Where did that word come from? Ever asked that question?

[kag]

41. MineralMan, if you're interested...

I'll send you a copy of my book:

"U.S. State Names: The Stories of How Our States Were Named"

http://www.mountainstormpress.com

Like you, I have a greater-than-average interest in history, etymology, and toponyms. Many years ago I began researching how each of our states was named--not just the etymology of the word (although I include that, too) but the details about how it got to be applied to the region it now names. For instance, the name "Wyoming" originated in Pennsylvania. From my book:

The story of Wyoming’s name begins in Pennsylvania, specifically in a small valley of the Susquehanna River basin near Wilkes-Barre. The Algonquin-speaking Delaware Indians called the place something like mscheweamiing which meant “large prairie place” or “big flats.” The missionaries of the 1700s had difficulty with the name (go figure) and shortened it to “Wayomik.”

I go on to describe how the word was used in a poem to commemorate the massacre of a settlement of pioneers in 1778 in the Wyoming Valley by a group of British soldiers and Cayuga and Seneca Indians. That poem became relatively famous, and when Wyoming, the western territory was being carved out of Dakota Territory "Wyoming" was chosen for reasons I explain further.

Anyway, my husband convinced me to turn my research into a book, which I did. It took several years to finish the research and complete all the chapters, but it was a subject that interested me intensely, so it was fun to work on. I'm currently working on a second edition to update a few things and fix some embarrassing typos, but it won't be out for a while.

If you'll PM me an address I'll send you a complimentary copy.