William Bright
1500 California Place Names
Their Origin and Meaning, A Revised version of 1000 California Place Names by Erwin G. Gudde, Third edition
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172 pages, 4-1/4 x 7-1/8 inches, 1 map
November 1998, Available worldwide
Categories: California & the West; Californian & Western History; Reference; Geography; Language & Linguistics
November 1998, Available worldwide
Categories: California & the West; Californian & Western History; Reference; Geography; Language & Linguistics
"Bright unearths the entertaining stories behind the state's nomenclature."—Sunset
"Beware, you can't just stop at one name."—The Fresno Bee
"The definitive guide to the etymology of California's geographical names . . . updates the state's poetic vocabulary and gives compelling proof that place names are not the fixed road-map landmarks that so many assume them to be."—Santa Cruz Sentinel
"Beware, you can't just stop at one name."—The Fresno Bee
"The definitive guide to the etymology of California's geographical names . . . updates the state's poetic vocabulary and gives compelling proof that place names are not the fixed road-map landmarks that so many assume them to be."—Santa Cruz Sentinel
This is the new "pocket" version of the classic California Place Names, first published by California in 1949. Erwin G. Gudde's monumental work, which went through several editions during its author's lifetime, has now been released in an expanded and updated edition by William Bright. The abridged version, originally called 1000 California Place Names, has grown to a dynamic 1500 California Place Names in Bright's hands. Those who have used and enjoyed 1000 California Place Names through the decades will be glad to know that 1500 California Place Names is not only bigger but better. This handbook focuses on two sorts of names: those that are well-known as destinations or geographical features of the state, such as La Jolla, Tahoe, and Alcatraz, and those that demand attention because of their problematic origins, whether Spanish like Bodega and Chamisal or Native American like Aguanga and Siskiyou.
Names of the major Indian tribes of California are included, since some of them have been directly adapted as place names and others have been the source of a variety of names. Bright incorporates his own recent research and that of other linguists and local historians, giving us a much deeper appreciation of the tangled ancestry many California names embody. Featuring phonetic pronunciations for all the Golden State's tongue-twisting names, this is in effect a brand new book, indispensable to California residents and visitors alike.
Names of the major Indian tribes of California are included, since some of them have been directly adapted as place names and others have been the source of a variety of names. Bright incorporates his own recent research and that of other linguists and local historians, giving us a much deeper appreciation of the tangled ancestry many California names embody. Featuring phonetic pronunciations for all the Golden State's tongue-twisting names, this is in effect a brand new book, indispensable to California residents and visitors alike.
California. The name was applied first to what is now called Baja California, around 1562, and later extended to Alta California, the present state of California. The term originally referred to a mythical land of Amazons, ruled by the beautiful black queen Calafia, as described in a Spanish novel, Las sergas de Esplandián (The Exploits of Esplandian), by Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo.
Dunsmuir [Siskiyou Co.]. Named in 1886 for Alexander Dunsmuir, a coal magnate of San Francisco who promised the townspeople a fountain if they would name the town after him.
Gordo. Spanish for "fat, plump" (fem. gorda); the term has been applied to massive promontories on the coast, such as Punta Gorda [Humboldt Co.]—literally, "fat point,"—so named in 1775.
Gualala (wuh LAH luh) [Sonoma Co.]. From a Kashaya Pomo village name, walaali, derived from ahqha walaali, "water go-down place." English speakers interpreted this as Walhalla, which in Norse myths was the heavenly home of fallen warriors. In 1862 this name was mistakenly interpreted as Spanish and given the spelling Gualala.
Dunsmuir [Siskiyou Co.]. Named in 1886 for Alexander Dunsmuir, a coal magnate of San Francisco who promised the townspeople a fountain if they would name the town after him.
Gordo. Spanish for "fat, plump" (fem. gorda); the term has been applied to massive promontories on the coast, such as Punta Gorda [Humboldt Co.]—literally, "fat point,"—so named in 1775.
Gualala (wuh LAH luh) [Sonoma Co.]. From a Kashaya Pomo village name, walaali, derived from ahqha walaali, "water go-down place." English speakers interpreted this as Walhalla, which in Norse myths was the heavenly home of fallen warriors. In 1862 this name was mistakenly interpreted as Spanish and given the spelling Gualala.
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Up and Down California in 1860–1864: The Journal of William H. Brewer, Fourth Edition, with Maps, by William H. Brewer
Historical Atlas of California, by Derek Hayes
California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, Fourth Edition, by Erwin G. Gudde
Up and Down California in 1860–1864: The Journal of William H. Brewer, Fourth Edition, with Maps, by William H. Brewer
Historical Atlas of California, by Derek Hayes
California Place Names: The Origin and Etymology of Current Geographical Names, Fourth Edition, by Erwin G. Gudde