Curiosity

I love to play Trivial Pursuit. Family and friends might say that I have a mind that loves trivia. Guess that is why I just love Uncle John's Bathroom reader. The reason some words are not in italics is that my i button wasn't working.

Did you ever wonder how states got there names. Don't panic I am not going to do all 50 states today but let's shoot for an even dozen to start with. Here goes:

Alabama is thought to come from the Cree Indian word alibamo, meaning "we stay here".

Alaska is from the Aleutian word alakshak which possibly has two meanings: "great lands", or "land that is not an island."

Arizona could be from the Pima Indian words ali shonak, "little spring," or the Aztec, arizuma, meaning "silver-bearing."

Arkansas was somehow coined by the French from the name of the Siouan Quapaw tribe.

California thorectically is attributed to Spanish settlers who named it after a utiopian societ described in a popular 16th century novel called Serged de Esplandian. Really? Some how I don't get the connection.

Colorado means red in Spanish and was originally applied to the Colorado River's waters that are reddish with canyon clay.

Connecticut brings us back to the Indians as it is taken from the Mohican word kuenihtekot meaning "long river place."

Delaware is neither Indian or Spanish but was named after Lord De La Warr, a governor of...Virginia. Go figure. Originally it was used to name the river in that area.

Florida, now we are back to the Spanish. We attributed this one to Pnce de Leon, the fountain of youth fellow. He called it Pasua Flordia, "flowery Easter" on Easter Sunday 1513.

Georgia--Well here we are back to England. This one is in honor of King George II who charter the colony in 1732. I think a guy named Oglethorpe brought some prisoners there as well.

Hawaii is an English adaptation of the native word owhyhee, meaning "homeland."

Last but not least we come to the last state in this series,

Idaho which was possibly taken from the Kiowa Apache word for the Comanche Indians.

That's all to till next week.