United Arab Emirates Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest United Arab Emirates cities.

Dubai has a number of explanations: an Arabic proverb daba dubai or 'they came with a lot of money'; or Arabic yadub meaning 'to creep' and a reference to the slow flow of the Dubai Creek; or yadub used to mean 'baby locust', as these insects dominated the area before settlement.

Abu Dhabi comes from Arabic, where abu means 'father' and dhabi 'gazelle'. Aside from the number of gazelles in this area, the 'father of the gazelle' may also be a reference to folklore and a story involving Shakhbut bin Dhiyab Al Nahyan.

Sharjah is said to be the name of an idol worshipped in ancient times or, alternatively, from the Arabic sharq or 'east'.

Al Ain is Arabic for 'the spring'.

Umm Al Quwain has had a couple of suggestions: either from umm al quwatain 'mother of the two powers' or quwain 'iron'.

Khor Fakkan is Arabic meaning 'creek of two jaws'.

Jebel Ali uses the Arabic for 'mountain'.

Madinat Zayed is Arabic for 'city of Zayed', the town established by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in 1968.

Ar-Ruwais, most often given as simply Ruwais, is Arabic and describes 'the small head'.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.

Tuvalu Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest places of Tuvalu.

Tausoalima means 'hand of friendship' and typifies the very basic meanings of Tuvalu's place names.

Falekaupule translates as 'traditional island meeting hall'.

Papa Elise is a reference to Father Ellice, the missionary who came to Funafuti in the late 19th century.

Te Afuafou comes from te afua fou or 'the new beginning'. This refers to an incident with the first contact with a white man, when the locals were allowed on the vessel and one stole a bucket. The perpetrator was shot at, much to the astonishment of the locals.

Tepuka comes from te puka, the name of a tree known to science as Hernandia peltata, itself named after the Spanish botanist Francisco Hernandez de Toledo.

Meang is a name which simply means 'west'.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.

Tanzania Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest Tanzanian cities.

Dar es Salaam is the capital city and means 'place of peace'.

Dodoma is fron the Bantu Gogo language meaning 'it has sunk'.

Sumbawanga translates as a warning to those bringing in superstition and spiritual healing as it translates as 'throw away your witchcraft'.

Musoma is a shortened form of the word omusoma or 'spit' and a reference to this standing on a spit of land extending into Lake Victoria.

Iringa represents the Hehe word lilinga or 'fort'.

Babati's name is traditionally said to be a misunderstanding. When a German asked a boy what the name of the place was, the boy thought he'd asked a very different question and responded with baba ti or 'he is my father'.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.

Kyrgystan Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time I cast my net a little wider. As English place names share some links to other tongues it would be interesting to see if any of the elements contributing to our place names could be found elsewhere. Continuing an alphabetical tour of the world and a look at the largest of Kyrgystan cities.

Bishkek has only been known as such since 1991, prior to that it had been known as Frunze by the Soviet Union from 1925, and as Pishpek when established as a fortress in 1825. Frunze was after the Bolshevik leader Mikhail Frunze who was born here and who died in 1925. The name of Pishkek is thought to be from a Kyrgyz word for a 'churn', one used specifically to make fermented mare's milk, the national drink.

Jalal-Abad is known for its mineral springs, the water from the spa long believed to cure leprosy. Its name comes from Jalal ad Din, who set up caravanserais (early service station)serving travellers and pilgrims to the holy mountain. The suffix of '-abad' or '-abat' comes from the Persian and denotes a place associated with the named person.

Tokmok simply means 'hammer', a reference to it being established as a military outpost.

Kara-Balta translates as 'black axe'.

Kant is the Kyrgyz word for 'sugar', for a sugar plant constructed here in 1930.

Kara-Suu is the Kyrgyz for 'black water'.

Isfana is thought to come from the Sogdian word asbanikat meaning 'the land of horses'.

Toktogul is named after its most famous inhabitant, Toktogul Satilganov a poet and composer (1864-1933).

Batken comes from the Sogdian, an Iranian language, and means 'the city of wind'.

Sulukta comes from the Turkic word zuluk and, with the suffix, refers to a place 'containing leeches'.

Cholpon-Ata is literally 'Venus father' and refers to the mythological protector of the area.

Kok-Janggak is from the Kyrgyz for 'green walnut'.

Pristan'-Przheval'sk is named after the Russian geographer Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky (1839-1888) whose grave is found here.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.

Odd Parental Concern

February 1864. Man walks into Stafford police station, his attire showing him to work in engineering. Most worried as he found a letter with a summons addressed to his son. He simply did not understand what was being demanded. The clerk found it highly amusing as it read “Orders the person to appear on the 14th to answer the charge of stealing the heart of Amelia Smart. It was addressed to one J. Lovewell, who was to appear at the Court of Hymen, of which the father had never heard. “Of course not!” replied the clerk, “It’s a valentine!”.

Western Sahara Place Names Explained

Having blogged samples of my books on English place names and also examined the etymologies of the nations of the world and their respective capitals I thought it time to cast my net a little wider. This time should have been East Timor, as I'm running through the list in alphabetical order, but admit being unable to find sufficient information to fill much more than the back of a stamp - albeit a large stamp. Hence we jump towards the end of the alphabet and look at some of its largest settlements and most interesting names of Western Sahara.

Laayoune is from the Maghrebi Arabic name of Layoun, literally meaning 'the water springs'. The modern form is due to French influence, although under the Spanish this became El Aaiun with the same meaning.

Cape Bojador is sometimes found by its Portuguese name of Cabo Bojador and occasionally given as Cape Bojador. While this is said to mean 'the bulging cape', this can be discounted as it is simply wrong and such is only ever written when suggesting origins of the name. Correctly this is a Portuguese corruption of the Arabic Abu Khatar meaning 'the father of danger'.

Guelta Zemmur is from the Tamazight language and means 'the olive tree pool'.

Bir Lehlou comes from Hassaniya Arabic, where bir lahlu speaks of 'the sweet water well'.

La Guera, clearly of European influence, comes from the Spanish Aguera and describes a ditch used to bring rainwater to the crops - basic irrigation. Today the town is abandoned, save for a military post, and is slowly being engulfed by drifting sands.

Note the spellings of the places are English as the piece is written in English.

Fathers Day

Firstly a thank you to my two young 'uns (Sarah and Jonathan) for the cards and gifts - I shall certainly make full use of the National Trust membership.

I know the rough story of how Mothers' Day came to be but Fathers' Day was something of a mystery. A little research and I discover the Catholic observed March 19th as the day for fatherhood, that being St Joseph's Day. Not until 1908 was Fathers' Day first seen in it's modern form. Mrs Grace Golden Clayton wanted to celebrate the lives of 210 fathers lost in the Monongah Mining Disaster in West Virginia in December the previous year. However this was a one-off event.

The first attempt at a regular date began in 1910 and was again an American concept. Even then it was limited to Spokane, Washington and was again proposed by a woman, one Sonora Smart Dodd - not as an honour to the father of her children but to her own father. William Smart, a veteran of the American Civil War, had been a widower after his wife died giving birth to thier sixth child when Sonora was just 16 years of age. Since that time he had played the role of both parents.

That first year of 1910 the celebrations were limited to the wearing of a rose, red for a living father and white for one now deceased. Whenever attempts were made to make the day official, the media ridiculed these as filling the calendar with another pointless promotional exercise. The next major voice came in the shape of Senator Margaret Chase Smith who, in 1957, accused Congress of singling out one parent over another. Nine years later President Lyndon B Johnson declared the third Sunday in June to be Fathers' Day, although it was not official until 1972, the United Kingdom followed soon afterwards.

While the third Sunday of June is the most common date, Fathers' Day is still celebrated in many Catholic countries on March 19th. The Arab world choose June 21st, the first day of summer. Scandinavian and Baltic nations have a preference for the second Sunday in November. Brazil opt for the second Sunday of August, nine months before Mothers' Day. Hindu countries opt for Amavasya, New Moon Day in late August or early September.

In Thailand the day is movable and always shares the birthday of the current king. Taiwanese fathers chose the 8th day of the 8th month, for 'eight' translates to ba and is similar to the word for 'father' and hence known as Baba's Day. Germany chose Ascension Day, forty days after Easter, and in some parts men embark on a hiking tour with small waggons laden wine or beer and regional food choices - today just an excuse for getting drunk.