Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-12
LOUISIANA NOmENcLATURE.
An Essay In the Magazine OF
American History.

MI. Norman Mcf. Walker, OF the
Times>D Democrats editorial staff, has
contributed to the September issue Of
the Magazine Of American Historyone
Of the most curious and valuable arti
eles yet written upon the geographical
nomenclature OF Louisiana. Mr..
Walkers journalistic comrades have
long known him 70 be q periplietie
ENCYCLOPEDIA Of iscts and dates in re.
gard to Louisiana history; aud the
noteworthy contribution we refer TO
represents a very trifing portion OF
the singular information he possesses
10 relation to the subject he has
treated so ably. There is nothing
more difficult than to trace the history
Of certain names, through ali variety
OF metamorphoses, back TO their origi
nal form and to the causes of their
being; it is quite as severe a task as
the tracing of modern words through
Norman French, Middle L glish,
Meso-G Gothic or other genealogical
Investigations and trausfor nations,
to the primitive Ayrian root Mr..
Walkers article is nevertheless
crammed with the results oil such
labor. For example he tracks the
modern name Calcasieu not only to its
colonial form, Quelquessieurs ('some
men') but couclusively proves again
that "quelqnesieurs" was nothing but
a barbarous French corruption OF the
aboriginal Indian name Kalkousiouk,
which signifies "Ea%gle"-so that Cal
casieu river really signifies Eagle
river" The French have metamOr-
phosed many ancient Louisiaua names
ia like fashion, but not more so than
the early American settlers, who cons
yerted the Indian name "0uiski" to
"Whisky"-and "Choupiquc" into
"Shoepeg"-and the Creole term Car
enoro "a buzzard) into Carton
Crow" and Petit. Pois Island into
Boy Island'-and Eunna Louach.
which is the Choctaw for Burnt
Squirrel, into Funny Louis Even
about the name Mississippi, which
everybody thinks he or she knows
something about, Mr.. Walker has
given us a variety Of really unfamiliar
information. 1t appears that the first
original spelling, and that most
appropriate to the Algonquin name
--signifying "Fatfer-of Waters
was "Meche Sebe," almost as one
creole paper still prints it "Meschas.
cebe"-accenting the "e's" according
to French pronunciation. Then the
word was changed to Niche Sepe;
then. by Father Laval, into Miohisipi;
then, Father Labatt, into Misisipi;
then by Marquette, OF sombody else,
into Mississippi; then by some conso-
nant loving American into Missis
sippi.
Another queer bit Of information in
this article is that relative to the creo
lization Of German names and OF
Spanish names. All small bodies Of
foreigners settled in Louisiana during
the early colonial years seem to have
been thoroughly absorbed by, and
assimilated with the French speaking
element. Herr Zweig translated him.
self into Monsieur La Brauche; and
the only,tracs left by German blood 10
the old German coast" is the ten
deucy TO blondness still exhibited
among the more ancient families.
Few people know that "Teche" is
simply a corruption OF the primitive
name Deutsch (Germsn),so that Bayou
Teche really signifies German
Bayou
Some Of the best known Louisiana
names repOse upon legends. Sabine
parish takes its name IRON an eccen-
trio incident which we shall not satisfy
the readers curiosity by relating, for
few could know it without reading the
essay; and Rapides parish preserves
in in its name historical, and one may
say, geological record OF the time
when Red river had its c~ataracts. Mr..
Walker also tells US about some geo.
graphical names which are framed 10
other tongues than our own, and which
must always be left u~ntranslated for
the same reason that English render
ings Of the antique %clSssics usually
leave bits of original text untouched.
We have given sufficient idea of Mr..
Walkers contribution to Louisiana
archaeology, to stimulate curiosity
without satisfying it; for the paper
which bears his signature is a solid
succession Of facts equal, if not supe-
rior in novelty to the few we have
cited, and should be read by all inter.
ested in the history Of our State. The
September issue of the magazine is
otherwise very rich, both as to text
and illustrations. There is a portrait
Of Hon. Hamilton Fish; a paper by
General Cochrane on the Centennial
of the Cincinnati; the history Of a
Baltimore penny Gllustrated) by w.
W. Richardson, and other contribu-
tons of enduring Importance. An
article by Hon. Charles Gayarre is an
nounced for the October number.