I think one of the Midwest/Rust Belt states, maybe Illinois, gets its name from a native phrase meaning "Speak normally" because the locals and the French explorers/fur traders couldn't understand each other. Actually the majority of American states have Native names.
Thatoneguy111700 t1_iu9514t wrote
Reply to TIL that when the French first arrived in North America they met the Ojibwe Indians who introduced them to other tribes but used nasty names. The Lakota/Dakota people were called "Nadowessiwag," which became Nadouessioux in French, then Sioux in English. It means "little snake." by marmorset
I think one of the Midwest/Rust Belt states, maybe Illinois, gets its name from a native phrase meaning "Speak normally" because the locals and the French explorers/fur traders couldn't understand each other. Actually the majority of American states have Native names.