Regarding the naming of rivers, can you answer this?

Question

When two rivers merge, such as the Missouri and the Mississippi, they continue downstream as the Mississippi. The same is true for almost all confluences - the Wisconsin River ends when it flows into the Mississippi River, The Wabash joins the Ohio and they flow on as the Ohio. However, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River come together to form the Ohio River, with neither name carrying on downstream - hence the name "Three Rivers Stadium" at that point. Is there rule or a pattern for this? Is it the similarity of their sizes or the layout of the land or is there some other reason that I am unable to guess why they take on a new name at this point?

Answer 1

There is no "rule" or "pattern" for place names. In fact, if you look at a map atlas you'll find other instances where 2 named streams join to make a third with a totally different name (like the Muddy and the Fremont in Utah that meet to form the Dirty Devil). Some US names for natural features were adopted from the Native American's names for them. In some cases rivers had numerous names as different explorers "discovered" portions of them -- sometimes, one name was kept and the others discarded as it was determined that they were segments of the same river. Particularly in the central and western states, the government had more of a hand in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in the naming process (think of Lewis and Clark and other federally sponsored surveying parties.) Considering the older history of Western PA, it is likely that the names of the 3 major rivers were so well-established separately by the locals, being such major waterways for transport and trade for the Native Americans and the early Colonists, that it would have been impractical to drop one name. Also, both the Allegheny and Monongahela are of similar width and flow -- you can't really call one stream dominant.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

All the above answers are true but also remember that as the areas were explored generally by foot starting in the 15th century certain reaches were yet undiscovered, and the early explorers only built on what was then known. The Spanairds explored the lower mississippi, but the french and english "discovered" and "named" the ohio, and Kentucky Rivers (actually adopting the indian names for the regions for these rivers)

Answer 4

All of the names that you mention come from Native American words. It would seem that early surveyors and map makers followed local usage and custom.

Ohio is the Iroquois name for the river.http://www.ohiohistory.org/places/ohriver/
Mississippi is the Algonquin name. www.gatewayno.com/history/Mississippi.html
Missouri River was named for the Missouri Indians who lived along the banks. The name, Missouri, means "canoe haver."http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/mo_intro.htm
The Wabash River was originally named, Wah-Bah-Shik-Ki, which means "pure white." (Later, the river's name was changed to Wabash by the English.)http://banksofthewabash.org/heritage.htm
Many discrepancies arise over the origin of the name Allegany. A Native American tradition holds that Allegheny comes from the name of the old tribe of Native Americans called Allegewi that used to live along the Allegheny River’s banks. Another tradition explains that the name Allegany comes from an old Native American word meaning ‘lovely’ or ‘beautiful.’http://www.allegany.org/index.php?History%20of%20Allegany
Monongahela is Delaware for "river with falling in banks" and that is one of the main land features of southwestern Pennsylvania: landslides.http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/news/monessen/s_471575.html

Answer 5

Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri

Answer 6

No standard that I know of.

In your examples, the Ohio and Mississippi and Missouri are probably named because they define a border of their respective states.

Answer 7

those you point out have in simple terms been surpassed down via time, probable like those on your subculture have been. yet human beings make up names, and use call books and get in touch with web pages, too.