What is the etymology of 'Arkansas'?

The spelling of the term represents a French plural, Arcansas, of a name applied to the Quapaw people who lived on the Arkansas River; their name was also written in early times as Akancea, Acansea, Acansa (Dickinson, 1995). This was not the name used by the Quapaws themselves, however. read more

Meaning: "Native American Placenames of the United States," 2004] See more definitions. read more

In 1881, the pronunciation of Arkansas with the final "s" being silent was made official by an act of the state legislature after a dispute arose between Arkansas's two U.S. senators as one favored the pronunciation as /ˈɑːrkənsɔː/ ar-kən-saw while the other favored /ɑːrˈkænzəs/ ar-kan-zəs. read more

Arkansas State Name Origin OriginLittleRockArkansas.jpg Historic Marker for "THE 'LITTLE ROCK' - This rock outcropping, the namesake for the city that surrounds it, was so named to distinguish it from the "Big Rock" bluff which stands farther upriver on the other side. read more