From the Appendix to To Be or Not To Be: brahman or Abrahman / The World Turned Upside-Down . . . Coming Soon to a bookstore near you and Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. !!
Native American Placename or other term, followed by the
likely Sanskrit or Tamil, etc., equivalent(s), and sometimes followed by
similar placenames in India or Southeast Asia [all emphases added]:
Pueblo Villages in the American Southwest, the descendants
of the “Anasazi” people.
Navajo/Diné Anasazi The term is Navajo in origin, and means “ancient
enemy.”
Sanskrit anuzaya m. close connection as with a consequence, close attachment
to any object; (in phil.) the consequence or result of an act (which clings to
it and causes the soul after enjoying the temporary freedom from transmigration
to enter other bodies); repentance, regret; hatred; ancient or intense
enmity …
Kewa Pueblo, NM Kivas
are half-underground round ceremonial houses with the entrance on the roof that
are used by the Pueblo people of the American Southwest.
Sanskrit ki m. n. an ant-hill
va m. … a dwelling
Thus
in Sanskrit “kiva” is “anthill dwelling,” fitting the design of Pueblo kivas.
Hopi word for “ant” is anu, and the
Sanskrit word aNu is defined as:
Sanskrit aNu mf n. fine, minute, atomic…
Kiwale, Ravet, Dehu Road, Maharashtra, India
Maricopa, Arizona; Maricopa County, Arizona;
Maricopa, California, named after the Maricopa/Cocomaricopa Tribe
Sanskrit marIcopapurANa Name of one of the Upa Puranas The Puranas are Hindu scriptures.
Marikoppa,
Karnataka, India
Lake Havasu Purportedly from the Mojave word “blue” or
“blue-green water”
Mojave ‘Aha
or ha “short form of ‘aha,” “water”
Quechan/Yuma aha “water”
Sanskrit ha m. a form of Siva or Bhairava; water;
a cipher (i.e. the arithmetical figure which symbolizes o); meditation,
auspiciousness; sky, heaven, paradise ; blood ; dying ; fear ; knowledge ; the
moon
hari mfn. (prob. fr. a lost hṛ-,"to be
yellow or green" … fawn-coloured,
reddish brown, brown, tawny, pale yellow, yellow, fallow, bay (especially
applied to horses), green, greenish
etc.
Vasu (वसु) refer to good or bright
Gods, they are: Apa: containing water [“sometimes aha is substituted for
āpa”],
Dhruva: polestar, Soma: moon, Dharā: earth, Anila: wind, Anala: fire, Pratyūṣa:
dawn, Prabhāsa: light.
vasu m. or n. dwelling or dweller …
Havaspur, Bihar, India; Havasbhavi, Karnataka, India;
Havanur, Karnataka, India; Havaligi, Andhra Pradesh, India
Havasupai Falls
Sanskrit hava m. an oblation , burnt
offering , sacrifice … fire or the god of fire
Supayas mfn. having beautiful water
pA P. ... to watch , keep , preserve ; to
protect from , defend against … to protect (a country) i.e. rule , govern
Ra1jat. ; to observe , notice , attend to , follow
Consider also the above possible linguistic
origins of Lake Havasu, as sometimes Sanskrit word combinations contain
multiple compound meanings.
Havaspur, Bihar,
India; Havasbhavi, Karnataka, India; Havanur, Karnataka, India; Havaligi,
Andhra Pradesh, India; Supai, Bihar, India; Supaidi, Jharkhand, India
Supai Village, Arizona
Sanskrit Supayas mfn. having beautiful water
Supai, Bihar, India; Supaidi,
Jharkhand, India
Calistoga, California
Sanskrit kalistoma m. a particular Stoma.
[hymn]
ga mf going
, moving (e.g. %{yAna-} … going quickly
-ga is often
applied at the end of river names, etc., and implies “flow.”
Kalisthan, Bariyarpur, Bihar, India; Kalisindh River, Madhya
Pradesh, India
City of Sonoma, California; Sonoma Valley,
California; Sonoma Mountains, California; Sonoma County,
California
“disputed origin; likely from a Pomoan phrase meaning "valley
of the moon.’”
Sanskrit soma 1 m. (fr. 3. %{su}) juice , extract , (esp.) the juice of the
Soma plant … Soma is identified with the moon [as the receptacle of the other
beverage of the gods called Amrita , or as the lord of plants … and with the
god of the moon , as well as with Vishn2u , S3iva , Yama , and Kubera … and
appears among the 8 Vasus …
soma m. the Soma (plant or juice, often
personified as a god); the moon or the god of the moon.
Somnath, Gujarat, India; Sonamarg, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Savannah, Georgia (a city on the shore of the Atlantic
Ocean); Savanna, Illinois (a town on the east shore of the Mississippi River); Savannah,
Missouri (town a few miles from the Missouri River)
Sanskrit sAvana mfn. (fr. 1. %{savana} , p. : 190) relating
to or determining the three daily Soma libations i.e. corresponding to the
solar time (day , month , year) … m. an institutor of a sacrifice or employer
of priests at a sacrifice … the conclusion of a sacrifice or the ceremonies by
which it is terminated L. ; N. of Varuna
varuNa m. …`\"
Allenveloping Sky \"\'N. of an Aditya (in the Veda commonly the night as
Mitra over the day , but often celebrated separately , whereas Mitra is rarely
invoked alone ; Varuna is one of the oldest of the Vedic gods , and is commonly
thought to correspond to the [Neptune] of the Greeks , although of a more
spiritual conception … he is even called the brother of Agni ; though not
generally regarded in the Veda as a god of the ocean , yet he is often
connected with the waters , especially the waters of the atmosphere or
firmament , and in one place [RV. vii , 64 , 2] is called with Mitra … `\"
lord of the sea or of rivers \"\' ; hence in the later mythology he
became a kind of Neptune, and is there best known in his character of god
of the ocean … “Ocean” …
Savanas, Maharashtra, India; Savanahalli, Karnatakaq, India;
Savanalu, Karnataka, India; Savanadurga, Karnataka, India
Saratoga, Wyoming; Saratoga, New York; Saratoga,
California; Saratoga, Arkansas
All of the above places named “Saratoga” are associated with
springs, hot and cold.
Sanskrit sara mf(%{A})n. (fr. %{sR}) fluid , liquid … cathartic , purgative ,
… going , moving &c. … m. going , motion L. ; a cord … f. moving or
wandering about … a brook … a cascade, waterfall … f. a cascade (cf. %{sari})
L. ; n. a lake , pool
sarat mfn. going , flowing , proceeding
ga 1)
To go, move in general (often as suffix at the end of river names)
Gā (गा) 1b) A name of Sarasvatī.
Sarata, Maharashtra, India; Sarata, Odisha, India; Saratal,
Odisha, India; Saratanpur, Gujarat, India; Togan, Chandigarh, India; Togas,
Rajasthan, India
Nemaha, Nebraska; Nemaha County Kansas
Named after the Nemaha River, based on an Otoe word meaning
"swampy water." (wiki Placen. N.A. origin Nebraska)
Sanskrit nimajj P. ... to sink down , dive , sink or plunge or penetrate into ,
bathe in (loc.) … to sink in its cavity (the eye) Sus3r. ; to disappear ,
perish … to immerse or submerge in water , cause to sink or perish … to cause
to dive under water … to cause to penetrate into a battle , lead into the thick
of a fight
nimajjana mf(%{I})n. causing a person (gen.) to
enter or plunge into (water &c.) … n. bathing , diving , sinking ,
immersion
nimajjana n. diving, bathing.
Nemmara, Kerala, India; Nemawar, Madhya Pradesh, India;
Nemalo, Odisha, India
Kasota, Minnesota
Dakota/Sioux Name of a
village meaning clear, or clear off
Marathi Kasod{t)a (not Sanskrit): Two
place names-of India. l) in Rajasthan, Baratpur. 2) in Maharashtra, Jalgaon,
meaning why leave? in Marathi language suggesting a pleasant place to live.
Kasoda, Maharashtra, India; Village Kasota, Madhya Pradesh,
India; Prakash Kasota, Khatikamdi, Rajasthan, India
Makato (river) and Mankato (city), Blue Earth County,
Minnesota
Dakota/Sioux Mahkato
name of the Blue Earth river ma-ka: ground. earth + to: blue; green, and
the intermediate shades
Sanskrit maki:
heaven and earth
tru:
green
Makatpur, Giridih, Jharkhand, India; Makatpur, Koderma,
Jharkhand, India; Mahkatartari Shiv Temple, Jamuguri, Assam, India
Manomin (lake) and Mahnomen (town)
Ojibway manomin:
wild rice, the name of their important food cereal + min: berry
Sanskrit manda:
the scum of boiled rice (or any grain) + mid or mind: to make fat, thus. that
which fattens, or thickens, the scum on the rice water.
Manomi, Karnataka, India; Mahnora, Uttar Pradesh, India;
Mahnoodpur Korauli, Uttar Pradesh, India; Mahnoor, Jammu and Kashmir, India;
Lake Manoor Kayal, Kerala, India
Onamia (lake), Minnesota
Ojibway Onamia “Name of an especially
productive wild rice lake … possibly derived from onamani meaning vermilion
color. Onaman, red clay (for
painting); vermillion. Wild rice harvest
feasts are, or were, celebrated here annually with prayers for absence of
storms during the harvest period. Wild rice has been harvested in this region
probably from about 800 A.D. on, in numerous villages occupied for most of the
year in the late prehistoric period ...”
Tamil Onam, in Kerala state, sw India,
is a harvest festival lasting 4 days (Aug/Sept). Caparisoned elephants take part
in processions and there is feasting, singing, dancing, and a boat race … the
dancers' faces are usually painted red.
Onam is a festival that
commemorates the story of Vaman pressing King Bali to move his kingdom to “the
Underworld.”
Onam, Uttar
Pradesh, India; Onampilly, Kerala, India
Shakopee (city), Minnesota
Dakota/Sioux Shakopee six, the hereditary name of successive
chiefs
Sanskrit: Shatka:
consisting of six
api
or sometimes pi: expresses ... proximity
Shakoorpur, Uttar Pradesh, India; Shakoor, Punjab, India
Mississippi River
Wakpá Tháŋka or Haha Wakpa is the Dakota name for the river
that connects all waters and all lives where we live.
Dakota Wakpá
(river) “Wakpa. The Dakota word for ‘river.’
But it is more than a word. Wakpa is the source of life. Rivers carry our first
medicine, mni, that can nourish and heal us.”
Tháŋka Tháŋka "to be large, great in size or
renown; to be a grown up"
Sanskrit vAkpradA Sanga
vAkpradA f. N. of the river Sarasvati The Sarasvati was the archetypal sacred river
of Indus/Saraswati Civilization until the flow of the Himalayan waters shifted
to the Ganges.
Saṅga (सङ्ग).—i. e. sam-ga … m. 1.
Joining, uniting … Meeting … Confluence of
rivers.
Sanga/sangha/samga
often becomes “tanga,” as in Africa’s Lake Tanganika, another confluence of
waters, that drains into the Congo River, also derived from the root Saṅgha.
Dakota Haha
Wakpa
Sanskrit ha 2 (only L.) m. a form of Siva or
Bhairava; water
“Ha” or “aha,” “ap” or “apa,”
etc., indicates “water” in a number of Native American languages and
placenames, as is true of Sanskrit.
Thus the
Mississippi is the “Water-Water River,” implying the massive flow of North
America’s greatest river.
Chipewa Missi
Sippi,” or “large flowing water.”
Mechasipi “the ancient father of waters.”
Sanskrit maha 1 mfn. great , mighty , strong , abundant
Tamil makA 1. great, high, exalted, dignified, noble,
honourable; 2. immense, prodigious, stupendous, monstrous, extreme; 3.
superior, paramount, superlative; 4. intense
This basic prefix for
“great” is employed all over the world, from Sanskrit ‘Maha” to Tamil “Maka,” Greek
and English “Mega” and English “much,” Spanish as “mucho,” and in the Americas
as “Mechi,” “Missi,” Algonquin “Mishi,” Lenni-Lenape “maugh” and as in the
Cheyenne word for “Great Spirit,” “Maheo.”
Sanskrit sApIDa mfn. emitting or discharging a stream of
water
Supayas mfn. having beautiful water
Mechal, Kerala, India; Mahanadi (lit. ‘Great River”) River,
Odisha, India; Supai, Bihar, India; Supaidi, Jharkhand, India
Sangamon River, Illinois
"Sangamon" is a Potawatomi word and
translates to "where there's plenty to eat. And during the presettlement
days, Native Americans who lived along the river feasted there.”
Sanskrit saMgamana mf(%{I})n. gathering together , a gatherer
RV. AV. ; m. N. of Yama … n. coming together, coming into contact with, meeting
with … partaking of …
Saṅga (सङ्ग).—i. e. sam-ga … m. 1.
Joining, uniting … Meeting … Confluence of rivers.
Sangamam, Dhanushkodi, India (beach on the fabled
Rama Setu, the shoals between India and Sri Lanka where Lord Rama is anciently touted
to have built a bridge to rescue His Consort Sita from Ravana); Sangamankulam,
Avinashi, Tamil Nadu, India; Sangam, Devprayag, Uttarakhand, India (confluence
of Ganges and Alakananda Rivers); Sangamangalam, Tamil Nadu, India
Sangaina Creek, Alaska
Sanskrit Saṅga (सङ्ग).—i. e. sam-ga … m. 1.
Joining, uniting … Meeting … Confluence of
rivers.
Sangain, Jharkhand, India (community next to the Hill River)
Baboquivari mountains
in southern Arizona, traditional name given by O'Odham people, and a source of
much gold and silver.
Baba-Kubera, Sanskrit, "father"-"god of riches and
treasure."
Babowal,
Punjab, India; Baboli, Chhattisgarh, India; Kubera, Odisha, India; Kubera,
Rajasthan, India
Niagara Falls, New York
It is believed that Niagara is a derivative of the Iroquoian
word, “Onguiaahra”, which was anglicized by missionaries. The name appears on
maps as early as 1641. The generally accepted meaning is, “The Strait”. Some think it was derived from the narrow
waterway that flows north from Lakes Erie to Lake Ontario. Early maps do not
refer to the Niagara River but the Niagara Strait, which is more correct. Others believe the word Niagara is taken from
another native word meaning, “Thundering Waters”. Another theory of the name's origin suggests
Niagara is derived from the name given to a local group of Aboriginals, called
the Niagagarega people.
Sanskrit nyaJc ({nI3c} f. directed downwards, going down, deep (l. & f.); n.
{nya3k} adv. downwards, down, w. {kR} bring down …
gara mfn. (2. %{gRR}) swallowing … any drink , beverage , fluid … f.
swallowing L. … sprinkling , wetting
Gara
(गर).—a. (-rī f.) Swallowing.
-raḥ 1 Any drink or fluid, beverage.
gāra
(गार).—a. Cold, very
cold--water &c.
Nyagal Bari, Rajasthan, India; Nyagal Chhoti, Rajasthan,
India; Nagar, Rajasthan, India; Nagaram, Telangana, India; Gara, Andhra
Pradesh, India (next to Vamsadhara River); River Garampani, Assam, India
Kalispell, Montana
Name purportedly from Salish kali’spe that
means “Flat land above the lake.”
Despite the contention of some that the placename Kalispell is a false
cognate to the Kali Ma of Hinduism, the resonance is still significant…if not,
after all, veritably granting clues of ancient transpacific contact and shared
religious understandings across the globe.
Often placenames change meanings as centuries pass and as new tribes and
cultures and languages become prominent in a given area, but those placenames often
enough betray a resonance with the original linguistic and cultural source. (See below, “Salish Lake”)
Hindu Kali
Goddess, Form of Parvati, Consort to Shiva
Tamil pAy servant
Kalisil River, Rajasthan, India; Kalisthan, Bariyarpur,
Bihar, India; Kalisindh River, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India
Salish Lake (Flathead Lake), Montana
Salish salish “givers of water”
Se'ułku,
Se'uliq, Se'ułq Water
Sanskrit salila a. waving, flowing, inconstant; n. flood,
stream, water.
salilAzaya m. water-receptacle, pond, lake.
salilasaraka s. a mug with water.
salilottha mfn. risen from the ocean If this term happened to be the origin of the
tribe name “Salish,” it would clearly imply the Salish’s ancestors anciently
arrived via the ocean.
Saliste, Maharashtra, India;
Saliskote, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Salisanda, West Bengal, India; Salisandai,
Tamil Nadu, India
Silimihi, Santa Rosa Island, California
silimihi, a village on Santa Rosa Island whose name is said
to mean 'always water' (but the name is also given as siliwihi)
Sanskrit salila a. waving, flowing, inconstant; n. flood,
stream, water.
Silimi, Odisha, India; Silimpur, Maharashtra, India;
Silimpur, West Bengal, India
Mount Jurupa,
California
Sanskrit gorUpa
mfn. cow-shaped … n. the shape of a cow
Juru,
Jharkhand, India; Gorupalem, Andhra Pradesh, India
Anacapa
Island, California
“Anacapa,
the name of the island off Ventura County, is absurdly given by Bailey, page
360, as Spanish for " Cape Ann. " The Chumash original is Anyapah,
recorded by Vancouver as Enneeapah, misspelled Enecapah by the map engraver,
and then Spanicized into Anacapa…
“The name
Anacapa comes from the Chumash word “anyapakh” which means ‘mirage’ or ‘ever-changing.’”
Hindu Ayyappa, another name for Aadi
Maha Shasta, Son of Shiva and Vishnu
Sanskrit anAyaka mf(%{A})n. having no leader or ruler , disorderly
Anyapur
Pokhai, Bihar, India; Anyapatti, Tamil Nadu, India; Ayyappa Nagar,
Krishnarajapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India; Ayyappan Thangal, Chennai, Tamil
Nadu, India
Marin
County, California
“Marin
County was named after Chief Marin (whose native American name was
Huicmuse), an 18th century leader of the Licatiut, a branch of the Coast Miwok.”
“Nevertheless,
if a conclusion regarding the name Marin is needed, it may appear in Louise
Teather’s exhaustively researched book Place Names of Marin (Scottwall
Associates, 1986). ‘The name Marin,’ writes Teather, ‘honors a legendary Indian
who was either a great chief or a skilled sailor, or one and then the other; or
(it honors) a Spanish name given during the first charting of the bay in 1775;
or all of the above.’”
Sanskrit mArin mfn. (only ifc.) dying … killing
Umpqua
River
The name
"Umpqua" likely derives from a Tolowa word for "a place
along the river." Other theories report that "Umpqua" means
"thundering water," "dancing water" or "bring across
the river."
Sanskrit uma m. a city , town L. ; a wharf , landing-place
ga “going , moving,” a suffix in the names
of many rivers, i.e., “flow.”
Uma River,
Maharashtra, India; Umar River, Madhya Pradesh, India; River Umiam, Meghalaya,
india; River Umterien, Meghalaya, India; Umpung, Meghalaya, India; Umpanai,
Assam, India
Napa,
California
Tamil napA profit, gain, advantage
Napa
Talpad, Gujarat, India; Napad, Gujarat, India; Napasar, Rajasthan, India
Aguanga,
California next to a dry creek
Ganga,
River and Goddess in India
Ouray,
CO “an arrow”
Tamil oRRu-tal 01 1. to bring into contact; to press, hug close; 2. to
stamp, as a seal; 3. to spy out; 4. to beat, as cymbals in keeping time; 5. to
strike; 6. to press down; to press upon; 7. to attack; 8. to touch; 9. to
embrace; 10. to wipe away, as tears; 11. to pry into; 12. to push, as a door;
13. to fell down; 14. to tie, fasten; 15. to tug; to strain; 16. to approach;
17. to shoot, as an arrow
ari 01 1. Indra\'s weapon; 2. diamond; 3.
mouth; 4. Arrow
Gila River
Popular
theory says that the word "Gila" was derived from a Spanish
contraction of Hah-quah-sa-eel, a Yuma word meaning "running water which
is salty".[8] Their traditional way of life (himdagĭ, sometimes rendered
in English as Him-dak) was and is centered at the river, which is considered
holy. (Wiki)
Sanskrit gila mfn. (= 2. %{gira}) ifc. `\" swallowing \"\
Gilaula,
Uttar Pradesh, India; Gilalagundi, Karnataka, India
Niangua,
Missouri; Niangua River, Missouri; Lake Niangua, Missouri
Sanskrit nyanta m. or n. proximity … near , near to.
ga flow, go, often related to river/water
Niangju, Meghalaya,
India
Tujunga, California;
Big Tujunga Creek, California; Little Tujunga Creek, California
Ganga/Ganges
River, India
Sanskrit Ga go, flow
Tujung,
Odisha, India; Tajungia, Odisha, India
Havana,
Arkansas; Havana, Cuba
“capital
city, founded 1514 by Diego Velázquez as San Cristóbal de la Habana ‘St.
Christopher of the Habana,’ apparently the name of a local native people.” “The Taíno word for Havana was ‘Habana,’
which means ‘a place where they worship the goddess Habaguanex.’”
“The name
Havana has multiple meanings and interpretations, depending on the context and
culture. Here are some of the most common meanings associated with the name
Havana: Place of worship: As mentioned
earlier, the original meaning of Havana comes from the Taíno language and
refers to a place where people worshipped a goddess.”
Sanskrit Havana 1 m. fire or Agni the god of fire L. ; a
fire-receptacle (= f.) L. [1293,3] ; (%{I}) f. the sacrificial ladle S3Br.
Ka1tyS3r. ; a hole made in the ground for the sacrificial fire which is to
receive a burnt-oblation L. ; (%{am}) n. the act of offering an oblation
with fire , sacrifice … a sacrificial ladle
Havana 2 m. N. of a Rudra MBh. Hariv. ; n. calling
, invocation , summons
Havanagi,
Karnataka, India; Havaniya Rundi, Rajasthan, India
Arcata, CA
Arcata, in
Humboldt County, is said by Gannett to mean "sunny spot" in Indian.
Such a place-name would be very unusual in any California Indian language, nor
does the sound suggest a word in the Wiyot language, which is the idiom spoken
in the vicinity.
The name
"Arcata" comes from the Yurok term oket'oh that means "where
there is a lagoon"and referred to Humboldt Bay which is a barrier lagoon.
Sanskrit Arkatanaya (अर्कतनय).—'a son of the sun',
an epithet of Karṇa, Yama, Manu Vaivasvata, Manu Sāvarṇi and Saturn; see अरुणात्मज (aruṇātmaja). -yā Name of the rivers Yamunā and Tāpti.
Arkatanaya (अर्कतनय).—m. (-yaḥ) The sons of Surya or the sun, applicable to
Yama, to Sani, to the Munis Vaivaswata and Savarni, to Revanta, and to Karna. f. (-yā) The daughter of the sun, applied to
the river goddesses Jamuna and Tapti. E. arka, and tanaya a son.
Yama/Yami/Yamuna (River in India) in Native American
place names
Sanskrit yama m. a rein , curb , bridle RV. v , 61 , 2 ; a driver , charioteer
ib. viii , 103 , to ; the act of checking or curbing , suppression , restraint
(with %{vAcAm} , restraint of words , silence) BhP. ; self-control forbearance
, any great moral rule or duty (as opp. to %{niyama} , a minor observance … any
rule or observance … n. twin-born , twin , forming a … m. a twin , one of a
pair or couple , a fellow … N. of the god who presides over the Pitris and rules the spirits of the dead … (he
is regarded as the first of men and born from Vivasvat , `\" the Sun
\"\' , and his wife Saran2yu1 … his twin-sister is Yami, with whom
he resists sexual alliance , but by whom he is mourned after his death , so
that the gods , to make her forget her sorrow , create night ; in the Veda he
is called a king or … `\" the gatherer of men \"\' , and rules over
the departed fathers in heaven , the road to which is guarded by two
broad-nosed , four-eyed , spotted dogs … in Post-vedic mythology he is the
appointed Judge and `\" Restrainer \"\' or `\" Punisher
\"\' of the dead , in which capacity he is also called %{dharmarAja} or
%{dharma} and corresponds to the Greek Pluto and to Minos ; his abode is in
some region of the lower world called Yama-pura ; thither a soul when it leaves
the body , is said to repair , and there , after the recorder , Citra-gupta ,
has read an account of its actions kept in a book called Agra-sam2dha1na1 , it
receives a just sentence ; in MBh. Yama is described as dressed in blood-red
garments , with a glittering form , a crown on his head , glowing eyes and like
Varun2a , holding a noose , with which he binds the spirit after drawing it
from the body , in size about the measure of a man\'s thumb ; he is otherwise
represented as grim in aspect , green in colour , clothed in red , riding on a
buffalo , and holding a club in one hind and noose in the other ; in the later
mythology he is always represented as a terrible deity inflicting tortures ,
called %{yAtanA} , on departed spirits …
yamunA f. N. of a river commonly called the
Jumna1 (in Hariv. and Ma1rkP. identified with Yami1 q.v. ; it rises in the
Hima7laya mountains among the Jumnotri peaks at an elevation of 10 ,849 feet ,
and flows for 860 miles before it joins the Ganges at Allahabad , its water
being there clear as crystal , while that of the Ganges is yellowish ; the
confluence of the two with the river Sarasvati1 , supposed to join them
underground , is called %{tri-veNI} q.v.)
Yampai, Arizona
The “River Yuman” language group includes the Yuman,
Maricopa and Quechan languages. The Yuman were nomadic.
Sanskrit yamunA f. N. of a river commonly called the Jumna
pA P. ... to watch , keep ,
preserve ; to protect from , defend against … to protect (a country) i.e. rule
, govern … to observe , notice , attend to , follow
pay %{payate}
, to go , move
Yuman pai “people”
Tamil pai
1. greenness, freshness; 2. colour; 3. youth;
4. beauty; 5. strength, vigour
pAy
servant
paya-ttal 1. to yield, produce, put forth fruit;
2. to come into existence; to be made
[The Tamil suffix -ttal indicates the preceding word is a verb]
Yampalle, Telangana, India; Yampur,
Chhattisgarh, India; Yampha, Nagaland, India
Yuma, Arizona The Colorado River runs through Yuma.
Sanskrit yamunA f.
N. of a river commonly called the Jumna
Yumthang, Sikkim, India; Jumnal, Karnataka, India; Jumanal,
Karnataka, India
Yamhill County, named after the Yamhela people.
The best evidence of the origin of the name is that it was
the early name given the Yamhelas Indian Tribe, part of the Kalapooian
family.
Sanskrit kAla … time (as leading to events, the causes of which are
imperceptible to the mind of man), destiny, fate … time (as destroying all
things), death, time of death (often personified and represented with the
attributes of Yama , regent of the dead , or even identified with him
Tamil kalappu 1. cordiality, fraternity;
combination; mixture; 2. meeting; 3. friendship; fellowship, intimacy
Yamhon Old,
Nagaland, India; Kalapura, Rajasthan, India; Kalapuram, Andra Pradesh, India
Yemassee, South Carolina
Named after the Yamasee Tribe
Muscogee Yamasee/yvmvse “tame”
Sanskrit yama m. a rein , curb , bridle
RV., … the act of checking or curbing , suppression, restraint … restraint of
words , silence) … self-control forbearance, any great moral rule or . . . (in
Yoga) self-restraint (as the first of the eight An3gas or means of attaining
mental concentration) … any rule or observance...
Yamasandi, Karnataka, India
Yampa River, Colorado; Yampa, Colorado
Sanskrit yamunA f. N. of a river commonly called the Jumna
pa or
pA “to give drink” or
“protect”
pA P. ... to watch , keep , preserve ; to protect
from , defend against … to protect (a country) i.e. rule , govern Ra1jat. ; to
observe , notice , attend to , follow
Yamuna River, Tributary to the Ganges, Northern India; Yampalle,
Telangana, India; Yampur, Chhattisgarh, India; Yampha, Nagaland, India
Yamachiche, Quebec, Canada
Sanskrit yam, yacchati, -te ({yamati, -te}), pp. {yata3} (q.v.)
hold, hold [[-,]] up, lift, raise, erect, sustain, support; hold back,
restrain, check, stop; hold out, offer, grant, furnish, give
Yamakanmardi, Karnataka, India
Yamaska, Quebec Canada
Sanskrit suffix -aska indicates “lack of,” or
“without.” Thus perhaps “absence of
death.”
Yamasandi, Karnataka, India
State Names
Alaska
“From Eskimo word "alakshak”, meaning peninsula; also
said to mean "great lands."
Tamil al
“night” or alternately “sunshine”
Sanskrit -aska
suffix which indicates “lack of,” or
“without.”
Thus “Alaska” would mean “absence
of night or sunshine,” depending on the season.
Alasanatham, Tamil Nadu, India; Alas, Maharashtra, India;
Alasin, West Bengal, India
Arizona
“Many authorities attribute the meaning to a word meaning
arid zone or desert. Others claim the name is Aztec, from ‘arizuma’ meaning
‘silver bearing.’”
Sanskrit ari 1 mfn. attached to faithful RV. … m. a
faithful or devoted or pious man
Tamil ari 1. green; 2. yellow, brown, tawny, fawn colour; 3. gold,
wealth; 4. colour; 5. beauty; 6. emerald;
Hindi Sonā
(सोना):—(nm) gold; an
excellent thing; (v) to sleep … gold and silver
Arizal, Jammu and Kashmir, India; Arizpur, Bihar, India;
Sonapur, Bihar, India; Sonamukhi, West Bengal, India; Arisola, Odisha, India;
Sonamarg, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Arkansas
Origin uncertain. As usual with words of Indian origin,
there are various spellings for this State name, among them Alkansia, Alkansas,
and Akamsea. The word, according to some, is of Algonquin origin, and the
meaning is unknown.
Sanskrit arkAMza m. a digit or the twelfth part of the
sun\'s disc
arka m. a ray , flash of lightning …
the sun … number twelve … crystal
Arkalgud, Karnataka, India; Arkavathi River, Karnataka.
India; Arkhar, Chhattisgarh, India; Arka Fatehpur, Uttar Pradesh, India;
Arkandi, Uttar Pradesh, India; Arkani, Uttarakhand, India; Arkandla, Telangana,
India
California Generally
agreed that Cortez first applied the name, the origin is traced to the name of
an imaginary island in an old Spanish romance written by Montalvo in 1510. The
island is described as an earthly paradise, abundant with gold and precious
gems.
Sanskrit kAlItanaya m. `\" son (or favourite) of Durga1
\"\' , a buffalo L.
Idaho
Origin uncertain. Some claim it to sterol from an Indian
word of unknown meaning, while others claim the meaning "gem of the
mountains," which properly describes the State especially because Indian
translations quite often referred to natural features of surrounding country.
Another claim is the Shoshone translation of "Edah hoe," or
"light on the mountains."
Sanskrit iddha mfn. kindled , lighted , alight ; shining , glowing , blazing RV.
… clean , clear , bright ; wonderful L. ; (%{am}) n. sunshine , light , heat ;
a wonder
aga (*a. not moving;) m. tree or mountain
gir 3 m.= %{giri4} , a mountain
Idda, Punjab, India; Iddalgi, Karnataka, India; Idahalla
Kaval, Karnataka, India; Idahiya Navi Jot, Uttar Pradesh, India
Illinois
“From the Illini Indian word meaning ‘men’ or
‘warriors,’ supplemented by the French adjective ending ‘ois/’”
“What were Illini Indian weapons, tools and artifacts
like? Illini hunters and warriors used
bows and arrows, spears, and clubs.”
Sanskrit ilI f. a cudgel , a stick shaped like a
sword or a short sword
nI to lead , guide , conduct , direct ,
govern
Ilia, Uttar Pradesh, India; Illindrada, Andhra Pradesh,
India
Kansas
“Named for the Kansas or Kanza tribe of the Sioux family
that lived along a river in the area and gave it the tribal name. The name
translates as ‘south wind people,’ or ‘wind people.’"
Sanskrit kaMsazatru m. N. of Krishna
Kamsara, Odisha, India; Kamsali Bethapudi, Andhra Pradesh,
India; Kamsanahalli, Karnataka, India
Kentucky
Origin and meaning controversial. Pioneer George Rogers
Clark claimed the name was derived from the Indian word "Kentake,"
meaning "meadow land." The claim is also made that it stems from the
Shawnee word meaning "at the head of a river" inasmuch as they used
the Kentucky River in traveling throughout the area. It is also claimed to stem
from the Wyandot word "Ken-tah-ten," meaning "land of
tomorrow."
Joliet map of 1670 the word Kentayentonga is written
across the northern part of Ky., just south present Cincinnati . and beneath it
a legend setting forth the fine country and many fruits to
be found there. The name and the description undoubtedly
refer to the comparatively level, limestone lands which the traveler down the
Ohio meets when he passes below the rough. sandstone hills that border that
riv. from its head to nearly Maysville, Ky.”
Tamil kaNTAyam opening, outlet, avenue, passage
kantAyam 1. astrological period of four months … 5.
harvest season
kANTaka mf(%{I})n. (fr. %{kaNTaka}) consisting of
thorns
Sanskrit Saṅga
(सङ्ग).—i. e. sam-ga … m.
1. Joining, uniting … Meeting … Confluence of
rivers.
Sanga/sangha/samga
often becomes “tanga,” as in Africa’s Lake Tanganika.
Kantakai, Odisha, India; Kantakapalle, Andhra Pradesh,
India; Kantakamamba temple, Kantakapalle, Andhra Pradesh, India; Kantayapalem,
Telangana, India; Tanga, Madhya Pradesh/Maharashtra/West Bengal/Uttarakhand,
India
Minnesota
From Sioux word meaning "cloudy water" or
“sky-tinted water,” deriving its name from the river of the same name.
Sanskrit maNi … “a large water-jar”
mIna m. fish
mInAlaya m. `\" abode of fish \"\' , the
sea , ocean
sudAman mfn.
giving well, bestowing abundantly, bountiful; m. a cloud
soma … heaven, sky, ether …
somadhArA f. the milky way … the sky, heaven
Hindi Sotā (सोता):—(a) sleeping; (nm) a
stream, spring, brook; source …
Pali Sota, 2 (m. & nt.)
(Vedic srotas, nt. , fr. sru; see savati) 1. stream, flood, torrent
Minaspur, Karnataka, India; Minasandra, Karnataka, India;
Manipur, India (state); Minnapura,
Karnataka, India; Minnal, Tamil Nadu, India, India; Manimala River, Kerala,
India; Minavada, Gujarat, India (next to the Mohar River); Sotai, Haryana,
India; Sotal, Punjab, India
Mississippi
Accounts
by La Salle and Marquette, late 1600s French explorers, mention that the
Chippewa Indians called the river the “Missi Sippi,” or “large flowing
water.”
In the
first decade of the 1700s, French governor D’Iberville in Mobile referred to
the Mississippi as the St. Louis River in honor of King Louis XIV of France.
French historian Antoine-Simon le Page du Pratz wrote a history of Louisiana in
1758. In it, he said Native Americans referred to the Mississippi as the “Mechasipi,”
or “the ancient father of waters.”
Sanskrit mah 2 mf n. great , strong , powerful mighty …
mah f.
great, mighty, powerful, strong, abundant; old, aged. f. the earth (as
the great one), ground, soil, land, country, kingdom; space; host; cow; du.
heaven and earth; pl. rivers, waters.
maha 1 mfn. great , mighty , strong , abundant … ; m. (cf. %{makha} ,
%{magha}) a feast, festival … the festival of spring … a sacrifice L. ; a
buffalo L. ; light , lustre , brilliance … f. a cow … n. pl. great deeds RV.
maha 2 a. great, rich, abundant,
mahi adj.
great; adv. greatly, much.
Tamil makA 1. great, high, exalted, dignified, noble,
honourable; 2. immense, prodigious, stupendous, monstrous, extreme; 3.
superior, paramount, superlative; 4. intense
Sanskrit sApIDa mfn. emitting or discharging a stream of water
Supayas mfn. having beautiful water
Mechal,
Kerala, India; Mahanadi River, Odisha, India; Supai,
Bihar, India; Supaidi, Jharkhand, India
Missouri
The word
"Missouri" often has been construed to mean "muddy water"
but the Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology has stated it
means "town of the large canoes."
There are five large
waterfalls on the Missouri River.
Sanskrit mizr (also written %{misr} , properly Nom. fr. %{mizra} below) … to
mix , mingle , blend , combine … to add … Lat. {miscere} ; Slav. … {mi4sti} ,
{maisztas} ; Germ. {misken} , {mischen} ; Angl. Sax. {miscian} ; Eng. {mix} sari f. a cascade, waterfall
sarila n. = %{salila} water
Mizoram, India (state); Sari, West Bengal, India; Sari,
Uttarakhand, India; Sari, Bihar, India; Sari, Gujarat, India
Michigan
From Algonquin word "Mishigamaw," meaning
“big lake” or “great water,” deriving its name from the lake of the same name.
Also said to be from "Michi" meaning "great" and
"Gama" meaning “water.”
Tamil mIcaram 1. that which is superior or great; 2.
plenty; 3. Speed
makA 1. great, high, exalted, dignified, noble,
honourable; 2. immense, prodigious, stupendous, monstrous, extreme; 3.
superior, paramount, superlative; 4. intense
Sanskrit maha 1 mfn. great , mighty , strong , abundant
gara mfn.
"swallowing" ; m. any drink , beverage , fluid
ga 2 mf(%{A})n. (%{gam}) only ifc. going , moving (often
attached at the end of river names, as with the River Ganga . . .)
Mahagama pokhar (Lake), Jharkhand, India; Mechi
River, Border between India and Nepal; Mishipur, West Bengal, India; Mishirdi,
Jharkhand, India; Mishilimi, Nagaland, India
New Mexico
the name "Mexico" comes from Nahuatl Mēxihco, of
unknown derivation.
The etymology of the word ‘Mexico’ has been widely discussed
as there is no definitive proof about its sole origin. The theory that is
mostly accepted points out that it is formed from three Nahuatl words:
‘metztli’ meaning ‘moon’; ‘xictli’ translate as ‘belly button’ or ‘centre’; and
the affix ‘-co’ indicating ‘place’.
Sanskrit nava 1 mf n. new , fresh , recent , young ,
modern (via Spanish “nava”)
Mākṣika
(माक्षिक).—n. (-kaṃ) 1. A mineral substance, of which two
kinds are described; the svarṇamākṣika or gold Makshika, of a bright yellow
colour, apparently the common pyritic iron ore: and the rūpyamākṣika or silver
Makshika, which answers in appearance to the Hepatic pyrites of iron; other
names of these ores occur; as viṭmākṣika and kāṃsyamākṣika, or feculent
Makshika and mixed metal Makshika they are however, perhaps rather synonyms
of the gold and silver ore, respectively, than names of distinct species.
2. Honey. E. makṣikā a bee, aṇ aff. of derivation; the name is applied to the
ore, from its honey-like colour.
Maksi, Madhya Pradesh, India; Maksaspur, Bihar, India; Maksaspur
River, Harijan Tola Road, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India
Wisconsin
From an Indian name whose meaning is uncertain. Named after
its principal river and said to mean "wild rushing channel;" also refers
to "holes in the banks of a stream in which birds nest." Spelled
Ouisconsin and Misconsing by early chroniclers.
Sanskrit viSkanda m. dispersing, going away
(like the waters of a river)
Viskama Temple, Ekma, Bihar, India; Wiskalan, Uttar Pradesh,
India
Wyoming
According to the Wyoming Secretary of State, “the name
Wyoming is a contraction of the Native American word mecheweamiing (“at
the big plains”), and was first used by the Delaware people as a name for the
Wyoming Valley in northeastern Pennsylvania.”
Depending on who you talk with, the word “Wyoming” in
Delaware Indian language means either "large plains" or “mountains
and valleys alternating;” in Munsee language "at the big river flat;” or
in Algonquin “a large prairie place.”
(cap) vAyumant a.
joined or connected with wind.
Vayu Nagar, Deen Dayal Nagar, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India;
Wayanad, Kerala, India
This last example of a United States of America state name
that seems to bear etymological relation (else at least esoteric resonance) to a
possible Sanskrit cognate is also an example of the subtle play of the Divine
that my “mind’s eye” generally employs as a lens to view reality, as “Gods and
Goddesses” and other such players planting little clues in the everyday of the spirited
order of Nature. For though the Wyoming
Valley in Pennsylvania is not terrifically windy, the state of Wyoming, named
after that valley in Pennsylvania, is unequivocally known for the wind, Vayu .
. .
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