Fwd: Media: Des Moines Register: Origin of "Des Moines"

[Laurence Horn]

 From the Linguist List:  another topological etymology for our debunkers?

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

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

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/




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