By way of a follow - up to what I wrote two days ago I would like to take you along with me as I do a wee bit of linguistic "sleuthing "..... something you won't find in the history or the geography books.
The bottom map above shows the territorial extension of the Algonkian linguistic family offfset in RED. Some 25 to 30 separate languages were / still are spoken within its boundaries...... Micmac , Maliseet , Montagnais ( Innu ) , Atikamekw , Cree , Abenaki , Illinois , Ojibway , Algonquin , Penobscot , Mohican , Natick , Shawnee , Sauk and Fox , Cheyenne , Arapaho , Blackfoot , Menominee , Powahatan , Miami , Delaware , Naskapi , Passamaquoddy etc . I was privileged to teach one of these tongues for roughly 33 years as part of my workload.... the fun part , at Université Laval here In QC where both non - native and native students received university credits for their endeavours. Needless to say , the native folks were overjoyed.
The top map shows a slice of the Trans - Canada Highway between my old hometown of Saint John , New Brunswick and the province of Québec where we now reside. The northeastern corner of the USA.... State of Maine more precisely .... is presented on the left in grey while New Brunswick to the right is somewhat pinkish in colour. Please enlarge map for better visioning.
When driving home northbound we get to quaint town on the banks of the Saint John River named Perth - Andover with the well - known Maliseet village on its outskirts almost. It is a crossroads where we may turn either west and end up in Fort Fairfield / Presque Isle , Maine ( USA ) , cut east along Highway 190 to Plaster Rock or keep on heading north towards Aroostook and Limestone , both in New Brunswick ... of course ! Once in Limestone , New Brunswick you will notice that a bit further north on the Maine side of the border there is another Limestone!! Now back to Plaster Rock ..... and more especally to the wee village just south of it which bears a Maliseet placename , Wapiske. To make a long story shorter and less complicated.......... limestone is used to make plaster and the Maliseet word means simply "white rock ". In the language I taught the corresponding term is "wapiskaw ". I wonder whether the natives stole our placenames .... limestone and plaster rock.....then translated them into Maliseet ? Just kidding !!
Driving around Lake Michigan some time back I had a fieldday...... Kenosha , Milwaukee , Michigan., Chicago .... illinois ( eelinwa ) simply means Indian , native human being with Indiana nextdoor ??? .... and South Bend , Indiana ( Notre Dame ) with it almost suburb , Mishawaka which really means Big Bend !! These two BENDS are referring to the huge "bend "or "curve " of Lake Michigan .... or two bends along the Saint Joe River which flows through both cities ??? And many more fun - filled questions !
.P.S. Fluff and I are leaving for Limestone and Presque Isle , Maine this coming Sunday for about four days.
Hmmm. Couldn't get the map to enlarge.
ReplyDeleteSorry about that . Jim , but Fluff tells me that nowadays Multiply won't permit ths function anymore for others. The three placenames are almost in a straiht line from Plaster Rock to Maine's Limestone.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I never knew what Illinois meant or how it should be pronounced.
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip this weekend. hugs!!
The US has lots of Indian names and take-offs on Indian and even Spanish names which makes me laugh at the clowns who think the only culture in the world is WASP*.
ReplyDeleteMontana is not unlike the Spanish word (sp) Montanyana meaning....mountain. (c;
*WhiteAngloSaxonProtestant.
Other Spanish state names too , Jim... Florida , Colorado ( coloured ) California , Nevada ( Snowfall ) etc ... French too ..Vermont verts monts or montagnes vertes ´= green mountains....... Middle Enlish with Maine.... back when "main " meant coastline..... remember the Spanish Main ?
ReplyDeleteI used to have a Spanish mane but then genetics and swimming in chlorine laded pools did my 'mane' in...so to speak. *lol*
ReplyDeleteYou're a dangerous person, you know. I can't imagine telling some folks living in this country (USA) just how rich our culture is when they prefer to be the "Chosen WASPs". )c;
I think the only WASP ( your definition ) signs of life in state names west of the Mississippi are the New in New Mexico and Washington State. All others are of native American origin , Spanish or even named after the kings of France .... Louisiana
ReplyDeleteJust dropping in and reading from the great state of Tejas!
ReplyDeleteSaluting the honourable member from the Lone Star State !
ReplyDelete