Certain places have certain names, sometimes named after the pioneers that settled the area, often named and renamed and yet named again. For example, in Latin America, the towns and villages are named, or better yet prefixed with the name, of a saint, a conquistador, or that of a town in Spain. For example, in Castile La Macha, Spain there is a city by the name of Guadalajara and also in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Since we brought up Mexico, let me mention where the word Mexico comes from. The name Mexico comes from the name of the capital of the Mexica people, of Mexico-Tenochtitlan. Mexico in the language of the Mexica is a compound word composed of several words. The mex part comes from Mexitli, another name for the war god Huitilopothli, which was itself derived from metzli meaning moon. The xi comes from Xictli means navel in the language of the Mexica and the postfix co usually refers to a place. So Metzli-Xictli-co or Mexico can be said to mean "The navel of the moon." The city of Cuzco in Peru also means 'navel' in the Quechua language, the language of the Inca. Speaking of names derived from Native American languages, there is a department in Guatemala that is named Peten. Peten means island in the Yucatec Mayan language. In this department, or state, there lies lake Peten-Itza. Which translated fully into English would mean something like lake-island of the Itza.
Some cities have been named, and renamed, and named again. A good example of this is New York, which once upon a time was called New Amsterdam, which once was probably called Manhattan by the natives. Another example is modern Istanbul, which used to be called Constantinople, which before that was once known as Byzantium.
Some places are named after a color. In China they have the Yellow River, in the Middle East they have the Red Sea, and in Eastern Europe the Black Sea. In the United States you have the White Mountains and the Black Hills, in Australia they have the Blue Mountains. Perhaps the largest river in South Africa, it is known as the Orange River. In the romance languages there is the Negro River that joins the Amazon River in Brazil. In the American Southwest there are two rivers that have the name Colorado River. Speaking of the Southwest, there lies the border town of Brownsville, Texas across the Rio Grande from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Matamoros is composed of the Spanish words 'mata moros' which can be translated to 'kill moors.'
Many things also get their names from the region they originate, such as champagne, the wine, comes from Champagne, France. And what goes better with champagne than a slice of brie cheese, which also comes from France, this time from the historic Brie region. I think you can guess where dijon mustard comes from. Where do you think that the name of brussels sprouts came from? You are correct if you said the city of Brussels in Belgium. Venetian blinds? You're right, Venice, Italy. Manila folders? I think they come from the capital of the Philippines, Manila but I couldn't find any documented proof of this.
There are place names that remind me of other things. For example, when I hear of the country of Belize, I think of packing, not because I am going on a trip there, but because Belize sounds like the Spanish word for suitcase. The capital of Nigeria, Abuja, reminds me of a prick because the name means needle in Spanish. In Iraq, there are cities and regions with names such as Al-Basrah and Al-Najaf. With cities like this I keep thinking that the Terminator will liberate the oil and become the governor of Al-be bak. And the city of Ho Chi Minh reminds me of my hoo-chie mama.
What's your favorite place name?