What is the only river in Kansas that is pronounced differently depending on where you are?
What is the only river in Kansas that is pronounced differently depending on where you are?
| Arkansas River | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas |
| Region | Great Plains |
| Cities | Pueblo, CO, Wichita, KS, Tulsa, OK, Muskogee, OK, Fort Smith, AR, Little Rock, AR, Pine Bluff, AR |
How do you pronounce Kansas and Arkansas?
A version of this piece appeared in The Week: How do you pronounce it? Kansas and Arkansas aren’t so far from each other on the map, but their names seem to want nothing to do with each other. Though they share all but two letters in common, Kansas comes out as “KANzis” and Arkansas as “ARkansaw.” Why so different?
Why do we pronounce Arkansas and Kansas differently?
Here’s Why We Pronounce ‘Kansas’ And ‘Arkansas’ Differently Arkansas was named for the French plural of a Native American tribe, while Kansas is the English spelling of a similar one. Since the letter “s” at the end of French words is usually silent, we pronounce Bill Clinton’s home state “Arkansaw.”
Can you say Arkansas in Arkansas?
Well, Susy, the short answer is it’s the law that Arkansas is pronounced ar-can-saw. There’s a state law designating the official pronunciation of the state’s name, but more on that later.
Why do you pronounce Arkansas Arkansaw?
Arkansas was named for the French plural of a Native American tribe, while Kansas is the English spelling of a similar one. Since the letter “s” at the end of French words is usually silent, we pronounce Bill Clinton’s home state “Arkansaw.” The “s” on the end is simply a French addition then and a silent one at that.
Why is it illegal to say Arkansas wrong?
In the actual state of Arkansas, it is pronounced AR-kan-saw. The final s is silent because the name is a French spelling of a native word for the Quapaw people. (The Quapaw called themselves Ugahxpa, by the way.) This law regulates how to say the name Arkansas.
Why do they call it Arkansas?
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 Algonkian-speaking Indians of the Ohio Valley called them the Arkansas, or “south wind”.
Why is Arkansas pronounced wrong?
Arkansas was named for the French plural of a Native American tribe, while Kansas is the English spelling of a similar one. Since the letter “s” at the end of French words is usually silent, we pronounce Bill Clinton’s home state “Arkansaw.” The French, however, left their mark on Arkansas’ pronunciation.
Can you legally beat your wife in Arkansas?
Arkansas. Men can beat their wives, but only once per month in Arkansas.
Why do people pronounce Arkansas?
Arkansas was named for the French plural of a Native American tribe, while Kansas is the English spelling of a similar one. Since the letter “s” at the end of French words is usually silent, we pronounce Bill Clinton’s home state “Arkansaw.” It’s the English spelling though, so naturally, we pronounce the final “s.”
Will you go to jail if you say Arkansas wrong?
So no, it’s not illegal to pronounce Arkansas incorrectly. This is why the official pronunciation of Arkansas sounds more like the original Native American word. If this was a valid law, it should be possible to point to a successful prosecution made under its provisions.