Editor's Corner

Hello and good morning.

The other day I got a little warm and fuzzy with my talk about autumn, my favorite season. Today, we’re going to do a psychological evaluation of people who love the time of year when it starts getting cold and plants start dying. I’m just kidding. I don’t apologize for my love of the fall.

But I am here for something a little more serious today: rules. Yes, you may find yourself looking at an article or a business newsletter and wonder about capitalization of seasons because sometimes you see Autumn, sometimes you see spring, and other times it is Winter. Here are the basic rules for capitalizing seasons.

From Thesaurus.com:

Generally, when you’re using the name of a season in a sentence as a noun or an adjective, it shouldn’t be capitalized. The names of the seasons—spring, summer, fall/autumn, and winter—are common nouns rather than proper nouns. This means they use lowercase letters as in the words afternoon and month rather than uppercase letters as in Friday or August.

There are only a few times when seasons should be capitalized, including when they’re used as proper nouns, when they start a sentence or when they’re personified.

When a season is used as a common noun or adjective, it is lowercase.

• I love the cool weather that comes with autumn.
• In the winter, we occasionally have hot sunny San Diego days—it’s not uncommon to see people celebrating Christmas and wearing shorts.

The same goes for the common nouns summertime, wintertime, etc. These are also lowercased.

• The blossoms in the springtime desert are often stunning to behold.

Of course, there are exceptions. When you are writing a sentence, the first letter is capitalized, so if the seasonal word begins the sentence, it is capitalized.

• Winter came, and the townspeople were ecstatic, because this year Oprah had given each person a brand-new coat!

Another exception is when the season is used as a proper noun (describes a particular person, place, or thing). Here are a few examples from Thesaurus.com:

A season should be capitalized when it’s used as part of a proper noun as in Winter Olympics or the Winter Palace. Proper nouns also include titles of creative works, so the seasons follow the rules that govern all other nouns and adjectives when used in titles.

Some examples of this rule include the books Silent Spring by Rachel Carson and One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, the song “Summer of ‘69” by Bryan Adams, and the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Lastly, in poetry and literature the season is uppercase if it is personified (giving an animal or inanimate objects the qualities of a human). For example, this passage from a poem by Charles Mair, in which Summer is being written about as a person:

Summer

We will muse on Summer‘s ploys:
How no partial gifts are hers,
But now the palms and now the firs
Are dozed with kisses balmy-sweet
From lips which breathe a pulsing heat.

One other thing I remember is that when you’re dealing with quarters or semesters in school, it is okay to use capital letters for the term Winter 2024, Spring 2024, Autumn 2025, etc. Hopefully, that is the last exception! If you ever have a question, feel free to check with one of the editors. We’re here to help. 😊

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Greetings, fellow word nerds. I have more new words to share with you today. As I mentioned last time, Dictionary.com recently published their list of words that are being added to the dictionary for 2023. Last time, I shared words in two categories: Pop Culture and Slang and Artificial Intelligence.

Today I’m going to share words from the following categories: Modern Problems and Science and Tech.

You can be the first of your friends and family to popularize these words in your community. Go on! Be a trendsetter!

Modern Problems

· greenwashing (noun)

An instance or practice of promoting or affiliating a brand, campaign, mission, etc., with environmentalism as a ploy to divert attention from policies and activities that are in fact anti-environmentalist.

The ending -washing in greenwashing and sportswashing below comes from the verb whitewash.

· sportswashing (noun)

An instance or practice of rehabilitating the bad reputation of a person, company, nation, etc., or mitigating negative press coverage with a sports event, or an appeal to unify and reconcile groups in conflict by celebrating fans’ shared love of a game.

· crypto-fascism (noun)

Secret support for fascism.

Note that crypto- is used here as a combining form meaning “hidden” or “secret,” not as a reference to cryptocurrency (which is now often referred to as crypto for short).

· sextortion (noun)

Criminal behavior in which a perpetrator illicitly obtains sexually compromising material, such as images, and then threatens to publish it or harm the victim in other ways unless further material or a sum of money is surrendered.

A blend of sex and extortion.

· jugging (noun)

A theft committed by a perpetrator who waits at a bank, near an ATM, or outside an expensive store, watches for customers who might be carrying a large amount of cash or goods, and then follows them to steal the money or goods from the customer or from their car.

The word jugging is modeled on mugging. The word jug can be a slang term for a bank.

· hostile architecture (noun)

Design elements of public buildings and spaces that are intended to stop unwanted behavior such as loitering or sleeping in public by making such behavior difficult and uncomfortable.

· prison industrial complex (noun)

The network of government agencies and private industry that foster, benefit from, and contribute to mass incarceration, the imprisonment of large numbers of people.

Relatedly, this update also includes the newly added words decarcerate and decarceration, both used in the context of efforts to reduce the number of people in prison.

· crony capitalism (noun)

An economic system in which success in business is obtained through relationships to people in political power rather than through competition.

The word crony means a close friend, but it is often used negatively, especially in the context of business and politics.

· Big Pharma (noun)

Pharmaceutical companies considered collectively, especially with reference to their political and commercial influence.

The construction used to create this phrase, in which the word Big is paired with a specific industry (such as in similar phrases like Big Oil), usually carries a negative connotation.

Science and Tech

· biohacking (noun)

Strategic biological experimentation, especially upon oneself, using technology, drugs, hormones, diet, etc., with the goal of enhancing or augmenting performance, health, mood, or the like.

· algo (noun)

Informal for algorithm.

· bloatware (noun)

Unwanted software that is preinstalled on a newly bought device, especially when it negatively impacts the device’s performance.

· neobank (noun)

A digital bank, typically without a charter, that operates only online or on mobile platforms, providing some traditional banking services, such as checking and savings accounts, at low or no cost to customers.

· pessimize (verb)

To make less good, efficient, fast, functional, etc., especially in the context of computers or information technology.

The opposite of optimize.

That’s it for today. I’ll give you the final list of words that have been added to Dictionary.com next time! Enjoy the rest of your day.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Good morning, folks!

As I look outside, it is very foggy, and mamma squirrel is out at my food dish, fattening up for the cooler weather. Even though I’m not in Seattle anymore, I know the leaves are starting to change color and I feel a little homesick.

Autumn (or fall) is my favorite season, so let’s warm up a pumpkin spice latte or some hot apple cider and look at some details about the season.

At Dictonary.com, there is a full article about the seasons, but I’m just going to share a bit.

The word autumn comes from the French autompne, from the Latin autumnus, whose deeper roots are obscure. It’s first recorded in English as early as the late 1300s.

Recorded use of the word fall as the name of the third season of the year comes from as early as the 1500s. The name is thought to originate in the phrase the fall of the leaf, in reference to the time of year when deciduous trees shed their leaves. The name of its inverse season, spring, is thought to come from the phrase spring of the leaf—the time when everything is blossoming.

Americans and the British used both fall and autumn until around the 1600s, when the British went “all autumn” and kicked “fall” to the curb. Americans waited until the 1800s and started using fall more frequently.

There’s one more term for autumn that is even older: the season harvest. It’s from the “Old English word hærfest, of Germanic origin, perhaps with an underlying, ancient sense of “picking, plucking” (as in, picking fruits to harvest them).”

I have some grammatical rules I’ll share with you later (for the capitalization of seasons in our writing), but today we’re just going to stick with the different names for seasons and discuss when the fall, autumn, or harvest occurs. Here are some final details:

In the Northern Hemisphere, fall is roughly between August and November, technically lasting from the autumnal equinox until the winter solstice . In the Southern Hemisphere, where the seasons are flipped, fall is roughly between the end of March and the end of June.

So, as Judy Garland sang in the 1950 movie Summer Stock, “Howdy neighbor! Happy Harvest!”

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Hello, friends.

Dictionary.com recently announced a passel of new words that they have added to the dictionary for 2023. There are quite a few of them, so they broke them up into categories. I’ll share them with you over several weeks, so you don’t get too excited, overwhelmed, or outraged, depending on your outlook.

First a reminder: dictionary editors do not just pick their favorite words to add each year. They add words according to these criteria: the word has relatively widespread use, it has a widely agreed-upon meaning, and it seems to have staying power (that is, it looks like it’ll be around for a long time).

I am not saying I love all these new words, but I do love actively watching language evolve. And like it or not, English is always changing.

So on with the first two categories of words.

Pop Culture and Slang

· jawn (noun)

Informal. Chiefly Philadelphia. Something or someone for which the speaker does not know or does not need a specific name.

Example: Can you hand me that jawn right there?

Philadelphians know that their favorite regional catchall term isn’t new—the first records of its use come from the early 2000s, when it started to be popularized in the Black community. Its addition reflects an increasing awareness of the term outside the region. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, but it may be a local Philadelphia variant of joint, which is used in a similar way in the New York City metropolitan area.

· nepo baby (noun)

A celebrity with a parent who is also famous, especially one whose industry connections are perceived as essential to their success.

· NIL (abbreviation)

Name, image, likeness: aspects of a collegiate athlete’s identity for which they may earn money from a third party, as for advertising sponsorship or merchandise sales, although they are prohibited from being paid directly by colleges and universities for their participation in intercollegiate sports.

· Blursday (noun)

Informal. A day not easily distinguished from other days, or the phenomenon of days running together.

Made-up day names are meant to capture the sameyness vibe of busy lives and work. Similar terms include Whoseday and Whensday.

· shower orange (noun)

An orange that is peeled and eaten under a steamy shower, the purported benefit being that the steam enhances the orange’s citrusy fragrance and creates a soothing experience for the person who is showering.

The phenomenon and the name for it were popularized by a viral social media trend. Keep an eye out for similar practices, including shower beer and shower wine.

· Godwin’s Law (noun)

An adage of internet culture stating that as any discussion or debate grows longer, there is a proportionate increase in the probability that someone will invoke a comparison to Hitler or the Nazi party.

Named after U.S. lawyer and author Mike Godwin (born 1956), who formulated the adage in 1991.

· Poe’s Law (noun)

An adage of internet culture stating that unless some tone indicator is used, it is impossible to tell the difference between an extreme view being sincerely espoused and an extreme view being satirized.

Named after Nathan Poe, who posted about the concept on an internet forum in 2005. But the concept predates Poe’s post.

· campaign (noun)

A story in a role-playing game, spread out over multiple play sessions, that usually keeps the same plot, setting, or main characters.

This is just one example of a word that’s obviously not new but for which our lexicographers have added a more recent sense.

Artificial Intelligence

· generative AI (noun)

Artificial intelligence that is designed to process prompts from users and respond with text, images, audio, or other output that is modeled on a training data set.

· chatbot (noun)

A computer program designed to respond with conversational or informational replies to verbal or written messages from users.

· GPT (abbreviation)

Generative pre-trained transformer or general purpose technology; a type of machine learning algorithm that uses deep learning and a large database of training text in order to generate new text in response to a user’s prompt.

· hallucinate (verb)

(of a machine learning program) To produce false information contrary to the intent of the user and present it as if true and factual.

Be prepared to starting hearing and reading about this with increasing frequency—including in discussions of how AI researchers still don’t fully understand how it happens.

· LLM (abbreviation)

Large language model: a type of machine learning algorithm trained on extremely large data sets of existing language and designed to generate new, naturalistic responses to prompts.

I’ll have more words for you next time. Until then, just be nice. 😊

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

9660 Granite Ridge Drive, San Diego CA 92123

Symitar Documentation Services

About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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Good morning, hello, and good day,

This is our last installment of state names and their etymologies. I hope you’ve learned a thing or two. My main takeaway is the importance of large water sources when naming things around the area; there are so many names from Indigenous Americans that revolve around rivers and lakes. And how important they are!

Rhode Island

While somewhat disputed, most likely the name Rhode Island originally comes from the Dutch een rodlich Eylande, a name given to what is today Aquidneck Island by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block. It means “Red Island,” a reference to the red clay on the shore. The name was later Anglicized into Rhode Island, linking the place with the mythical Isle of Rhodes. The name was shortened from State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations to simply Rhode Island in 2020 because of the association with slavery.

South Carolina

As we already know, the Carolina part of South Carolina comes from the Latin name for Charles, a reference to King Charles I and King Charles II of the United Kingdom. The South part of the name was added when the Carolina territory was split in 1712.

South Dakota

Similarly, we have already seen that the name Dakota comes from the name of the Dakota tribe, also known as the Sioux. It means “friendly people” or “allies” in that language. In 1861, the Dakota Territory was formed. After a dispute over the location of the state capital, the territory was split in two in 1889. The southern part of the state is South Dakota.

Tennessee

The name Tennessee comes from the Cherokee word Tanasqui, a name for two towns in the state, meaning roughly “meeting place.” The Anglicized spelling Tennessee is attributed to James Glen, Governor of South Carolina in the 1750s.

Texas

According to popular legend, the name Texas ultimately comes from Caddo taysha, a term used by the Caddo people meaning “friend” or “ally.” It was adopted as Tejas by the Spanish and became Texas in English. However, historian García Ruiz has proposed a controversial twist: that the state was named after the Spanish word for yew (a tree found in Spain), teja. The local bald cypress trees reminded the Spanish of the yew, and they chose the word to refer to the region.

Utah

The name Utah may come from a series of misunderstandings. The Apache used the word Yuttahih to mean “one that is higher up.” This was transcribed by the Spanish as yuta and was given as a name to the area inhabited by the Ute tribe. It is also possible that the name comes from a corruption of Nuutsiu, what the Ute call themselves.

Vermont

It is popularly believed that the name Vermont comes from the French ver(t) mont, or “green mountain,” describing the state’s mountain ranges. However, historian Joseph-André Senécal suggests that in fact revolutionary Thomas Young translated the existing nickname Green Mountain into French in 1777 to come up with the name for the territory: Vermont.

Virginia

The commonwealth of Virginia is named in honor of Queen Elizabeth I, nicknamed “the Virgin Queen,” who gave the land grant for the colony in 1584.

Washington

Washington State has the honor of being the only state named after a president: President George Washington.

West Virginia

West Virginia used to be part of the state of Virginia, named for the Virgin Queen, until it seceded from the Confederate state in 1862.

Wisconsin

While the name Wisconsin, like so many other state names we have seen, likely comes from a Native American language and word, it is uncertain which one. Some argue it comes from the Menominee Weskohsaeh, meaning roughly “a good place to stay.” Others suggest it comes from Algonquin Meskousing, meaning “river running through a red place,” a reference to the red cliffs in the state.

Wyoming

The name Wyoming was first used to refer to a valley in Pennsylvania. The name was suggested for the state by Representative James M. Ashley, who was born in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. The name Wyoming itself is said to come from a Native American word and language of disputed origin.

That’s it! I hope you have enjoyed our little road trip through the United States!

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Hello and welcome!

Before I get started with states, I’d like to announce something. No, I’m not having a baby…that ship has sailed. This month Jack Henry is matching associate donations to the National Forest Foundation , a non-profit dedicated to conservation work and forest resilience projects in our national forests. Last year we raised $5,000, which resulted in a match from Jack Henry, and we were able to help plant 10,000 baby trees!

You can make a donation via a one-time voluntary payroll deduction, and JH will match your contribution dollar for dollar! Think about what makes your home beautiful and donate some money to the cause!

Okay, back to the Editor’s Corner. We still have a couple of days left where we look into the etymology of our state names. I was thinking of only doing those where we have employees, but I seem to remember hearing that Jack Henrians are everywhere! Continued from Thesarus.com, the penultimate list of states:

Nebraska

Like many states, Nebraska‘s name comes from the Native American name for a major river in the territory. In this case, Nebraska comes from the Otos word nebrathka, meaning “broad or flat water,” referring to the Platte River. Platte means “flat” in French.

Nevada

When the Spanish arrived on the West Coast in the mid-18th century, they named the mountains they saw the Sierra Nevadas or “snow-covered mountains,” because that’s what they were. The nearby region they simply called Nevada for short. The name stuck.

New Hampshire

The name New Hampshire is a reference to, well, “Old” Hampshire, a county in England. Captain John Mason named the region New Hampshire after Hampshire, England. The name Hampshire itself comes from the Old English Hamtur, meaning “village town.”

New Jersey

Like New Hampshire, New Jersey makes tacit reference to an “Old” Jersey. In this case, the reference is to the Isle of Jersey, an island in the English Channel. In 1649, the governor of the Isle of Jersey, Sir George Carteret, was given land in the New World by King Charles II. The land was named New Jersey in honor of Sir Carteret. It is not clear where the original name Jersey itself comes from, however.

New Mexico

The name the Spanish gave the lands north of the Rio Grande was Nuevo México, or New Mexico in English. According to historians, the Spanish conquistadors thought of this region as a symbolic part of the homeland of the Aztec people (sometimes known as the Mexica). The name Nuevo México actually predates the country of Mexico, which was founded in 1821. The name Mexico itself is of disputed origin, but it’s said to come from expressions in the Nahuatl language, spoken by the Aztecs.

New York

New York, New York used to be named New Amsterdam, New Netherlands. But when the British acquired the land from the Dutch in 1664, they renamed it New York after James Stuart, Duke of York, who later became King James II. York itself comes from the Old English Eoforwíc, of disputed meaning.

North Carolina

The Carolina part of North Carolina doesn’t refer to a lady named Carol but rather to King Charles I of the United Kingdom who made the original land grant to form the colony in 1629. The Latin form of Charles is Carolus, and the territory was originally referred to as Carolana. Later, in 1663, under King Charles II, it was named Carolina definitively. When the territory was split in 1710, the northern part was duly renamed North Carolina.

North Dakota

The name Dakota comes from the name of the Dakota tribe, one of three tribes commonly referred to as Sioux. It means “friendly people” or “allies” in the Dakota language. In 1861, the Dakota Territory was formed. After a dispute over the location of the state capital, the territory was split in two in 1889. The northern part of the state is North Dakota.

Ohio

The origins of the name Ohio are murky and disputed. The most common theory states that Ohio comes from an Anglicized version of an Iroquois word meaning “great river,” which referred to the Ohio River that shares the state’s name.

Oklahoma

The word Oklahoma comes from the combination of two Choctaw words: okla, meaning “people,” and humma. While humma is often translated to mean “red,” as in “red people,” it is also used as an honorific title for men who are called to be courageous in the Choctaw language. Oklahumma was Anglicized to Oklahoma when it became a U.S. territory.

Oregon

The origin of the name Oregon has been lost to history. It was first attested by British Major Robert Rogers in 1765 in a petition to King George III. Major Rogers writes that there is a river called Ouragon by the Native Americans. However, what tribe or language this may have been or what the name may have meant is unknown to this day.

Pennsylvania

The name Pennsylvania is a tribute from William Penn to his father, Admiral William Penn. The younger Penn was given the land grant to the territory by the King of England and named it after his dad, although he originally simply wanted to name it Sylvania. Sylvania comes from the Latin for “forest lands” or “woods.” Pennsylvania is often translated as “Penn’s Woods.”

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

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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Hello dear readers,

I hope you are all doing well. I am back to tell you more about the names of our 50 states and their origins, from an article on Thesaurus.com. We left off at Delaware, so today we’re picking up at Florida and headed to Maine. Let me remind you of the site’s disclaimer:

Disclaimer: Many states have names with unclear or uncertain specific origins, especially if they originate from Native American words. We have done our best to consult as many historical sources as possible, but sometimes even the states themselves can’t figure this stuff out—we’re looking at you, Maine! [KC – Today we find out why!]

Florida

The Florida territory was named by explorer Juan Ponce de Léon when he landed on the peninsula in April 1513. The name is believed to be a reference to the Spanish celebration of Pascua Florida or the Easter feast, which happened to be around the day of his landing, and Florida’s abundance of flowers, as florida roughly translates to “full of flowers.”

Georgia

The American state of Georgia is named for King George II of Great Britain. In 1732, King George granted the charter for the formation of the Georgia Colony, granting it limited self-governance powers. The -ia part of the word comes from Greek and is used to denote the names of places, especially states.

Hawaii

The origin of the name Hawaii, or Hawai’i, is disputed. The name Hawai’i is traditionally written with an ʻokina, representing a glottal stop, although this is often represented with an apostrophe.

Some believe the name Hawaii comes from the Polynesian “small or new homeland,” Hawa ii. Others claim the name for the islands comes from the Polynesian legend of chief Hawai’i Loa, an explorer who returned to Polynesia describing the place as a paradise. Another origin story is that the name comes from Polynesian hawaiki, meaning “Place of the Gods.”

Idaho

How Idaho got its name is pretty funny. It starts in 1860, when mining lobbyist George M. Willing proposed Idaho as a name for a part of what would become Colorado. He would later claim that he invented the name inspired by a girl named Ida. Whether promoted by Willing or simply widely believed, however, Idaho was thought to be related to a Shoshone expression meaning “Gem of the Mountains.” When the origin couldn’t be verified, the name Idaho was dropped for Colorado. Thirty years later, the state of Idaho adopted the name when it broke off from Oregon Country, believing once again its fake connection to a Native American word.

Illinois

The name Illinois comes to English via—you guessed it—French. But it actually started as a borrowed word between two indigenous American languages. The confederacy of tribes in the Mississippi River valley called themselves the Inoca. The neighboring Ojibwa tribes in the eastern Great Lakes region adopted an Inoca word irenweewa, meaning “he who speaks in a regular way,” as their name for the Inoca. In Ojibwa, irenweewa became ilinwe. French explorers transformed the name into Illinois, and it became the name of the river and then the territory where the Inoca lived.

Indiana

Indiana literally means “Indian country,” said to come from the purchase of the land from the Iroquois Confederacy. The Indian- part refers to Native Americans, and -ana is a variant of -ia, which is used to denote a name of a place, particularly of a state.

Iowa

While according to folk legend Iowa comes from a Native American word for “the beautiful land,” the origin is much more complex. The Báxoje people of the area were known as Ayuway by neighboring tribes. The name Ayuway comes from the Dakota for Ayuxba, said to mean “sleepy ones.” Ayuway was transcribed as Ioway by the French explorers, and it was Anglicized to Iowa in 1835 by Lt. Albert M. Lea.

Kansas

As you may have guessed, the name of Kansas comes from the same root as Arkansas. The Algonquin people referred to the Sioux tribe the Quapaw or Ugahxpa as the “Akansa,” or, in its plural form, the Akansas. By 1854, Kansas was used to refer to a large portion of the territory itself.

Kentucky

The name Kentucky is of highly disputed origin. It’s said to come from Wyandot for “land of tomorrow,” Shawnee for “at the head of the river,” or Iroquois for “among the meadows.” Another common story is that it comes from a Native American expression meaning “dark and bloody ground.” While that last meaning is almost certainly untrue, the ultimate origins of Kentucky remain murky.

Louisiana

The origins of Louisiana’s name begin with King Louis XIV of France, who gave his royal mandate to the expedition of René-Robert Cavelier de la Salle. La Salle named the territory he discovered in the Sun King’s honor in 1682. The French name La Louisiane was later adopted into English as Louisiana.

Maine

The name Maine has disputed origins. The earliest record of Maine as the name of the territory is spelled Mayne. This word’s origin is uncertain, but it may have been inspired by one of the small British towns with a variation of Maine, as in Broadmayne. Another folk etymology is that the name refers to the mainland, to distinguish it from the islands just off the coast.

Happy trails!

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Good morning, everyone!

I was reading an article from Thesaurus.com the other day about state names. No, this isn’t like moods or states of mind. I’m talking about the 50 United States of America. The article is about where the state names come from. I’m sure you have an inkling about some of them, but maybe not all. For my next few Editor’s Corner articles, I’ll share what etymologies I can.

First, a disclaimer from the site:

Disclaimer: Many states have names with unclear or uncertain specific origins, especially if they originate from Native American words. We have done our best to consult as many historical sources as possible, but sometimes even the states themselves can’t figure this stuff out—we’re looking at you, Maine!

So, for the first several, in alphabetical order, of course, because that’s how we roll here!

Alabama

The southeastern state of Alabama kicks off our alphabetical list of all 50 states. The word Alabama is an Anglicized form of the name of a Native tribe of the Muscogee Creek Confederacy that lived in the southeastern United States when the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto arrived in the region. The name is said to combine the Choctaw words alba and amo, meaning “plant-gatherer.” Alabama was first a name given to the Alabama River and then adopted as the state name in 1819.

Alaska

The name of the state of Alaska comes from the language of the Aleut or Unangan people. Alaska ultimately comes from Aleut alaxsxaq, meaning “the mainland” or “the object toward which the action of the sea is directed.” Alaska was originally the name of a peninsula and was adopted for the entire region in 1867 in part because it was “brief, euphonious, and suitable.” As you’ll see, many state names were regionally adopted long before the official date of statehood. (Alaska joined in 1959.)

Arizona

The origin of the name of Arizona is disputed by experts. Some claim that it comes from Tohono O’odham/Pima language for “place of the small spring.” Others, however, argue that the name is from the Basque language, as the area was settled by ranchers of Basque origins in the early 1700s. They believe that Arizona comes from the Basque words aritz, meaning “oak,” and ona, meaning “good” or “place of the good oaks.”

Arkansas

Arkansas took a long, meandering path into English. The story begins with the Algonquin people who referred to the Sioux tribe the Quapaw or Ugahxpa as the “Akansa.” The French in the area picked up the Algonquin term, spelling it Arkansas. In French, the final –s is not pronounced, and neither is the final -s in Arkansas, even after the English-speaking state adopted it as a name.

California

The name California is believed to come from, of all things, a 16th-century chivalric novel. The 1510 epic Las Sergas de Esplandián by Garcí Rodríguez de Montalvo includes a story of the titular Esplandián defending Constantinople from soldiers from a mythical island paradise named California. The early Spanish explorers thought California was a magical place like the fictional island. Historian Damian Bacich suggests the name California in the novel itself may ultimately derive from the real-life medieval fortress city of Kal-Ifrene off the coast of modern-day Algeria.

Colorado

Colorado comes from the Spanish for “of red color” and may refer to the muddy reddish color of the river or the red rocks in the area. When Colorado became a territory of the United States in 1861, the name was given to the region itself.

Connecticut

The name Connecticut comes from the Mohegan or Algonquian word quinnehtukqut, meaning “beside the long tidal river,” describing what is today known as the Connecticut River. The name was Anglicized by at least 1630.

Delaware

Delaware is named for the expedition investor and governor of Virginia from 1610 until 1618: Thomas West, 3rd Baron de la Warr. At the time, the territory was part of the commonwealth of Virginia. The name de la Warr itself comes from Anglo-French for “of the war” or “warrior.”

Kara Church | Technical Editor, Advisory | Technical Publications

Pronouns: she/her | Call via Teams | jackhenry.com

Editor’s Corner Archives: https://episystechpubs.com/

Good morning and welcome to another edition of Editor’s Corner.

Well, apparently some (OK, most) of you did much better than I did with the word riddles I sent on Tuesday. Today’s challenge, as promised, is called Word Trivia. They’re still word riddles, though, if you ask me.

As I mentioned last time, this quiz is from Dictionary.com. I did a little better with these questions, but that’s because I’ve seen some of them before. I only figured three of them out on my own. I guess I’m not much of a riddler.

Even though I feel a little bit outwitted by you all after the last quiz, I wish you good luck. And whether you do well or not, you can memorize these to torment your friends and family. Have fun! (Remember, you have to scroll down to get the answers.)

These questions are all about words with special qualities that make them unique from others.

1. What word retains the same pronunciation even after you take away four of its five letters?
2. Which two English words are spelled with all of the vowels (including y) appearing only once and in alphabetical order?
3. What is the longest word in English with only one vowel (not including y)?
4. What is the longest word in English that doesn’t use the vowels a, e, i, o, or u?
5. What word meaning “having five syllables” is an example of an autological word—meaning a word that describes itself?
6. What eight-letter word and nine-letter word both begin and end with h-e?
7. What solitary five-letter word keeps the same meaning when you remove its first letter, and then again when you remove the first letter of the remaining word?
8. What, when thrown out of a window, leaves a grieving wife, but when dropped in the middle of a door might just save a life?
9. What heavy seven-letter word can you remove one letter from to get the number 80, but remove two letters from to get the number 8?
10. What seven-letter word would you spell if you started with a two-letter word for a male person, added another letter to form a word for a female person, added another letter to form a word for a great person, and added three more letters to form a word for a great woman?
11. What four-letter word in its uppercase form can be written forward, backward, or upside down and can still be read as the same word from left to right?
12. What common three-letter English verb can become its own past tense form simply by rearranging its letters?
13. What do the words in the following sentence have in common? Bad mood naps stop evil.

ANSWERS:

1. What word retains the same pronunciation even after you take away four of its five letters?

Queue

2. Which two English words are spelled with all of the vowels (including y) appearing only once and in alphabetical order?

Facetiously and abstemiously

3. What is the longest word in English with only one vowel (not including y)?

Strengths

4. What is the longest word in English that doesn’t use the vowels a, e, i, o, or u?

Rhythms

5. What word meaning “having five syllables” is an example of an autological word—meaning a word that describes itself?

Pentasyllabic (Other examples of autological words are adjectival, unhyphenated, pronounceable, and seventeen-lettered).

6. What eight-letter word and nine-letter word both begin and end with h-e?

Headache and heartache

7. What solitary five-letter word keeps the same meaning when you remove its first letter, and then again when you remove the first letter of the remaining word?

Alone (Remove the a to get lone, then remove the l to get one!)

8. What, when thrown out of a window, leaves a grieving wife, but when dropped in the middle of a door might just save a life?

The letter n (Remove it from window, and you get widow. Add it to door and get donor.)

9. What heavy seven-letter word can you remove one letter from to get the number 80, but remove two letters from to get the number 8?

Weighty

10. What seven-letter word would you spell if you started with a two-letter word for a male person, added another letter to form a word for a female person, added another letter to form a word for a great person, and added three more letters to form a word for a great woman?

Heroine (The first two letters are he, the first three letters are her, and the first four letters are hero.)

11. What four-letter word in its uppercase form can be written forward, backward, or upside down and can still be read as the same word from left to right?

Noon

12. What common three-letter English verb can become its own past tense form simply by rearranging its letters?

Eat (Its past tense is ate).

13. What do the words in the following sentence have in common? Bad mood naps stop evil.

They all spell another word when reversed.

The following link will take you to the Dictionary.com quizzes: Word Riddles And Trivia To Test If You’re A True Logophile | Dictionary.com.

I hope you’re awake now! Congratulations on all the questions you got right. Now you’re ready to take on the day. Have a good one.

Donna Bradley Burcher |Technical Editor, Advisory | jack henry™

Pronouns she/her/hers

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About Editor’s Corner

Editor’s Corner keeps your communication skills sharp by providing information on grammar, punctuation, JHA style, and all things English. As editors, we spend our days reading, researching, and revising other people’s writing. We love to spend a few extra minutes to share what we learn with you and keep it fun while we’re doing it.

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