14.2456, Media: Des Moines Register: Origin of "Des Moines"

[LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-14-2456. Tue Sep 16 2003. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 14.2456, Media: Des Moines Register: Origin of "Des Moines"

Moderators: Anthony Aristar, Wayne State U.<aristar at linguistlist.org>
            Helen Dry, Eastern Michigan U. <hdry at linguistlist.org>

Reviews (reviews at linguistlist.org):
	Simin Karimi, U. of Arizona
	Terence Langendoen, U. of Arizona

Home Page:  http://linguistlist.org/

The LINGUIST List is funded by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne
State University, and donations from subscribers and publishers.

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karen at linguistlist.org>
 ==========================================================================
To post to LINGUIST, use our convenient web form at
http://linguistlist.org/LL/posttolinguist.html.
=================================Directory=================================

1)
Date:  Wed, 17 Sep 2003 08:16:17 +0800
From:  "Karen Chung" <karchung at ntu.edu.tw>
Subject:  DMRegister: Origin of  "Des Moines"

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Wed, 17 Sep 2003 08:16:17 +0800
From:  "Karen Chung" <karchung at ntu.edu.tw>
Subject:  DMRegister: Origin of  "Des Moines"


    The 9/14/2003 issue of the Des Moines Register online has an
interesting piece on the possibly scatological origin of the city name
"Des Moines":

    Is 'Des Moines' just some dirty joke?
    Oh, poo! Our capital's name seems to stem from rival potty mouths.
    By Mary Challender

    The opening paragraphs:

    A linguist specializing in the extinct Miami-Illinois language
says he's come across a funny, 330-year-old story that gives "Des
Moines" new meaning.
	And - chamber of commerce-types might want to brace themselves - it
appears we've been punked.
    The article mentions in passing the controversy regarding the
origin of "Chicago".

    The URL:

http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4788998/22247528.html

    Thanks to Laura Lawless of the French About.com site for featuring
this article in her 9/17/03 newsletter.


    Karen Steffen Chung
    http://ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/
    http://www.topica.com/lists/phonetics/




---------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINGUIST List: Vol-14-2456