The etymology of Alaska derives from a language known as Aleut. Although many people over history have misinterpreted the meaning to be ‘great land’, the direct translation actually is ‘mainland’, and is used to describe what can be seen from the sea. The Russians also used the word for the meaning of ‘peninsula’ in recent centuries. As you can imagine, the location of Alaska means that Russia’s influence on the name of this state is quite significant.
If you are interested in the historical significance of some names, looking into towns and cities such as Nome in Alaska can be an equally enlightening experience. Some stories from the past have suggested that Nome actually derives from a clerical error instead of having the rich history that many other locations do.
The back story behind Nome lies within a map, where the town simply had the label ‘? Name’. As you can imagine, this meant that the identity of this region was yet to be identified. Interestingly, it seems someone misread this as ‘Nome’ much to the dismay of the locals who would have to live in the region with a mistaken name. Despite a campaign to change it to something a little more civilised, such as ‘Anvil City’, the efforts were unsuccessful and Nome has since become the butt of several catchphrases used extensively throughout the whole of America. Indeed, this is certainly one way to put the place where you live on the map!
Did you know that Alaska was actually acquired by the US in 1867 after being purchased from Russia? At the time, its valuation was $7.2 million. Not much in today’s economy for a place that’s so vast!
If you are interested in the historical significance of some names, looking into towns and cities such as Nome in Alaska can be an equally enlightening experience. Some stories from the past have suggested that Nome actually derives from a clerical error instead of having the rich history that many other locations do.
The back story behind Nome lies within a map, where the town simply had the label ‘? Name’. As you can imagine, this meant that the identity of this region was yet to be identified. Interestingly, it seems someone misread this as ‘Nome’ much to the dismay of the locals who would have to live in the region with a mistaken name. Despite a campaign to change it to something a little more civilised, such as ‘Anvil City’, the efforts were unsuccessful and Nome has since become the butt of several catchphrases used extensively throughout the whole of America. Indeed, this is certainly one way to put the place where you live on the map!
Did you know that Alaska was actually acquired by the US in 1867 after being purchased from Russia? At the time, its valuation was $7.2 million. Not much in today’s economy for a place that’s so vast!
