If Kansas is (CAN-sis) and Arkansas is (ar-KIN-saw), why isn't Arkansas (ar-CAN-sis) or Kansas (KIN-saw)?
2006-12-29 18:20:09 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Simple answer -- blame it on the French!
"Arkansas" was a French name for a river, created by adding "Arc" to the French version of the name of an Indian tribe in the region.
http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/markansa.html
The French dominated the lower Mississippi in the years preceding the Louisiana Purchase, and their influence continued not only in Louisiana but in nearby Arkansas. This included French place names and retaining the French pronunciation of the river (and so the state).
http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2383
http://www.arkansasheritage.org/people_stories/europeanamericans/french.asp
The territory of "Kansas" --based on the same French-from- Indian name-- did not have the same sort of French influence. When it was settled years later by Americans, the name was quickly Anglicized to the form we know today. (Kansans also pronounce the RIVER name as "Ar-KAN-zus".)
http://www.cimarronkansas.net/arkansas.htm
Arkansas, on the other hand, was determined that the pronunciation of their state name would NOT be changed, and even passed a law to that effect!
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=15538
2006-12-30 07:00:19 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Legally speaking, Arkansas is pronounced Ar-Kin-Saw because of state law. Arkansas is the only state in the union with an official pronunciation. It was made official in 1881.
Supposedly, this pronunciation was chosen to honor the Indians who originally inhabited the state, while the spelling shows the nationality of the French who first explored the area.
2007-01-01 03:22:23 · answer #2 · answered by Cozmosis 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just one more of those crazy English-language pronunciations (possibly designed to totally confuse anyone who hasn't grown up in the U.S. speaking American English!).
For example, why do you pronounce tough and rough differently from trough and through even though (also pronounced yet another way) ALL have the same four-letter ending? (Ruff, tuff, troff, thru, thoh.)
It drives non-English speakers and students studying English crazy!
2006-12-30 03:07:04 · answer #3 · answered by pat z 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's about the languages and dialect that each derived from.
2006-12-30 02:28:17 · answer #4 · answered by 2007 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
what do you mean "if"?
2006-12-30 02:22:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋