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Many place names have origins in indigenous languages. My hometown was one of them. |
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Many place names have origins in indigenous languages. My hometown was one of them. Many Americans may not even be aware of the influence Native Peoples had on the history and culture of the Americas. From Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_place_names_of_Native_American_origin_in_t... Alabama – named for the Alibamu, a tribe whose name derives from a Choctaw phrase meaning "thicket-clearers"[1] or "plant-cutters" (from albah, "(medicinal) plants", and amo, "to clear").[2] Alaska – from the Aleut phrase alaxsxaq, meaning "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed").[3] Arizona – disputed origin; likely from the O'odham phrase ali ṣona-g, meaning "having a little spring".[4] Arkansas – from the Illinois rendering of the tribal autonym kką:ze (see Kansas, below), which the Miami and Illinois used to refer to the Quapaw.[4] Connecticut – from some Eastern Algonquian language of southern New England (perhaps Mahican), meaning "at the long tidal river" (after the Connecticut River).[5][6] Campbell suggest an origin from the Mohegan meaning simply "long river".[7] Illinois – from the French rendering of an Algonquian (perhaps Miami) word apparently meaning "s/he speaks normally" (c.f. Miami ilenweewa),[9] from Proto-Algonquian *elen-, "ordinary" + -wē, "to speak",[10][11] referring to the Illiniwek. Iowa – from Dakota ayúxba or ayuxwe, via French Aiouez.[12][13][14] Kansas – from the autonym kką:ze. Kentucky – from an Iroquoian word meaning "at the meadow" or "on the prairie"[15] (c.f. Seneca gëdá’geh [kẽtaʔkeh], "at the field").[16] Massachusetts – from an Algonquian language of southern New England, and apparently means "near the small big mountain", usually identified as Great Blue Hill on the border of Milton and Canton, Massachusetts[17] (c.f. the Narragansett name Massachusêuck).[17] Michigan – from the Ottawa phrase mishigami, meaning "large water" or "large lake".".[18][19] Minnesota – from the Dakota phrase mni-sota, roughly meaning "cloudy water".[7][20] Mississippi – from an Algonquian language, probably Ojibwe, meaning "big river" (Ojibwe misiziibi).[18][21] Missouri – named for the Missouri tribe, whose name comes from Illinois mihsoori, "dugout canoe".[22] Nebraska – from the Chiwere phrase ñįbraske, meaning "flattened water".[23] (New) Mexico – the name "Mexico" comes from Nahuatl Mēxihco, of unknown derivation.[24][failed verification] (North) Dakota and (South) Dakota – dakhóta comes from the Sioux word for "friend" or "ally".[23] Ohio – from Seneca ohi:yo’, "beautiful river".[25] Oklahoma – invented by Chief Allen Wright as a rough translation of "Indian Territory"; in Choctaw, okla means "people", "tribe", or "nation", and homa- means "red", thus: "Red people".[7][26] Tennessee – derived from the name of a Cherokee village, Tanasi, whose etymology is unknown.[27] Texas – from the Caddo phrase táyshaʔ, meaning "friend".[28][29] Utah – from a language of one of the Ute tribe's neighbors, such as Western Apache yúdah, "high up".[30] Wisconsin – originally "Mescousing", from an Algonquian language, though the source and meaning is not entirely clear; most likely from the Miami word Meskonsing meaning "it lies red"[31][32] (c.f. Ojibwe miskosin).[18] Wyoming – from the Munsee Delaware phrase xwé:wamənk, meaning "at the big river flat".[33] |
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