Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Wednesday coffee break: "It makes a loud noise all the time over there"

Interactive map that shows the original (Native American) meanings of the names of U.S. towns and cities.

To wit:
Chicago, IL: "skunk place"
Yakima, WA: "pregnant women"
Punxsutawney, PA: "gnat town"

"Native American words echo in the names of lakes, rivers, mountains, states, cities, and small towns across the United States. Most of these translations reflect the best scholarly opinion on the meaning of the Indian terms..."