Atlas of True Names

The Atlas of True Names, a German-based project by map publisher Kalimedia reveals the etymological roots, or original meanings, of the familiar terms on today's maps of the World, Europe, the British Isles, Canada and the United States.

For instance, where you would normally expect to see the Sahara indicated, the Atlas gives you "The Tawny One", derived from Arab. es-sahra “the fawn coloured, desert”.

The 'True Names' of 3000 cities, countries, rivers, oceans and mountain ranges are displayed on these four fascinating maps,each of which includes a comprehensive index of derivations.

A sample of the Canada map can be seen below.

Here’s a sampler from its latest work, Etymological Map of Canada, published this year and featuring some 379 locations:

Meeting Place: Toronto

(a) Huron. deondo “meeting place”; (b) Iroq. taron-to-hen “wood in water”

Rugged Land Farm: Hamilton

OE. hamel (a) “rugged land”; (b) “flat-topped hill” + ton “farm”

Unfordable River Town: London

(a) R. Coates: PreCelt. river name Plowodina, slurred into London, IE. plew “swim, boat” + nejd “flow,” i.e. a river too wide to ford; (b) Celt. llyn dun “fort by the pool”; (c) Celt. lon dun “hill fort”

Cape of Strangers: Cornwall

named for the Cornovii people, L. cornu “horn, cape”, ref. to the peninsula + OE. walh “stranger, foreigner”

Boar’s Head Lake: Lake Huron

F. (a) hure “boar’s head,” ref. to the bristly hairstyle of the Wyandot people; (b) huron “ruffian, rustic”

St. Contumacy Falls: Sault Ste. Marie

OF. sault “leap, waterfall” + PN Mary, Hebr. Mirjam “contumacy, rebelliousness”

Town of Merchants: Ottawa

(a) named for the Odawa people, Algonquian odawa “merchant, trading folks”; (b) Algonquian adawe “big river”

Goblin: Cobalt

L. cobaltum “goblin, G. Kobold”; due to its chemical characteristics cobalt ore was believed to be ensorcelled by goblins