Historian Damian Bacich suggests the name California in the novel itself may ultimately derive from the real life medieval fortress city of Kal-Ifrene off the coast of modern-day Algeria. The early Spanish explorers thought California was a magical place like the fictional island. The 1510 epic Las Sergas de Esplandián by Garcí Rodríguez de Montalvo includes a story of the titular Esplandián defending Constantinople from soldiers from a mythical island paradise named California. The name California is believed to come from, of all things, a 16th-century chivalric novel. In French, the final – s is not pronounced, and neither is the final -s in Arkansas even after the English-speaking state adopted it as a name. The story begins with the Algonquin people who referred to the Sioux tribe the Quapaw or Ugahxpa as the “Akansa.” The French in the area picked up the Algonquin term, spelling it Arkansas. They believe that Arizona comes from the Basque words aritz, meaning “oak,” and ona, meaning “good” or “place of the good oaks.” ArkansasĪrkansas took a long, meandering path into English. Some claim that it comes from Tohono O’odham/Pima language for “place of the small spring.” Others, however, argue that the name is from the Basque language, as the area was settled by ranchers of Basque origins in the early 1700s. The origin of the name of Arizona is disputed by experts. Alaska ultimately comes from Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning “the mainland” or “the object toward which the action of the sea is directed.” Alaska was originally the name of a peninsula and was adopted for the entire region in 1867 in part because it was “brief, euphonious, and suitable.” As you’ll see, many state names were regionally adopted long before the official date of statehood. The name of the state of Alaska comes from the language of the Aleut or Unangan people. The name is said to combine the Choctaw words alba and amo, meaning “plant-gatherer.” Alabama was first a name given to the Alabama River and then adopted as the state name in 1819. The word Alabama is an Anglicized form of the name of a Native tribe of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy that lived in the southeastern United States when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived in the region. The southeastern state of Alabama kicks off our alphabetical list of all 50 states. We have done our best to consult as many historical sources as possible, but sometimes even the states themselves can’t figure this stuff out-we’re looking at you, Maine! Alabama You’ll be surprised by the stories we’ve uncovered and the rarely known facts historians continue to debate and shape into theories even today.ĭisclaimer: Many states have names with unclear or uncertain specific origins, especially if they originate from Native American words. How and why does Massachusetts have so many S‘s? Why are there four states whose names begin New? And why are there two different spellings of Hawaii? In this article, we will answer all of these questions and more as we cover how all 50 states got their names.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |