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Origins and Etymologies of U.S. State Names - Alaska
Knowing your state bird, flower or bug might be a good ice breaker while waiting in line at the DMV, but how many people actually know the origin of their state's name? The etymologies of some U.S. state names are more obvious than others, derived from the Spanish or French tongue. Though, more than half of the U.S. state names come from Native American tribal languages, with several still a mystery to scholars and historians. The Eskimo Aleut language has a definitive meaning for the state of Alaska, or as they knew it, territory of Alaska. There are only some 300 people who can still speak the Aleut language, but they'd tell you the literal translation of Alaska is, "the object towards which the action of the sea is directed". It has more commonly been referred to as the translation for "mainland." The actual Aleut word is "alaxsxaq", and it is the Russian pronunciation that survived into the English language once the U.S. purchased the territory from the Russian Empire.
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Contributor's Note
You can read the Origins and Etymologies of all 50 U.S. State Names at the backlink provided.
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Origins and Etymologies of U.S. State Names
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