Turns out the very name means “Realm of the God of the Underworld,” according to a brand new “Tell it Like it Is” special order atlas now on sale.
“The maps are not definitive works on the etymological roots of geographical names but more of a stimulus, and a very amusing one at that, to make us think about why places are called as they are,” explains Sean Quigley of Outstanding Map Distributors, the firm which has brought the maps to Britain from Germany, where they were originally published.
Want.
Saskatchewan has a few weirdly named places. Jokes have been made about Moose Jaw for years.
There is one legend that the Indian word Moosoochapiskanissippi means “the river shaped like the jaw of a moose”. The name of the settlement may have come from the creek that flowed through the settlement.
Another legend says the name comes the Indian word “Moosoochapiskun” which means “the place where the white man mended the cart with the jawbone of the moose.”
Another explanation is that the name came from the Cree word moosegaw which means “warm breezes”. In the winter Moose Jaw is warmer that the surrounding communities.
Regina started life as Pile of Bones because there were lots of them around from buffalo hunts and stuff. It was later renamed and given the motto – “The Queen City.” Yes, it rhymes with vagina. Deal with it.
Saskatoon was named for the berry which the Cree called ” mis-sask-guah-too-min” according to that same site.
Many places were named for geographic reasons. More names came from the people who founded them, or where those people came from. Aberdeen, Aylesbury, etc.
It’s interesting stuff and just thinking about it has given me an idea of what to get Dad this year for Christmas. I’m sure he’d like a People’s Places kind of book…
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Additional: if anyone’s interested in genealogy and history from this province, this Saskatchewn Gen Web might come in handy as a starting point. It’s probably not as good as other sites though.
