# The origin of Arkansas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 28, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661 "2019-03-28T15:09:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/1 "2019-03-28T15:09:33Z")
[This column](https://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1407/why-is-arkansas-pronounced-ar-kan-saw/) discusses it. According to Wiki, the name ‘Arkansas’ > [@](#): > > . . .comes from an Algonquian term, /akansa/, for the Quapaws, and is likely also the root term for Kansas. and not from the tribal name ‘Quapaw’, as the the staff report indicates. The French likely had far more contact with the Algonquin tribe, which is largely centered in Quebec and which was also heavily involved in the French fur trade, and adopted their name for the Quapaw. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/2 "2019-03-28T16:44:21Z")
Have to be careful to distinguish Algonquin( [the tribe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin_people) ) from _Algonquian_ the [linguistic group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquian_languages). It is unlikely the Algonquin per se had much if any contact with the Quapaw. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/3 "2019-03-28T17:16:58Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Have to be careful to distinguish Algonquin( [the tribe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquin_people) ) from _Algonquian_ the [linguistic group](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algonquian_languages). It is unlikely the Algonquin per se had much if any contact with the Quapaw. Good catch. However, the staff report says that the name ‘Arkansas’ derived from the name ‘Quapaw’, which appears to be incorrect. It is derived from the Algonquian term for the Quapaw. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/4 "2019-03-28T18:13:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Good catch. However, the staff report says that the name ‘Arkansas’ derived from the name ‘Quapaw’, which appears to be incorrect. It is derived from the Algonquian term for the Quapaw. [Yet another take:](https://www.baxterbulletin.com/story/news/local/2015/05/17/arkansaw-ar-kansas/27489055/) “According to the Arkansas secretary of state’s website, the Quapaws were known as the “downstream people” by some tribes, and the Algonkian-speaking Indians of the Ohio Valley called them the Arkansas, or “south wind.” Their pronunciation of the name was “Oo-ka-na-sa,” according to Arkansas Tech University.” ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/5 "2019-03-28T21:44:57Z")
**Arkansas** comes to us from the Arkansas Indians and means, “Arkansas.” Even _I_ knew that and I’m a mutt. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/6 "2019-03-28T22:27:06Z")
And here I always thought ‘Arkansas’ meant ‘nowheresville’. Ignorance fought. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/7 "2019-03-28T23:57:12Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > **Arkansas** comes to us from the Arkansas Indians and means, “Arkansas.” Even _I_ knew that and I’m a mutt. 😃 The Arkansas Indians were only called that by other tribes. They didn’t refer to themselves as that. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/8 "2019-03-29T00:07:27Z")
No one was supposed to come back after Post #5. I’m the Thread Killer! I kill threads! I’m in the book, call me for all your thread-killing needs! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/9 "2019-03-29T01:00:59Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > No one was supposed to come back after Post #5. I’m the Thread Killer! I kill threads! I’m in the book, call me for all your thread-killing needs! O-kay, I was just leaving. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/10 "2019-03-29T01:29:27Z")
I’ve always thought it was kinda odd that the Arkansas River begins in Colorado. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/11 "2019-03-29T02:48:46Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > I’ve always thought it was kinda odd that the Arkansas River begins in Colorado. Or does it? Dun, dun, duhhh. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/12 "2019-03-29T12:43:28Z")
Well, something is obviously amiss here. When I first saw the word in primary school, I confidently pronounced it,\*\* R - CAN -sas\*\*. After all, if it is, **CAN - sas** , it’s obvious and logical that it would also be, **R - CAN - sas**. I was immediately “corrected” (misled). If **CAN - sas** is indeed **CAN - sas** , then it’s sister state has to be\*\* R - CAN - sas\*\*. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/13 "2019-03-29T15:44:23Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Well, something is obviously amiss here. > > When I first saw the word in primary school, I confidently pronounced it,\*\* R - CAN -sas\*\*. After all, if it is, **CAN - sas** , it’s obvious and logical that it would also be, **R - CAN - sas**. I was immediately “corrected” (misled). > > If **CAN - sas** is indeed **CAN - sas** , then it’s sister state has to be\*\* R - CAN - sas\*\*. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Interesting fact that all the letters in ‘Kansas’ are actually silent. It’s pronounced . ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/14 "2019-03-29T17:13:40Z")
Arkansas was a state first (25th in the Union in 1836), so Kansas should take the pronunciation lead from there, right? But seriously, the pronunciation of the state’s name was a major issue early on, leading to … vigorous disagreements, and the legislature passed a law defining the proper pronunciation and spelling of the state name (yes, Arkansans can spell!). The [current state code](https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2017/title-1/chapter-4/section-1-4-105/) still includes the provision. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/15 "2019-03-29T18:22:29Z")
It should be Kansas and West Kansas, just like Virginia and West Virginia. It would sound awfully lame to have Virginia and Arvirginia, wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/16 "2019-03-29T18:33:47Z")
I ain’t living in no west kansas. Forget about it. This is Our-kansas. Pronounced ar-can-saw. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/17 "2019-03-29T18:41:41Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I ain’t living in no west kansas. Forget about it. This is Our-kansas. Pronounced ar-can-saw. Understood. How about Arkansas and East Arkansas? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/18 "2019-03-29T18:46:55Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Understood. How about Arkansas and East Arkansas? I like that better. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/19 "2019-03-29T19:37:28Z")
It is pronounced correctly in the Bible; “Noah looked out of the ark and saw…” ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/20 "2019-03-29T19:46:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It is pronounced correctly in the Bible; “Noah looked out of the ark and saw…” **Ba - da - dum!! LOL** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661.md?page=2)