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xtruss · 26 days

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Etymological Map of America

— Alex | Vivd Maps

America’s rich tapestry of stories is woven into the fabric of its landscape, with many tales embedded in the place names of the cities and states. Understanding the meanings behind these names offers insights into the development of the land, its history, and its culture over the centuries. Not only does this deepen our appreciation of our surroundings, but it also enriches our vocabulary and occasionally aids in solving crossword puzzles, a sentiment strongly endorsed by WordTips.

Take, for example, Missoula, which translates to “River of Ambush” in Montana, evoking memories of inter-tribal conflicts. Similarly, Manchester, New Hampshire, derives its name from “Breast-like Hill,” harking back to the voluptuous mound upon which a Roman fort was constructed around 79 CE in Manchester, UK. Centuries later, Samuel Blodget, inspired by the barge canals of the British Manchester, spearheaded the construction of similar waterways in his New Hampshire town and suggested adopting its namesake.

But what about the rest of the U.S.? Armed with our etymology hats, we delved into dictionary country, scouring sources such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, and regional news reports. Our quest uncovered the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, its capital city, and 178 of America’s largest cities.

Literal Translations of State Names and Their Capital Cities Across the U.S.

Names sometimes transcend boundaries. Both the state of Kansas and Kansas City, MO, derive their names from the Kansas River, which, in turn, honors the Kanza tribe, translating as ‘People of the Southwind.’

Interestingly, there exists a lesser-known Kansas City within the state of Kansas itself. This city adopted its name from its Missouri counterpart, hoping to leverage the fame of the Missouri town. According to local history teacher Matt Beat, “KCK wanted to capitalize on the success of KCMO and essentially mislead visitors into believing they were in the authentic Kansas City.

While numerous state names honor Native history or describe geographical features, others carry traces of colonial influence. The Carolinas, for instance, owe their name to King Charles II and his father, Charles I. The territory was initially chartered by Charles II, who bestowed the name in honor of his father. Additionally, the capitals of both Carolinas pay homage to European explorers, with Sir Walter Raleigh and Christopher Columbus lending their names to these cities.

The Literal Translation of Major City Names in the Northwestern U.S.

In addition to the straightforward meanings of city names like ‘Anchorage’ (a place suitable for anchoring) and ‘Portland’ (land surrounding a harbor), the Northwestern U.S. boasts some lesser-known etymologies, both of Native and settler origin.

Honolulu, for instance, derives from the Hawaiian language: ‘hono’ meaning ‘port’ and ‘lulu’ meaning ‘calm.’ Interestingly, the name traces back to British Captain William Brown, who initially named the port Fair Haven upon his arrival in 1794. Before this, Hawaiians referred to the area as Ke ʻAwa O Kou, meaning ‘the harbor of Kou.’

Meanwhile, Boise, Idaho, takes its name from the French word for ‘wooded area.’ However, the name’s origins are influenced by English as well: fur traders passing through the region called it the Wooded River, a name later translated by French trappers.

When surveying the area in the 1830s, the French United States Army officer B.L.E. Bonneville had the final say, choosing French over English.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southwestern U.S.

Many major cities in the Southwestern U.S. bear names that honor notable individuals. Reno, for instance, pays tribute to Jesse Lee Reno, a Virginia-born Union general who met his demise during the battle of Fox’s Gap. The official announcement regarding the city’s naming stated:

“The name of the new town on the C.P.R.R. at the junction of the contemplated branch road to Virginia City in Nevada, is Reno, in honor of General Reno, who fell gloriously fighting in defense of the flag against the assault of traitors in rebellion.”

Similarly, Orem, Utah, derives its name from Walter Orem, a prominent figure in mining and railroad development who constructed the state’s inaugural electric railroad. However, the town’s naming was more an act of flattery than gratitude towards Orem’s contributions. In 1919, as the town faced a critical juncture in its expansion efforts, requiring investment for incorporation and the establishment of a networked water system, it was named after Orem in hopes of securing his support. Prior to this, the area had been known as Provo Bench.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

In September 1687, Henri Joutel noted in his writings: “We arrived at the said place called Chicagou which, according to what we were able to learn of it, has taken this name because of the quantity of garlic which grows in the forests in this region.”

Other accounts suggest that the name Chicago may have originated from the Algonquian word sheka:ko:heki, meaning “place of the wild onion,” or possibly from the Ojibwa word for skunk. Regardless of its precise origins, it appears that odor was a prominent characteristic of the area before the establishment of the town of Chicago in 1833.

Topeka, on the other hand, translates from the Kansa (Siouan) language as “A Good Place to Dig Potatoes.” The founders chose this name in 1855 with originality in mind. Fry W. Giles, a banker and city founder, described Topeka as “a name not found in the list of post offices of the United States, nor in any lexicon of the English language. It was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound.”

The Literal Meanings of Major City Names in the Southeastern U.S.

Understanding that Baton Rouge means “red stick” doesn’t require fluency in French. But why was Louisiana named “red stick”? In 1699, French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville stumbled upon the area and spotted a reddened pole adorned with sacrificial fish and bear heads by the Native inhabitants. This visual left an impression on d’Iberville, leading him to refer to the area as Baton Rouge when the French colonized it.

Among the most intriguing place names in the study is Memphis. The city took its name from the ancient Egyptian city of Memphis, which translates to “enduring and beautiful” or “Place of Good Abode,” depending on interpretation. The founders, John Overton, James Winchester, and Andrew Jackson, were less concerned with etymology; they chose the name because both cities stand beside vast rivers.

The Literal Meanings Behind Major City Names in the Northeastern U.S.

Some city name translations in the Northeast are well-known or easy to understand, such as Philadelphia (from the Greek for “brotherly love”) or Portland (the land around a port). Others require a bit more digging.

Would you be able to identify the city name that translates to Botolph’s Stone if it wasn’t labeled on our map? Boston was named after a town in Lincolnshire, England, which, in turn, was named after Botolph, the patron saint of travelers. The second part of the name could derive from “stone” or perhaps from “tun,” the Old English word for village.

The Dutch colonized New Netherland, which included parts of present-day New York City, Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey, with the city of New Amsterdam located on today’s Manhattan Island.

However, in 1664, James II of England, the Duke of York, captured the island, leading to the city receiving its eventual name.

If that sounds odd and European, remember the city was briefly called New Orange when the Dutch briefly recaptured it in 1673.

Methodology:

The WordTips team compiled research from a diverse array of sources, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Online Etymology Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the American Library Association, historical records, and regional news reports. The aim was to unveil the literal meanings behind the names of each U.S. state, their respective capital cities, and 178 of the most populated cities scattered across the country.

The investigation delved into various aspects of etymology, considering cases where a state or city was named after a person or significant event, where the words in a location’s name evolved in meaning from an earlier version of English or another language, or according to the significance behind another location after which a U.S. state or city was named.

This project’s research was concluded in January 2024.

#United States 🇺🇸#Etymology #Etymological #Etymological Map #Languages #Methodology

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makingdonalddrumpfagain · 2 years

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#public service announcement #United States 🇺🇸

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godofthewest · 9 months

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+John Jewett 🇺🇸

#john jewett #bodybuilding #bodybuilder #muscle flex #muscular #muscle #united states #united states of america #usa #🇺🇸#video #godofthewest

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spaceshipsandpurpledrank · 1 year

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#talkin #tik tok #🇮🇳#🇺🇸#🇿🇼#🇮🇪#🇧🇧#india #usa #zimbabwe #ireland #barbados #united states #the united states of america #tonystatovci #england

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yz · 8 months

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Before sunrise

#travel #san francisco #america #american flag #stars and stripes #yzshot #hipstamatic #waving flag #flag #dramatic #usa #real american #united states #🇺🇸#usa 🇺🇸#america 🇺🇸

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yuri-alexseygaybitch · 2 years

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Shout-out to the brave men and women of the Blaine, WA border crossing (US) who just traumatized my mom with their daring seizure of three (3) legally bought prerolls of cannabis from our car lol

#i love the United States of America ❤️🇺🇸

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imforeverjustyours · 4 months

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🇵🇸

I feel like I have lost all ability to articulate my thoughts and emotions recently.

I have seen so much death , devastation and destruction, day after day. I’ve heard the screams. I’ve seen the tears. I’ve seen the blood. I’ve seen the terror. Over and over and over.

It’s all seared into my memory. My heart. My soul.

I’ve been in this perpetual state of shock and disbelief at what I’m witnessing for almost three months now. It’s one long never ending nightmare. Its felt surreal at times.

I have felt and I continue to feel so helpless.

It doesn’t matter how much money I donate. Or how much I boycott. Or how much I protest in every way that I personally can. Or how much I try to raise awareness to the horror of every bit of it.

It’s NOT good enough. It’s never going to be good enough.

I don’t know what to do. I continue to force myself to feel it all and to bear witness to everything I come across. It’s the only thing left that I feel I can do. If I could be there in the midst of it all , I would choose to be. I really would. The thought that they’re all alone in this …is unbearable.

I feel like I’m a good person. I also feel so unworthy and I feel deeply guilty.

Guilty that every single innocent face that I’ve seen in all this ….deserves this life. Deserves life just as much as every single other person does , if not more.

I feel MORE than I do. The guilt is constant.

I’ve seen children that are shattered, literally and figuratively, with more soul and more faith and more bravery and even more determination in the tip of their pinky…. than I have ever seen in any other person, grown or otherwise, in my whole life!

The more I look and see .. the more I feel they’re all like that. Video after video after video. I see it. I feel horror , mixed with awe ? And something that feels almost like feeling so proud of them. I don’t know what the emotion is , because I’ve never felt it before.

In the midst of their existence being wiped from this world , and no one stopping it … they have hope. Their hearts remain steadfast and pure. They continue to pray and to give praise. That is astonishing to me.

My thoughts are incredibly fragmented and jumbled in all ways.

I feel ignorant and stupid. I feel angry. I feel the deepest anguish I’ve ever felt in my life. In my soul. There are no words to describe. There probably never will be.

Since the beginning of my own journey with social media back in the early 2000’s and through the years; I never knew why some people from other parts of our world would be ugly toward me.

It started the second I said that I am American.

I was baffled. I didn’t understand how anyone could dislike me. Dislike us. Dislike my country. What had I done ? It was so odd to me.

It was also only a fleeting curiosity for me.

I dismissed it and went on about my life. I chalked it up to somebody was having a bad day.

Little did I know.

I was quite confident that we were the ones that helped everyone. I really truly believed that. That is what I’ve been spoon fed, all my life.

I now see that I was fed a pack of bitter lies, all my life.

In every single way imaginable. Every minute of the day. Year after year after year.

I am now having my eyes forced open.

Never in my life have I been so disgusted. So shocked. Never have I felt so betrayed. Never have I ever felt this deep rage that’s in my heart.

Never have I questioned everything about my life and my very existence.

Which I do now. Every single day.

I will never again trust this place that I am from. Least of all the people in power… those who are supposed to represent the masses.

Because, they do NOT. They represent themselves, individually.

Not us, as a nation. Not us, as a people. They don’t give two flying effs what the people want. They do not care.

Our population did NOT know.

On behalf of millions of us … we cry and we scream and we grieve with you. We SEE you. Now. Finally.

Everytime I wake up. Everytime I lay down to go to sleep. Every time I eat. Everytime I drink water. Everytime I’m warm and comfortable. Every time I bathe. In every single moment now, my thoughts immediately go to all that I’m witnessing. My heart goes out to every single soul there. I feel so many things and all the pangs of heartache and guilt and rage in the mix of it all.

I cry every single day. Tears of grief. Of anger. Of frustration. Of shame.

I feel like it’s all I do.

I don’t allow myself to avoid any of it. I seek it out. I save everything. I record everything. I screenshot everything.

I feel like I’m desperately trying to capture as much as I can.

If I blink, I’m going to miss something crucial. I just know it. So I keep at it. So that no one can forget. Ever. So that no one can try to twist the truth to me ever again. I now have a very real and justified fear of being lied to by our leaders. It’s all consuming.

I cannot celebrate Christmas. I don’t want anything to do with it. I can’t do it right now. I don’t know if I can again. It feels wrong to me on so many levels. Christmas is giving me anxiety. I just want it over with.

I’m scared that Christmas will somehow be used to mask more atrocities. While everyone’s distracted …pure evil will do even more to twist the knife that’s been used to stab. Just a bit deeper and harder. For no other purpose than to add more pain to those that are suffering.

I can’t articulate the sheer hatred, loathing, horror and grief and all that I feel toward the absolute non stop injustice that continues on. It’s indescribable.

I trust nothing anymore.

I feel like this is it. I will never again be who I was before. I am forever altered.

I have not gone numb. That’s the one thing I can control. I can make myself feel every bit of it. I can bear witness. Over and over. Forever.

Before anyone decides to come at me. It’s my heart. No one gets to tell me what I feel or how I feel or why I feel it. I don’t care what anyone thinks. This is ME. This is how things look to myself. I just needed to get it out into the universe because it’s eating me alive. I pray with everything I am , that this stops. I pray for mercy for them all. Please.

My whole heart will forever ache for the rest of my life.

I am so sorry that it took this, to open my eyes to the truth.

I promise to never close them again.

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downfalldestiny · 1 year

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Transportation system, 🛣️ !.

Atlanta, Georgia, United States 🇺🇸 !.

#Roads #Atlanta #Georgia #United States 🇺🇸 !.#downfall #downfalldestiny #life #Transpiration #System #Cars #Buildings #Magic #Modern

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jloisse · 11 months

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🇺🇸 Pendant ce temps au Bidenistan...

#president biden #biden speech #biden 2020 #biden news #biden 2024 #biden harris 2024 #joe biden #united states #biden will destroy america #america #biden admin usa #news usa #usa news #etatsunis🇺🇸#etats unis

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sorrowfulwill · 9 months

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my local sushi place has cheeseburger sushi and I can’t stop thinking about it

this is america

edit: why is it not bad…

#cheeseburger sushi #sushi #UNITED STATES RAAAHHH 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅#raaahhhh america 🦅🦅🦅#🦅#🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅#cheeseburger #beezchurger #i’m sorry #self improvement

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xtruss · 2 months

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Artemis II's Victor Glover Talks About Inspiring Black Future Astronauts

The Mission will be the First Flight to the Moon with Humans Since the 1970s.

— By ABC News | February 23, 2024

ABC News' Linsey Davis spoke with NASA Astronaut Victor Glover about the historic Artemis II mission and how his example will help inspire others who look like him to follow in his footsteps.

NASA astronaut Victor Glover is in full preparation for one of the most anticipated space missions in decades.

And he's hoping the Artemis II mission, which is slated for next year, will inspire people on the planet to come together and follow their dreams of reaching the stars.

Glover will be piloting the four-person manned mission that will be the first flight to the moon with humans on board in more than 50 years. He’ll be joined by Commander Reid Wiseman, mission specialist Christina Koch from NASA, and mission specialist Jeremy Hansen from the Canadian Space Agency.

Glover also will be the first person of color to go beyond low earth orbit.

"People are excited that we're doing this again. And so for a woman to be on the crew and for a Black astronaut to be on the crew, because that's what our office looks like, to me it is important,” Glover told ABC News' Linsey Davis.

NASA Astronaut Victor Glover will be making his second flight to space as the pilot f the Artemis II mission. NASA

“I think people need to be able to see themselves in the things that they dream about and not just have to try to color it in in their mind’s eye," he added.

Glover spoke more about his role, ongoing preparation and career with Davis.

ABC NEWS LIVE: What are you doing right now to prepare?

GLOVER: The three basic things that we're doing are training.

We'll do simulators to do things normally and then contingency in emergency scenarios and just kind of building the larger team.

Training is one piece. Testing is another. Our vehicle, this will be the first time humans have flown this spacecraft.

And the last thing is engaging with the public and letting them know that we're trying really hard to be good stewards of your things, of your time and your resources and celebrating the wins.

A full moon was visible behind the Artemis I SLS (Space Launch System) rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 14, 2022. The first in an increasingly complex series of missions, Artemis I tested SLS and Orion as an integrated system prior to crewed flights to the Moon. NASA

ABC NEWS LIVE: What made you decide you wanted to be a pilot?

GLOVER: I was in college studying engineering, [and] one of my mentors came to work…wearing his Navy uniform. That opened up something that I never considered. I never saw myself, but because he looked like me, he was one of the few Black faculty members at Cal Poly, Dr. Wallace. Just seeing him in his uniform, changed that for me. And so I joined the Navy about two years later.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Tell me about the 1970 poem, by Gil Scott-Heron, "Whitey on the Moon."

GLOVER: I try to listen to it every Monday as I'm driving in to work. It's a good perspective.

As an ambassador of human spaceflight, I think it's important to understand the people that you're an ambassador to. We have to all work hard to understand America, not just the slice of America that we come from. And that poem, to me, represents a perspective that is not often shared when you hear people talk about Apollo.

You hear people say that Apollo saved the '60s, [and] Apollo 8 saved 1968, and there's a lot of truth in that. But there were a lot of people who weren't cheering.

They were protesting the Vietnam War, and wages, and the price of housing and the challenges to get an education.

NASA Astronaut Victor J. Glover, Jr. NASA

And so knowing that that was the America then, we have a duty to know what's America now in its fullness and its breath, so that we can be good stewards of the public's time and resources.

The things that are going on around the country in the wake of George Floyd's murder and Ahmaud Arbery's murder, the nation, the racial protests and the cities that were really struggling with getting those things under control after that, it's just indicative of people being in a place where they may not feel heard and they may not feel like they're being represented.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Many Black people on this planet are ailing, and meanwhile, the investment is going elsewhere.

GLOVER: Yes.

ABC NEWS LIVE: Do you feel that there's still a division, perhaps within the races, as far as going to space and how taxpayer money could be used more wisely, potentially from some critics?

GLOVER: You can't always analyze things at a state and national level. Sometimes you have to go into a community to understand it, to be able to truly empathize.

But sometimes it's just important to listen when people say, “Hey, I've got potholes in my neighborhood and I still have to go to the city to get clean drinking water.”

Marvin Gaye had a song as well, Make Me Wanna Holler, that talks about rocket ships and the cost of rocket ships versus what I have seen out my window.

The investment we make in NASA, between 300 and 700% return on every dollar we spend, creates $3 to $7 of economic and academic activity.

There are a lot of people that think that that poem is anti NASA. And I go, "Well, it's probably still important that we understand why it was written." It makes us better ambassadors of aeronautics in space.

There's no political, economic, [or] demographic division. It's something that I think most people can, can universally latch on to and just go, that's amazing.

The Artemis II crew is shown inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in front of their Orion crew module on Aug. 8, 2023. From left are: Jeremy Hansen, mission specialist; Victor Glover, pilot; Reid Wiseman, commander; and Christina Hammock Koch, mission specialist. NASA

Glover’s NASA colleagues agreed.

NASA ASTRONAUT JESSICA WATKINS: I think that is what unites us and makes human spaceflight a worthwhile endeavor. To have this single singular focus, that we can all get around and put all of our resources and expertise together towards to meet this challenge and explore together.

CHRISTINA KOCH: The thing about records [is] it's not about any one individual's success or contribution even... it's about the fact that it marks a milestone... a state of where we are at and where we are choosing to go.

ABC NEWS LIVE: What's the most awe-inspiring aspect of space?

GLOVER: Wow. To me, it is the way people react to it… the astronauts inside the spaceship and the people outside.

It's a really powerful thing to see human beings leave the planet

I'm wearing an American flag, but when I leave the planet, I represent Earth, you represent humanity, and I really take that seriously. We all have a duty to represent humanity.

#Space #NASA #Moon 🌙 🌖 🌕 Mission #United States 🇺🇸#NASA Astronaut Victor Glover #ABC News 🗞️ 📰

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stablediffusionxl · 27 days

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