Mystery of "Atlanta" (Atlantic or Atalanta?)

Wilson Gray hwgray at GMAIL.COM
Tue Dec 6 01:02:48 UTC 2005


On 12/5/05, bapopik at aol.com <bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Mystery of "Atlanta" (Atlantic or Atalanta?)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I searched the digitized Atlanta Constitution. Atalanta? Atlantic? Any
> opinions?
> ...
> ATLANTA'S NAMES,; AND A RUNNING SKETCH OF HOW SHE GOT THEM. Terminus,
> Which Was Not the End--Marthasville, Which Wouldn't do For a Growing City,
> and Atlanta, Just the Thing.
> S C. The Atlanta Constitution (1881-2001). Atlanta, Ga.: Jan 20, 1889. p.
> 2 (1 page)
>

Strictly speaking, it's "Atlas," not "Atlantic." "Atlantic" is ultimately
derived from the stem, atlant-, of the name, "Atlas," itself derived from
the stem, tla-, of the verb, tlaein "bear, hold up, carry," etc.
--
-Wilson Gray, owner of a classical education



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