Na glavnuyu

Medovarov M.V.

The names of the United States.

Alabama - a tribe name of Cree Indians.
Alaska - Aleutian alah'sah' or ala'sh'a - "whale place, a lot of whales".
Arkansas - Indian Akenzea (meaning is unknown).
Arizona - in Papago language Ali-shonak "place of a little spring".
California - in honor of a land California from the novel "Amadis the Gaul" by Ordoniese de Montalvo, where only women lived and where there were a lot of gold and jewels. Name from Spanish "Color de forno" or Latin "Calidus fornax" - "a hot kiln".
Colorado - Spanish "red" (the name of Colorado river).
*Connecticut - Algonkinian kuenihtekot "long river".
Delaware - in honor of the first British governor, baron Thomas West, lord de la Warre.
District Columbia - in 1791 named after Christopher Columbus.
Florida - Spanish "flowering", because the peninsula was discovered in Palm Sunday, i.e. in Florida Pascua - "flowering Easter".
Georgia - named after George II, the British king.
Hawaii - in honor of the legendary homeland of the Polinesians Hawai'iki "island, land".
Idaho - a tribe name of Kiowa Indians.
Illinois - a tribe name of Central Algonkinians.
Indiana - "the land of Indians".
Iowa - a tribe name of Siu Indians.
Kansas - a tribe name of Siu Indians.
Kentucky - Irokesian kentake "plain, meadow land".
Louisiana - named after Louis XIV, the king of France.
*Maine - in honor of French region Maine, because it was connected with Henrietta-Mary, the wife of Charles I, the English king.
Maryland - named after Henrietta-Mary, the wife of Charles I, the English king.
*Massachusetts - Algonkinian Massad-chu-es-et "place on the high hill".
Michigan - Algonkinian "great water, big lake".
Minnesota - Siu minne "water", sota "muddy".
Mississippi - Indian "big river"; the Spanish name was Rio Grande del Espiritu Santo.
Missouri - Indian "big muddy river".
Montana - Spanish montano "mountainious".
Nebraska - Siu ni "water, river", bthaska "plain".
Nevada - Spanish "snowy" (from the Sierra Nevada range).
*New-Hampshire - in honor of English county Hampshire.
New-Jersey - in honor of Jersey island in English channel.
New-Mexico - because there was a false rumour about the treasures so great as in Mexico.
New-York - named after English king James II: when he was prince, his title was "duke of York".
North Carolina - in 1712 Carolina named after king Charles I was divided into North and South Carolina.
North Dakota - a tribe name of Siu Indians meaning "allies".
Oklahoma - in Chokto language okla "people", homa "red".
Ohio - Irokesian Ohiio "beautiful" (name of the river).
Oregon - French ouragan "hurricane"; or Spanish orejon "long-eared".
Pennsylvania - in honor of admiral W. Penn and Latin silva "wood".
*Rhode-Island - originally named after island of Rhodos, but the Dutch changed it into Rood-Eiland "red island".
South Carolina - see North Carolina.
South Dakota - see North Dakota.
Tennessee - in Cherokee language tenu "nice, beautiful", assee "ears".
Texas - Indian texia "good friend".
Utah - a tribe name ute meaning "high", i.e. "living in mountains".
*Vermont - French "green mountain".
Virginia - in honor of Elisabeth I, the Virgin Queen.
Washington - named after George Washington.
West Virginia - in 1863 was detached from Virginia.
Wisconsin - Algonkinian "big long river" or "river of grassland".
Wyoming - Algonkinian "wide plain".

The states marked by * are included in New England.

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