Below are clues to the names of a number of cities. The name of each city is a homograph of an English word. The clues provided are vaguely etymological, and probably not sufficiently helpful. All your knowledge of geography will probably not be enough to provide any assistance. Our puzzles are hard. Life is hard. Get over it.
These towns are all purportedly in the United States, though that may not be true. If true, you still probably haven’t heard of any of them, unless you grew up in one of them, in which case you have our sympathies.
Move-αnαgrαms II
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- ???, Alabama
- Via French, from Greek roots “out” + “gather, choose”
- ???, Alaska
- From Gaelic tarmachan, with spelling based on a mistaken Greek connection
- ???, Arizona
- From Old English naðinc, from roots meaning “not one thing”
- ???, Arkansas
- Via an Old French word meaning “practical knowledge, cunning, enchantment”, from a Latin word for “a trial, test, proof”
- ???, California
- A folk-
etymological mix of a Spanish word for “solicitor” and a Nahuatl word for “testicle” - ???, Colorado
- From PIE *eyu-
gwie- via Greek (where it named a goddess), and most recently Frenches-, - ???, Connecticut
- Meaning “spiritually allegorical”, via Old French or maybe Latin, from a Greek word with a root meaning “one who has been initiated” (though this place name is actually from Algonquian “great tidal river”)
- ???, Delaware
- Via Old Norse, from Proto-
Germanic *slukhtis, “killing of a large number of men in battle”
If you think you’ve figured out more than a couple of them, send your wild and unsubstantiated guesses to the editors of SpecGram. If we get your responses by June 15th, 2013, you could win a SpecGram magnet of your choice. The correct solution and winners, if any, will be announced in the August issue of Speculative Grammarian.
Speaking of winners, only one Puzzlemeister figured out last month’s Move-
• Adam Hesterberg •
Our good friend Adam will receive a magnet of his choosing, and all the glory. For the glory-