# 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:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**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, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/21 "2019-03-29T20:22:26Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Understood. How about Arkansas and East Arkansas? Maybe my Arkansas publicly funded education is to blame for the potential error I’m about to make, but shouldn’t it be Arkansas and West Arkansas (or Northwest Arkansas)? ---
**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, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/22 "2019-03-29T21:43:49Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Maybe my Arkansas publicly funded education is to blame for the potential error I’m about to make, but shouldn’t it be Arkansas and West Arkansas (or Northwest Arkansas)? I’ve not been paying attention. Where did this come from? Given Union sympathies in Northern Arkansas, I wonder that it isn’t North and South Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/23 "2019-03-29T21:48:34Z")
Origins of Arkansas? Well, it started with basement rock dating back to 1.4 billion years ago. Throw in ages of river/marine deposits, uplifts, a bit of lava flows and of course some coal formation just for the fun of 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, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/24 "2019-03-29T22:14:48Z")
Yeah, we got diamonds. Look on your Arkansas state quarter. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/25 "2019-03-30T00:26:55Z")
If you Google for Arkansas, this is the lead photo: [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkansas/@35.20105,-91.8318334,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d29e3f743f2761:0xa405693effdfd2d0!8m2!3d35.20105!4d-91.8318334](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkansas/@35.20105,-91.8318334,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d29e3f743f2761:0xa405693effdfd2d0!8m2!3d35.20105!4d-91.8318334) And a bunch of photos of the Taj Majal or something. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/26 "2019-03-30T01:24:24Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > 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? > [@Jasmine](#): > > Understood. How about Arkansas and East Arkansas? I’d prefer Arkansas and West Arkansas, seeing as Kansas is northwest of Arkansas. (We don’t even share a border.) ---
**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 30, 2019, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/27 "2019-03-30T01:33:02Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > If you Google for Arkansas, this is the lead photo: > > [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkansas/@35.20105,-91.8318334,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d29e3f743f2761:0xa405693effdfd2d0!8m2!3d35.20105!4d-91.8318334) > > And a bunch of photos of the Taj Majal or something. > > Dennis How hard did you dig to find that? [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas) ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/28 "2019-03-30T02:05:11Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > How hard did you dig to find that? > [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkansas) Dig? It is what comes up if you Google “Arkansas”. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2019, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/29 "2019-03-31T03:08:59Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > Dig? It is what comes up if you Google “Arkansas”. Correction–it is what you see if you type Arkansas into Google **Maps**. It appears to be a bunch of Images that are geotagged as being within the state. However, that image, along with several others, are all tagged in the exact same location, including the Indian buildings you cited. I can’t seem to easily get the exact location (as Maps stops letting me zoom out), but the [actual image](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkansas/@35.20105,-91.8318334,3a,75y,58.25h,74.55t/data=!3m11!1e1!3m9!1sAF1QipMpgoAXRsHnGjgjuwIFbB2NZdN7mIDd-OxtXC3l!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMpgoAXRsHnGjgjuwIFbB2NZdN7mIDd-OxtXC3l%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi0-ya343.54-ro-0-fo100!7i4096!8i2048!9m2!1b1!2i43!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d29e3f743f2761:0xa405693effdfd2d0!8m2!3d35.20105!4d-91.8318334) from Google in that area just show an old bridge. I’m going to report those that are tagged as being in that location but clearly aren’t. Anyways, actually putting it into [Google proper](https://www.google.com/search?q=arkansas) gives you the usual Wikipedia article, the official site, some news stories about the state, tourist stuff, etc. [Google Images](https://www.google.com/search?q=arkansas&tbm=isch)gives maps, flags, and picturesque landscapes. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/30 "2019-04-01T00:20:08Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > If you Google for Arkansas, this is the lead photo: > > [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arkansas/@35.20105,-91.8318334,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m8!1e2!3m6!1sAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh!2e10!3e12!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPanu8-49guMuZCIOIZWaea-WaL-GNrN-3v66Zh%3Dw114-h86-k-no!7i4032!8i3024!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d29e3f743f2761:0xa405693effdfd2d0!8m2!3d35.20105!4d-91.8318334) Dang Beckdawrek, I like what you’ve done to the place. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2019, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/31 "2019-04-01T01:57:11Z")
Yep, it was all me. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/32 "2019-04-01T11:59:44Z")
> [@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. I’ll let Kansas’ sister state call itself what it wants. But the part of the Arkansas River that’s in Kansas is pronounced ‘ **R - CAN - sas** ’ as is the town of Arkansas City, Kansas (which I used to know well), which is adjacent to that river. Though the town is often just referred to as ‘Ark City’ which is shorter and removes the opportunity for mispronunciation. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2019, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/33 "2019-04-01T12:25:42Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#): > > Maybe my Arkansas publicly funded education is to blame for the potential error I’m about to make, but shouldn’t it be Arkansas and West Arkansas (or Northwest Arkansas)? Oops! Apparently, I haven’t paid enough attention to Arkansas over the years. LOL ---
**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:** [April 1, 2019, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/34 "2019-04-01T12:29:58Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’d prefer Arkansas and West Arkansas, seeing as Kansas is northwest of Arkansas. > > (We don’t even share a border.) You sure don’t! :eek: We can give you that little corner of Missouri that’s blocking the way. They won’t notice the loss. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/35 "2019-04-01T12:32:34Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Yep, it was all me. That’s okay because I obviously needed a map review of the mid-American states. I’ve also decided to make it Missouri and West Missouri. It makes sense geographically, and it leaves you guys alone entirely. You’ve suffered enough. 😃 Interesting fact: Did you know Tennessee is bordered by no less than EIGHT states?! That’s amazing. ---
**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:** [April 1, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/36 "2019-04-01T14:10:11Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > Interesting fact: Did you know Tennessee is bordered by no less than EIGHT states?! That’s amazing. Tennessee is very long, and there is that “boot heel” of Missouri that should be part of Arkansas. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/37 "2019-04-01T15:07:58Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > That’s okay because I obviously needed a map review of the mid-American states. I’ve also decided to make it Missouri and West Missouri. It makes sense geographically, and it leaves you guys alone entirely. You’ve suffered enough. 😃 > > Interesting fact: Did you know Tennessee is bordered by no less than EIGHT states?! That’s amazing. Not _that_ amazing; Missouri can say the same. Kentucky is bordered by 7 states, and a whole bunch of states are adjacent to 6 other states. ---
**Author:** ![bobmarleykingg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bobmarleykingg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobmarleykingg)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661/38 "2019-04-04T13:47:35Z")
The word “Arkansas” came from the Quapaw Indians, by way of early French explorers. At the time of the early French exploration, a tribe of Indians, the Quapaws, lived West of the Mississippi and north of the Arkansas River. The Quapaws, or OO-GAQ-Pa, were also known as the “people who live downstream,” or UGAKHOPAG. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-arkansas/831661.md?page=1)