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| THIS SECTION UNDER CONSTRUCTION   STATE NAMES IN THE UNITED STATES TRANSLATED FROM BASQUE   E. F. Legner (email Contact)               Many of the state names in the
  United States were constructed in a kind of shorthand using the Basque
  language (Nyland 2001).  It is believed that the individuals
  responsible for creating these names were Roman Catholic clerics.  They had a detailed knowledge of an
  ancient formula for constructing languages called the Vowel-Consonant-Vowel
  Formula (see VCV Dictionary).  This formula, which was being used to
  increase the size of vocabularies since Neolithic times (see Saharan).  The Benedictine
  clerics who were sent to spread Christianity through Europe beginning in the
  6th Century had full knowledge of this formula (see Benedictines). 
  They frequently used clever innovations to add double meanings to
  words and sentences, for purposes that are not entirely understood.              The Roman Catholic church indeed
  had full knowledge of this formula and the uses that had been made of it to
  create many of the modern European languages.  However, it was not until the late 20th Century that
  its existence was brought to the public’s attention by Edo
  Nyland.  He discovered that prior
  to Christian times there was a common language being used over most of Europe
  that had its ancient origin in North Africa. 
  He called it the Saharan Language and noted
  that modern Basque was most closely related to it.  Nyland also found that the Roman Catholic clergy continued to
  use the ancient language into the 19th Century to create new words
  and place names wherever they happened to travel.  The Basque/English dictionary written by Gorka Aulestia (1989) is a valuable source
  for the meanings of words of the ancient Saharan language.             During the course of translating ancient
  inscriptions and place names, Nyland discovered the Basque origin of many of
  the names in America that were commonly thought to be of English, French or
  Amerindian dialects. He noted that the name “America” did not originate with the Italian Amerigo Vespucci, but instead
  came from the Basque verb “amerikak egin”, which means “to make a fortune.”  For a complete discussion of how the translations
  were made please refer to Nyland (2001).             Following are the states that
  Nyland found with Basque roots in their names, accompanied by the traditional
  belief of their meaning:   ***********************************************   To find Subject Matter Depress Ctrl/F:     Alabama      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Tribal Town (Creek Indian)      
  Basque Meaning =  The
  many opportunities fill us with joy.   Alaska      
  Traditional Meanings=
  Object to which
  the action of the sea is directed. 
  &/or An Aleut word for mainland.      
  Basque Meaning = Indescribable miracles.   Arizona      
  Traditional Meanings
  = Silver Bearing
  & Place of the small spring (Papago)      
  Basque Meanings = An awfully icy wind here &/or One risks freezing here.   Arkansas      
  Traditional Meaning
  = An Indian
  tribal name      
  Basque Meaning = The heartbreaking deaths in the shocking civil war anger
  me.   American Samoa      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Polynesian name.      
  Basque Meaning = Basque
  meaning not yet translated.   California      
  Traditional Meaning
  = A mythical
  country named Califia &/or An invented name for an imaginary island.      
  Basque Meaning = The disgusting killing of a person by the quarrelling gold
  miners is frightening.   Colorado      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Spanish word
  for “red”      
  Basque Meaning = I adore the colors.   Connecticut      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Mohican and
  Algonquin Indian for “Place beside the river.”      
  Basque Meaning = Remember the wonderful blessings of productivity and
  tenacity when you visit our utopia.   Delaware      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Believed to
  have been named after governor Thomas West, Lord de la Warr.      
  Basque Meaning = Spread the word of the Redeemer.   Florida      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Spanish word
  for Pascua Florida &/or Flowery Place (for the flowering trees).      
  Basque Meaning = None found.   Georgia      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for King
  George II of England.      
  Basque Meaning = None found.   Guam      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Pacific
  Islander name.      
  Basque Meaning = No Basque meaning sought.   Hawaii      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Hawaiian word
  for homeland, “Owhyhee.”      
  Basque Meaning = This one is exhausting to reach.   Idaho      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Amerindian “E
  Dah Hoe” or Gem of the Mountains.      
  Basque Meaning = An exaggerated description.   Illinois      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Algonquin word
  for “warriors.” or “men and warriors.”      
  Basque Meaning = This quiet place possibly will do for a lifetime.   Indiana      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Land of the Indians.      
  Basque Meaning = Our American brothers.   Iowa      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Kiowa name.      
  Basque Meaning = Be warned about the thunder storms.   Kansas      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Sioux Indian “South
  wind people”      
  Basque Meaning = The deaths in the shocking civil war anger me.   Kentucky      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Iroquois word “Ken-tah-ten”
  meaning Land of Tomorrow &/or Meadow Land      
  Basque Meaning = I explored that stony place and rejected it completely.   Louisiana      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for King
  Louis XIV of France      
  Basque Meaning = None searched for.   Maine      
  Traditional Meaning
  = From mainland,
  changed to French province.      
  Basque Meaning = Cunningly neutral.   Maryland      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for
  Virgin Mary &/or Henrietta Maria, the wife of England’s King Charles I.      
  Basque Meaning = The many tall oak groves are reduced to ash.   Massachusetts      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Algonquian word
  meaning “At the big hills” or “A large hill place.”      
  Basque Meaning = Our task is to bring about statehood, tilling of the soil,
  harvesting the abundance and to do                                           subdivision.   Michigan      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Amerincian word
  “meieigama” meaning “Great Water.” &/or Algonquian word meaning “Forest                                               
  clearing.”      
  Basque Meaning = The military had to leave because of the unpredictable
  food supply.   Minnesota      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Sioux Indian
  word for “Sky-tinted water.” &/or “Cloudy water.”      
  Basque Meaning = It is marvelous anywhere in these exotic wild hills.   Mississippi      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Chippewa Indian
  words “mici zibi” meaning “Great river.”      
  Basque Meaning = To my unspeakable horror he fell into the very deep
  torrential rain like into the legendary whirlpool.   Missouri      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Amerindian name
  meaning “Town of the large canoes” &/or Algonquian for “Muddy River.”      
  Basque Meaning = Hide from this miserable torrential rain which keeps
  falling down.   Montana      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Spanish word
  for “Mountainous.”      
  Basque Meaning = I loved it among those pastures in the wonderful wild
  mountains.   North Carolina      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Carolina named
  in honor of England’s King Charles I.      
  Basque Meaning = no Basque found.   Nebraska      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Oto or Sioux Indian
  word for “Flat water” [= Platte River].      
  Basque Meaning = Happily the evangelist comes here to begin his teachings.   Nevada      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Spanish for “Snowy.”      
  Basque Meaning = Nowhere is firewood to be cut.   New Hampshire      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named by John
  Mason who hailed from Hampshire county, England.      
  Basque Meaning = None searched for.   New Jersey      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named by Sir
  George Carterer after his home island.      
  Basque Meaning = None searched for.   New Mexico      
  Traditional Meaning
  = named after
  Mexico.      
  Basque Meaning for Mexico = Gently we introduce elementary teachings.   New York      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named after the
  Duke of York, brother of Charles II.      
  Basque Meaning = Always caring and stimulating.   North Dakota      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Amerindian name
  meaning “Alliance of friends.”      
  Basque Meaning = No Basque meaning.   Ohio      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Iroquois word
  for “Good river.”      
  Basque Meaning = Get used to the thunderstorms.   Oklahoma      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Choctaw word
  for “Red man.”      
  Basque Meaning = Her entire lifetime grandma was giving advice.   Oregon      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Not clear
  (early map shows “Ouaicon-sint.”      
  Basque Meaning = So many wonderful opportunities.   Pennsylvania      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for
  Admiral William Penn and “sylvan” meaning woodland.      
  Basque Meaning = Pena/pen in Basque means suffering.   Puerto Rico      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Spanish for “Rich
  port.”      
  Basque Meaning = No Basque searched for.   Rhode Island      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for Greek
  Island of Rhodos &/or by Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, “Rhoode Eylandt.”      
  Basque Meaning =  Awful
  thunder clouds.   South Carolina       Traditional Meaning = Carolina named in honor of England’s King
  Charles I.  Basque Meaning = no Basque found.   South Dakota      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Amerindian name
  meaning “Alliance of friends.”      
  Basque Meaning = No Basque meaning.   Tennessee      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Cherokee Indian
  villages called “Tanasi.”      
  Basque Meaning = The blessed one who knows will nourish and protect the
  afflicted; so pay attention.   Texas      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Indian tribal
  name, “Tejas.”      
  Basque Meaning = Seek shelter from the many frightening storms.   Utah      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Ute Indian name
  meaning “People of the mountains.”      
  Basque Meaning = They left their kinship behind.   Vermont      
  Traditional Meaning
  = French “verts
  monts,” meaning “Green Mountains”      
  Basque Meaning = We improve the wilderness and give thanks for nature’s
  blessings.   Virginia      
  Traditional Meaning
  = Named for
  England’s “Virgin Queen, “ Elizabeth I.      
  Basque Meaning = The digging of the canal bed was accomplished by the
  engineer’s expertise.   Washington      
  Traditional Meaning
  =       
  Basque Meaning =   Wisconsin      
  Traditional Meaning
  =       
  Basque Meaning =   West Virginia      
  Traditional Meaning
  =       
  Basque Meaning =   Wyoming      
  Traditional Meaning
  =       
  Basque Meaning =                          
  ====================================================== | 
Reference:
 
Nyland, Edo.  2001.  Linguistic Archaeology: AnIntroduction. Trafford Publ., Victoria, B.C., Canada.
               ISBN 1-55212-668-4. 541 p. [
see abstract & summary]