Native American Geographical Names
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of geographical names that have, in some way or another, derived from Native Americans.
Contents |
[edit] Canada
The name of Canada comes from the indigeneous word kanata which means "settlement" or "village".
[edit] Provinces & Territories
- Ontario-Iroquois word Onitariio meaning "beautiful lake" or Kanadario, variously translated as "beautiful water".
- Manitoba- Can mean "lake of the prairie" in the Assiniboine language or "the strait of the spirit" in Cree.
- Nunavut-"our land" in Inuktitut, the language of the Inuit.
- Quebec-Algonquin word meaning "strait" or "narrowing"
- Saskatchewan- Named after the Saskatchewan River, whose name comes from its Cree and means "swift flowing river".
- Yukon- Named after the Yukon River, which means "great river" in Gwich’in.
[edit] Guatemala
The name can mean "land of the trees" in the Maya-Toltec language or "between the trees," in the Nahuatl language.
[edit] Mexico
The name of Mexico comes from Mexica in Nahuatl, name that the Aztecs called themselves.
[edit] States
- Chiapas- Believed to derive from the ancient city of Chiapan, which means "the place where the chia sage grows" in Náhuatl.
- Chihuahua- Thought to derive from the Nahuatl Xicuahua, or "dry, sandy place".
- Coahuila- Named after an Indian tribe living in the region called Coahuiltecos.
- Guanajuato- Means "hill of frogs" in the Tarascan language
- México- Named after the Mexica or Aztecs.
- Michoacán- Translates to "the place of the fishermen" from the Nahuatl word michamacuan.
- Nayarit- Náhuatl for "Son of God who is in heaven and in the sun".
- Oaxaca-Comes from the Nahuatl word huaxyácac or "place of the guaje trees".
- Querétaro- Could come fom the Otomi meaning "the great ball game" or the Tarasco/Purépecha language meaning "place of stones".
- Tamaulipas- derives from tamaholipa a Huastec term that could mean "place where high hills".
- Tlaxcala- Means "Place of Maize Corn Bread".
- Yucatán- The name may mean ""I don't understand your talk" in the Maya language. It was probably adopted by the Spaniards after they asked the natives where they were at upon their arrival.
- Zacatecas- Named after the Zacatec; an indigenous nation in the area. It means "inhabitants of the land were the shrubs are abundant" in Nahuatl.
[edit] Nicaragua
This country's name is derived from Nicarao, the name of the Nahuatl-speaking tribe that inhabited the shores.
[edit] United States
(This country's name is not Native American)
[edit] States
- Alabama- Named after the Alabama Tribe.
- Alaska-
- Arizona-
- Arkansas-
- Connecticut-
- Dakota (North & South)- Named after the Lakota and Dakota tribes (Sioux).
- Illinois- Named after the Illiniwek confederation.
- Iowa-
- Kansas- Siouan word meaning "People of the south wind."
- Kentucky-
- Massachusetts-
- Michigan-
- Minnesota-
- Mississippi-
- Missouri-
- New Mexico- Named after the country of Mexico, which is named after the Mexica or Aztecs.
- Ohio- Ohio is an Iroquoian word meaning "good river."
- Oklahoma- Name comes from the Choctaw meaning "red people"
- Oregon-
- Tennessee-
- Texas- Comes from the Caddo word teysha, meaning "hello friend".
- Utah-
- Wisconsin-
- Wyoming-
