My town Nanaimo (accidently) means something else in Japanese, what is it?

Question

Nah-nigh (like sigh)-moh

When my daughter was taking Japanese, her teacher told her it meant "7 potatoes"

But it's really an Indian name, or as we say First Nations...here's some info (also home of jazz singer Diana Krall)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanaimo

Nanaimo ( [nə ˈnaɪ mo]) (pop. 78,000), is the second largest city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City".

Nanaimo, known as the Harbour City, is Vancouver Island's second largest city. Originally it was the site where five separate Native villages gathered together, a place called "Snenymo" which meant 'great and mighty people'.

The area was first explored by the Spanish and later by Captain George Vancouver.

http://www.snuneymuxw.ca/

Snuneymuxw First Nation

We are a Coast Salish people who speak the Hul’qumi’num lanquage. We have occupied the eastern shores of south-central Vancouver Island for more than 5,000 years.

Answer 1

It sounds like 'seven potatoes', though strictly speaking, it's not grammatically correct in Japanese.

Answer 2

♡Do you mean 'jagaimo'? As in potato? I live in Japan and I have never heard of 'Nanaimo' [nah-nai-mo *nai as in sigh]...(*^o^*)but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist! Could it be something else? By 'accidentally' do you mean an improper word or...?♡
☆Thought I'd check back as this was an interesting word! I see, the 'nai' as in 'sigh' pronunciation would not be used for this particular word. But I'm glad you know the meaning! By the way, a little added info for you about the number 7 in Japan: "*Seven appears to be a universally lucky or holy number. Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations. The Japanese celebrate the seventh day after a baby's birth, and mourn the seventh day and seventh week following a death." Interesting, huh?

Answer 3

Well, you're not likely to actually come across it in Japan!! And in Japanese it would be pronounced rather differently too - Na-na (like a little kid's word for their grandmother,) i (to rhyme with he,) mo (short, like the 'mo' in mozzarella!)

But yes, it could be described as Seven potatoes!! (Or even Seven Yokels!!)
七 = 7.
"芋 【いも】(1) tuber; taro; potato; (2) yokel; bumpkin"

Answer 4

While not quite grammatically correct (you'd use a counter word of some sort in there), it does come out as "seven potatoes" in Japanese.

"nana" ( なな) = "seven"

"imo" (いも) = "potato"

Answer 5

nanimo means nobody in english