# St-Louis-du-Ha! Ha! (?)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 15, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815 "2003-04-15T04:33:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Phouchg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/41988e/32.png) [@Phouchg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phouchg)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815/1 "2003-04-15T04:33:47Z")

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Saw this on a map of Quebec - appears to be a very small town. How on earth did it get this name?

Phouchg  
Lovable Rogue

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**Author:** ![brianmelendez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/65b543/32.png) [@brianmelendez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianmelendez)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815/2 "2003-04-15T04:57:39Z")

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From last month: [St. Louis de-HA!HA!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=169961)

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**Author:** ![DreadCthulhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/db5fbb/32.png) [@DreadCthulhu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DreadCthulhu)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815/3 "2003-04-15T05:16:49Z")

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Well, my WAG is the St. Louis is from the French influence in the area, and the -du-Ha! Ha! is from some Indian tribe influence.

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**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2003, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/st-louis-du-ha-ha/168815/4 "2003-04-15T09:59:49Z")

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**Qadgop the Mercotan** provided the answer in the linked thread, however, it’s in French with no translation.

So with no further ado:

> [@](#):
>
> The pioneers of this village, founded in 1873, are said to have shouted a few “ah! ah!” of admiration upon discovering, from the top of a hill, the lake Temiscouta. But why the transformation of “ah! ah!” in “ha! ha!”? This is probably a transcription error sanctioned by usage. I should also be noted that the old word “ha! ha!” (in the native Hescuewaska language) signifies something unexptected.

(Note: “ah!” is the proper spelling in French for this exclamation, “ha!” is a mistake.)

I have found other references to this double etymology, in both cases the surprise is at the sight of the lake.