States in the USA

[solbjerg]

Hi

If you ever wondered - I have here collected a little explanation for the names of the US states.

 

State Derived from Language

Alabama thicket-clearers or vegetation-gatherers Choctow

Alaska great lands/peninsula Aleutean

Arizona silver-bearing (arizuma) Aztec

Arkansas downstream place Sioux

California earthly paradise From a Spanish Romance

Colorado coloured red Spanish

Connecticut along the long tidal river Algonquin

Delaware Lord De la Ware (Sir Thomas West) English (honorary)

Florida Flowery Easter Spanish

Georgia King George II English (honorary)

Hawaii Homeland Hawaiian

Idaho invented word (George M. Willing)

claimed it was Shoshone-meaning "Gem of the Mountains"

Illinois warriors/home of superior men Algonquin

Indiana land of Indians English

Iowa Ioway (Sioux tribe) Sioux

Kansas south wind people Sioux

Kentucky land of tomorrow Iroquois

Louisiana Louis XIV French (honary)

Maine mainland English

Maryland Henrietta Maria (King Charles I) English (honorary)

Massachusetts around the great hills Algonquin

Michigan great water (great lakes) Chippewa

Minnesota sky-tinted water Dakota Sioux

Mississippi Great river Ojibwe

Missouri river of the big canoes Sioux

Montana mountanious Latin/Spanish

Nebraska flat water (Platte river) Otos indians

Nevada snow-covered mountain range Spanish

New Hampshire Hampshire England English (honorary)

New Jersey Jersey (channel Island) English (honorary)

New Mexico place of Mexitti (Aztec God) Aztec

New York Duke of York English (honorary)

North Carolina King Charles I (Carolus) Latin / English

North Dakota (North) friend Sioux

Ohio good river Iroquois

Oklahoma red people okla/people - humma/red Choctow

Oregon Ouragon (river) Algonquin

Pennsylvania Penn's woods (William Penn) English (honorary)

Rhode Island Rhodes (red clay characteristic) several

South Carolina King Charles I (Carolus) English (honorary)

South Dakota (South) friend Sioux

Tennessee Tanasi (river) Cherokee

Texas friend/allies/friendship Caddo indian

Utah living higher up in the mountains Apache

Vermont green mountain French

Virginia Virgin Queen (Elizabeth I) English (honorary)

Washington President Washington English (honorary)

West Virginia (West) Virgin Queen (Elizabeth I) English (honorary)

Wisconsin grassy place Chippewa

Wyoming large prairie place Algonquin

 

Cheers

solbjerg

[atailor1]

Hi Solbjerg,

 

Been a lot of years since I have seen this list or it's counterpart (back to the days of elementary "Catholic" school. Lived in a few Vermont, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, California and now Idaho. Seems like we Americans just can't settle in one place. The only place name I don't agree with is Vermont-Spanish, believe it should be as follows - The origin of the name "Vermont" is uncertain, but likely comes from the French les Verts Monts, meaning "the Green Mountains. At least that is what I was taught those oh so many years ago, and you don't argue nuns. :)

 

A.T.

[solbjerg]

Hi atailor

You are probably right - Vermont being so far north it is far more likely that it should come from French - so I won't argue the nuns either. :-)

Thanks!

Just what I saw someplace. And I went to school in Denmark and we didn't have this information in our curriculum :-)

Will correct it to French!!

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

Hi Solbjerg,

 

Been a lot of years since I have seen this list or it's counterpart (back to the days of elementary "Catholic" school. Lived in a few Vermont, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, California and now Idaho. Seems like we Americans just can't settle in one place. The only place name I don't agree with is Vermont-Spanish, believe it should be as follows - The origin of the name "Vermont" is uncertain, but likely comes from the French les Verts Monts, meaning "the Green Mountains. At least that is what I was taught those oh so many years ago, and you don't argue nuns. :)

 

A.T.

[titou56]

Hi friends :wink:

 

here is what is known in France :

 

"The fifty states of the United States are named after a variety of languages. Half the states, 25, have names derived from Native American languages: eight from the Algonquin, siouanes seven languages ​​(including one via Illinois, an Algonquian language), three of the Iroquoian languages, a language of Uto- Aztec and five other Indian languages. The name comes from the Hawaiian Hawaii. Other names are derived from European languages: seven come from the Latin (principally the Latin form of English names), six are from English, five comes from the Spanish (plus an indigenous language via Spanish) and three are or may come from the French (one via English): Louisiana, Vermont and possibly Maine.

 

Eleven states are named after a person: North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington.

 

But for six states, their name is of uncertain origin and there are several possible etymologies: Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Oregon and Rhode Island."

 

very best regards,

 

T2

[sunny staines]

all very interesting here in England we do not have states just countys which are from the old kingdoms [saxon era] prior to England being formed. I think most of Europe is similar

[solbjerg]

Hi sunny

Yes you have almost the same number of "states" (shires), but they are much smaller the smallest in area apart from the city of London is Rutland (about the size of Bornholm)

Sheriff by the way comes from shire and reeve ( shire official/overseer)

Some "shires" arises out of the Roman administration, but most I think from after the Norman conquest.

There is a lot of interesting material there too.

Many years ago I read a book about the Old Sarum.

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

all very interesting here in England we do not have states just countys which are from the old kingdoms [saxon era] prior to England being formed. I think most of Europe is similar

[Mr Bean]

Is That The Total States Of THe USA ???

What about out side do thy count??

Mr Bean

[enoskype]

Hey man, you really make me laugh!!! :lol::lol::lol:

100 counting the others elsewhere?

 

Cheers.

[atailor1]

Hi Mr Bean

 

Good to see you back, hope all is going well. List is of all 50 states. Only two are outside what would be considered outside of normal boundaries. They are Alaska and Hawaii.

 

A.T.

[Melvin_Deal]

Hi all!

 

There is a possibility that Puerto Rico may officially become the next US state (it practically already is)!

 

Sincerely,

-Mel

Live long and prosper!

[Toppack]

I've read that there is again a push to chop off part of southern Oregon and part of northern California to create the state of 'Jefferson'.

It will Never happen but some people have been trying to do that since 1941.

 

I know that if I lived in California I would want to do that also. :lol:

That state has way to Many Rules and Regulations.

[solbjerg]

Hi Mr Bean

Glad you fooled "the green ripper" again :-)

 

I suppose you mean - do we count the US commonwealth states outside North America? - Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico? - no we don't.

 

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Is That The Total States Of THe USA ???

What about out side do thy count??

Mr Bean

[enoskype]

Hi solbjerg, I thought he meant the ones in other continents. :lol::lol:

 

Cheers.

[solbjerg]

Hi enoskype

Yes I thought about all other countries too - but decided it would be too copious - and a lot of them would just mean like Denmark/Danmark (the land of the Danes - according to legend the first Danish king was called Dan)(as you can see it doesn't come from "the den of the Danes") :-) - or Turkey (the land of the Turks)

Turks on the other hand could mean "stong, young, alive, or even silk trader / market trader (peddler)" :-)

So a fair amount of information could be waiting for some energetic fellow to enumerate :-)

Cheers

solbjerg

p.s. Is there a special word for a female fellow?

 

Hi solbjerg, I thought he meant the ones in other continents. :lol::lol:

 

Cheers.

[enoskype]

Fellow traveler (of the forum) may imply both, I suppose. Heh, he, he.

 

A feminine fellow specific to fellow I can only think of is fellow wife. :lol::lol::lol:

 

Cheers.

[solbjerg]

Hi enoskype

Fellow can be both male and female - but to me it is most often used about males.

Fellow wife makes me interpret it as ⚣ and not ⚤ :-) (Alt+ 9891/9892)

Cheers

solbjerg

 

Fellow traveler (of the forum) may imply both, I suppose. Heh, he, he.

 

A feminine fellow specific to fellow I can only think of is fellow wife. :lol::lol::lol:

 

Cheers.

[enoskype]

I think it is defined as the first one below (kuma) when two symbols are combined and the second one is wife. 8:) :lol::lol:

 

⚤♀

 

Cheers.

[solbjerg]

Hi enoskype

Ok

I came across wench as the female equivalent of male fellow and there was also one that suggested fella(s) for ladies, - but that is also often used as a colloquial for male fellow I think.

Our Australian friends would perhaps say "fellow sheila"?

The characters shown are in Unicode symbol font - Arial unicode doesn't show them. (I find them snazzy) :-) They are also present in the Code2000 font.

Cheers

solbjerg

 

 

I think it is defined as the first one below (kuma) when two symbols are combined and the second one is wife. 8:) :lol::lol:

⚤♀

[Mr Bean]

o so how many stars on there flag?

I was thinking 48???? ask the dear one she tell you 48. plus the 2 out side there country thy consider as there state.,.Beyond There Boundary...

tho not on the flag of the USA..that correct

 

and each represents a state???

of the usa

 

oK now Canada is that French.or English ? as I think is has a state of France?? Even Today,

tho thy are independent of ether one---

the Usa

the only thing from my understanding, is thy may of added 2 states ????

had no idea it had 50 inside it...always my understanding was 48...

 

I do now there was Hawaii ---and Alaska----

referance here -----http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state

 

but I am talking the main land not islands... that I understood as 48...

 

So where Are You Good People of the USA to fix my Ask

Mr Bean

[Toppack]

Yep, 50 stars.

When Bill Gates buys Canada and the UK, it will be 52 though. ;-):lol:

 

He started to buy Mexico but then desided it was Not worth the 100 pesos they were asking for it. :lol:

[Mr Bean]

thats only half a answer

how many in there mainland

not islands ..????

Mr Bean

[Toppack]

Hawaii is an Island-chain of about 7 Islands and is a state.

Puerto-Rico and Guam are not states but are called territories.

Alaska is not attached to other states but is a state.

 

Hawaii and Alaska are included in the total of 50, but not Puerto-Rico and Guam.

[Mr Bean]

OK dear friend so she is correct that the USA has 48 and 2 outside there country...

 

I understand thy can add or divide a state? or congress with voting could and or add new ones

but the USA itself as it stands now has 48 right

Mr Bean

[Toppack]

OK dear friend so she is correct that the USA has 48 and 2 outside there country...

 

I understand thy can add or divide a state? or congress with voting could and or add new ones

but the USA itself as it stands now has 48 right

Mr Bean

 

No, 50 are states.

2 of the 50 are just Not bordered by other states.

All 50 are included in the Country.

 

Here's a list of other Islands that I think can be called territories, but not sure about all of them:

(I know some of these have members in congress)

Midway Islands

American Samoa

Virgin Islands

Micronesia

Marshall Islands

Northern Mariana Islands

Palua

[Mr Bean]

oh dear

 

now I got a problem when I tell her she is wrong

perhaps better let that alone .she got dark when I told her there were 50

and 2 outside

tho I my self did also think the same as we were taut that this is so

 

now If you can clear this up when the states became united as one

after the wars there there were 48 ? when did thy add the other 2?

 

or was there 50 when united as one under one flag.

Mr Bean