Editor's Corner

Good morning! Today I’m sticking with the M states (minus Maine). I hope this finds you happy and healthy. From Thesaurus.com:

Maryland

Like Louisiana, Maryland is also named in tribute to royalty. In this case, Maryland was named in honor of Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I of Great Britain. King Charles I had signed the charter establishing the Maryland colony in 1632.

Massachusetts

The state of Massachusetts has its origins in the name of a tribe that once occupied the territory, the Massachuseuck. The word in Algonquin is said to translate to “at the great hill,” thought to refer to what is today known as Great Blue Hill. The name Massachusetts for the area is attested by Captain John Smith in 1616.

Michigan

The name Michigan comes from the Ojibwe (Chippewa) michigama, meaning “large body of water” or “large lake.” This is a fitting name for Michigan, which touches four of the five Great Lakes.

Minnesota

There is general agreement that Minnesota comes from the Dakota name for the Minnesota River: mni sota. But what that expression translates to is disputed. Mni means “water,” but sota can mean “sky-tinted” or “cloudy.” The most poetic translation is Gwen Westerman’s “land where the water is so clear it reflects the sky.”

Mississippi

Mississippi gets its name from a French transcription of the Objiwe word misi-ziibi, meaning “big river.” However, popular folk etymology would have you believe misi-ziibi means “Father of Waters.” The French Messipi became the English Mississippi when it became an American territory in 1798.

Missouri

Missouri is another state that is named for a Native American tribe. The name Missouri is an Anglicized form of the Algonquian Emessourit, meaning “people with canoes (made from logs).”

Montana

It’s easy to understand how Montana got its name: it comes from the Spanish montaña (“mountain”) and the Latin montana, as a reference to the Rocky Mountains. According to legend, the name was suggested by gold rush miner Josiah Hinman for a small town near Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Later, Congressman James Ashley suggested it for the name of a new territory in 1864.

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