perfectly simply named— in the plainest, most obvious manner. Crossbills are finches, not shelducks.--Wetman (talk) 17:34, 11 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
I am not a linguist nor do I speak Ojibwa. Jesuit scholar Gagnieur translated Anzeego-sibi to mean a duck called a crossbill. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, in North America mergansers are sometimes called sheldrakes. Mergansers are a common bird in the Shelldrake, Michigan area. The word Shelldrake is always spelled with two "l's" when referring to the town but most of the early European settlers were illiterate or semi-illiterate. Perhaps Father Gagnieur erred in his translation or erred in naming the species of duck. Does anyone know the Ojibwa word for merganser?--Wpwatchdog (talk) 21:58, 11 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
