Names on the land
(Titled after this book.)
By now you’ve probably heard of President Trump’s orders to rename Mt. Denali “Mt. McKinley” and the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America.”
Genius!
He could have done better, though. How about “Mt. ExxonMobil McKinley?” “Gulf Oil Gulf of America?” Or, concessively, “Gulf MX Gulf of America?” For, say, twenty years, with renewal options?
I’ve been looking at maps of various countries’ administrative divisions, translated literally. Here’s Argentina – omitting the Malvinas and the Antarctic claim – with provincial names in English.
(Click to enlarge.)
The provinces’ actual names:
Etymology is fascinating. Did you know that “Mendoza” (cold mountain) is from the Basque language? That the origin and meaning of “Córdoba” are uncertain? (The above translation is just somebody’s guess.)
You may have known that “Formosa” means beautiful. Q: Beautiful, how? A: Shapely.
As for “La Rioja,” it’s not riverland, exactly; the name is for a place in Spain, which is named for the Río Oja. Or maybe it’s for the wine.
By now you’ve probably heard of President Trump’s orders to rename Mt. Denali “Mt. McKinley” and the Gulf of Mexico “Gulf of America.”
Genius!
He could have done better, though. How about “Mt. ExxonMobil McKinley?” “Gulf Oil Gulf of America?” Or, concessively, “Gulf MX Gulf of America?” For, say, twenty years, with renewal options?
I’ve been looking at maps of various countries’ administrative divisions, translated literally. Here’s Argentina – omitting the Malvinas and the Antarctic claim – with provincial names in English.
(Click to enlarge.)
The provinces’ actual names:
Etymology is fascinating. Did you know that “Mendoza” (cold mountain) is from the Basque language? That the origin and meaning of “Córdoba” are uncertain? (The above translation is just somebody’s guess.)
You may have known that “Formosa” means beautiful. Q: Beautiful, how? A: Shapely.
As for “La Rioja,” it’s not riverland, exactly; the name is for a place in Spain, which is named for the Río Oja. Or maybe it’s for the wine.