To make things more confusing we pronounce the second S for things that aren’t the state of Arkansas.
For example the Arkansas river isn’t the “Arkansaw” river to us, it’s the “Arkansas” river. Likewise with “Arkansas City”, which is in Kansas and rhymes with Kansas.
I always thought it was ar-kansas til I heard it pronounced out loud and they said arkansaw. Like what?! Then why spell it Arkansas if it’s pronounced with a W on the end?!
Because as much as ppl like to pretend it is. Language is not a hard science with a one true set of rules (if if we don’t know all the rules) langue is a completely man made invention we that comes in many different flavors. Thoes flavors aren’t identical to each other. Here you are looking at a French word with French rules in an English context.
It’s French and they have a habit of not pronouncing consonants at the end of their words, that’s basically it. French speaking adventurers named the Arkansas region, English speaking ones named the Kansas region. Both named the territories after the Kansa tribe.
The last S is not pronounced because they’re special.
Native Arkansanians tell all Americans that it’s because it’s a French word. Although, like it’s been said here, the last S is always pronounced in French.
And then, they tell the French that it’s because it’s a “native” word, and that’s the reason the last S is not pronounced.
So 2 feuding families in Kansas got into a fight over whether you can sleep with your sisters. After some more fighting one family left Kansas and said we’re leaving and we’ll start our own state with its own rules we’ll call it Arkansas (our Kansas). So we’ll have Arkansas and you can have your Kansas. Lol
The state’s legislature in 1881 declared the pronunciation to be “Ar-kin-saw”.
Legislated pronunciations for statuary place names trump all other arguments.
This pronunciation preserves the original French pronunciation of the Quapaw tribe’s name, “Akansa,” which the French explorers anglicized. (So, it does follow the general french pronunciation rules that STD EX arent generally pronounced at the end of words)
Did you know that Arkansas is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible!!? It is said that once the rain stopped and the waters had receded a bit, Noah looked from the deck of the Arc and saw dry land!
I’m Canadian, so I’m somewhat familiar with US geography. But I was in my 20’s before I realized that Arkansaw and Arkanzis weren’t two separate places
Kansas and Arkansas are both named after related Indian tribes that got moved out of the areas Arkansas of America’s Manifest Destiny. The latter name came by way of French traders who did not pronounce the final “s.”
Blame the French! “Arkansas” comes from a French interpretation of a Native American word. The French pluralized it with an “s” but didn’t pronounce it, as is their thing. The state even passed a law in 1881 to make the pronunciation “Ar-kan-saw” official. Meanwhile, Kansas kept the hard “s” sound. So basically… same origin, different linguistic drama.
The general answer to everything about why English is such a weird language is you have the core Germanic words, you have Latin words layered on top, then you have have Latin as understood by the French words over that…
And eventually you get to all the loanwords that English just took from everywhere else.
I call it are-kansas. I say sal-mon. I say pah-terodactyls. That’s how it’s spelled. Either fix the spelling or fix the pronunciation. That’s my hot take of the night.
Wait, what? You don’t pronounce the second S in Arkansas?
I have to admit I don’t know anybody who has ever been there, not exactly a place anybody talks about. Also the few times Arkansas is mentioned in movies/tv-shows I have never noticed the S was missing
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It was spelled in French, where the last consonant is typically silent.
I say it like a pirate would pronounce it. So I say both S’s. People hate it. Arrr Kansas.
As with many things in life, you can blame the French.
Kansas is said as an English soeaker would say it, Arkansas comes from a French pronunciation.
Kansan here
To make things more confusing we pronounce the second S for things that aren’t the state of Arkansas.
For example the Arkansas river isn’t the “Arkansaw” river to us, it’s the “Arkansas” river. Likewise with “Arkansas City”, which is in Kansas and rhymes with Kansas.
French.
In French if the word ends in a consonant you generally drop that sound, you only say it if there’s a trailing ‘e’.
Place names in the US are fun, so many different languages to pick from and often stacked on top of each other.
It can be if you want. Free country.
It is.
Wait until you find out about Illinois.
Because then it wouldn’t rhyme with pa.
🎶Tell your mama, tell your pa, I’m gonna send you back to Arkansas.🎶
And we would be cheated out of a Ray Charles banger.
I do 😏
I always thought it was ar-kansas til I heard it pronounced out loud and they said arkansaw. Like what?! Then why spell it Arkansas if it’s pronounced with a W on the end?!
Ask Illinois.
Because as much as ppl like to pretend it is. Language is not a hard science with a one true set of rules (if if we don’t know all the rules) langue is a completely man made invention we that comes in many different flavors. Thoes flavors aren’t identical to each other. Here you are looking at a French word with French rules in an English context.
(Are-Kansas) definitely pronounced. I love Are Kansas, almost as much as Kansas.
Edit; just don’t tell that bitch Dorothy.
I make a point of doing so.
I personally pronounce it arkens-ass.
Or Arken-sauce if I’m feelin randy
How about Aransas Pass, TX? How is that pronounced?
Its actually always been spelled wrong, but to its credit, Arkansas stuck with it.
They’re fancy
It’s French and they have a habit of not pronouncing consonants at the end of their words, that’s basically it. French speaking adventurers named the Arkansas region, English speaking ones named the Kansas region. Both named the territories after the Kansa tribe.
Because it would sound ridiculous. “But then why not change the spelling?” Because English
Arkan Sass. I don’t know why but it feels like sassy batman may live there.
America explain!!!
AMERICA EXPLAIN WHAT DO YOU MEAN ARKANSA
https://youtu.be/cvL4mQRJlqo?si=4zMuIcIuueyHI8_y
Why can’t it be
Arkansas was colonized by pirates
AMERICA EXPLAIN!
Kansas is like Arkansas, just with fewer pirates.
I’m from Rhode Island
The H and S are silent
Better question, why isn’t Kansas pronounced Kan-saw?
R-kansas
they need to make a decision
Kansas and Ark Kansas
or Kansaw and Arkansaw
they cant have it both ways
The real question is why is the second S pronounced in Kansas when Arkansas is the older state
“So I am confusion.” – IYKYK
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6z2mN8qEz7c
So sass like Arkansas
So I am confusion
Because the pirates that lived in Kansas got there first
There is the northern Michigan thing…the straights of Mackinac…pronounced Mackinaw
Arkansauce!
I pronounce it like Ar-Kansas
The last S is not pronounced because they’re special.
Native Arkansanians tell all Americans that it’s because it’s a French word. Although, like it’s been said here, the last S is always pronounced in French.
And then, they tell the French that it’s because it’s a “native” word, and that’s the reason the last S is not pronounced.
They’re special like that!
Wrong pronunciation only:
Ar-kan-sas
If Arizona and Kansas had a baby.
It would sound like pirate Kansas, otherwise.
I AM CONFUSION
Kansas and Arkansas are pronounced differently on the last syllable. Go figure.
So 2 feuding families in Kansas got into a fight over whether you can sleep with your sisters. After some more fighting one family left Kansas and said we’re leaving and we’ll start our own state with its own rules we’ll call it Arkansas (our Kansas). So we’ll have Arkansas and you can have your Kansas. Lol
It is in Kansas—we say “Ar-Kansas River”.
Arcaneass
The state’s legislature in 1881 declared the pronunciation to be “Ar-kin-saw”.
Legislated pronunciations for statuary place names trump all other arguments.
This pronunciation preserves the original French pronunciation of the Quapaw tribe’s name, “Akansa,” which the French explorers anglicized. (So, it does follow the general french pronunciation rules that STD EX arent generally pronounced at the end of words)
In the same vein… when visiting relatives in Michigan, I wondered why is Mackinac pronounced Mackinaw but Cadillac is Cadillac?
….that’s the one pronounced arkensaw, right?
I hope a chef somewhere has invented an Arkansauce.
As I spelled this out I’m only just realizing that there’s Kansas in Arkansas. Why is it not pronounced ‘are-kansas’?
Did you know that Arkansas is the only state that is mentioned in the Bible!!? It is said that once the rain stopped and the waters had receded a bit, Noah looked from the deck of the Arc and saw dry land!
My German ex always pronounced it “Ar-Kansas.”
Skimming the thead I’m seeing little mention that Arkansas used to be Arkansaw with a W.
https://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/why-arkansas-is-never-pronounced-ar-kansas.htm
Literally just a quick Google search dude
I’m Canadian, so I’m somewhat familiar with US geography. But I was in my 20’s before I realized that Arkansaw and Arkanzis weren’t two separate places
Kansas and Arkansas are both named after related Indian tribes that got moved out of the areas Arkansas of America’s Manifest Destiny. The latter name came by way of French traders who did not pronounce the final “s.”
It’s the “special” kansas
Because it’s not our Kansas
Blame the French! “Arkansas” comes from a French interpretation of a Native American word. The French pluralized it with an “s” but didn’t pronounce it, as is their thing. The state even passed a law in 1881 to make the pronunciation “Ar-kan-saw” official. Meanwhile, Kansas kept the hard “s” sound. So basically… same origin, different linguistic drama.
Have you seen their education stats?
Bc the English language is bs
As per usual, blame the French.
Maybe a better question is why did Kansas drop the AR?
Arkansas is French the same way Louisiana is.
The general answer to everything about why English is such a weird language is you have the core Germanic words, you have Latin words layered on top, then you have have Latin as understood by the French words over that…
And eventually you get to all the loanwords that English just took from everywhere else.
Illegal question. IYKYK
Why is PH pronounced like an F???
Then it would be Ar Kansas, and there’s no R in Kansas silly.
What… Wait. You mean that Arkansas and Arkansaw are the same place?
Fuck me. In 50 years I never knew. I mean, it is a bit of knowledge less useful to me than the raw entropy burned to gain it, but still, a surprise.
And yet the 2nd S is pronounced in Kansas.
I don’t pronounce the first one!
And the British pronounce St Louis, Mo as Saint Looie
As a kid I always said it like “are kansas” until I was told differently💀
Most ar-kansas-ers hate when you say AR-Kansas. So say AR-Kansas.
i thought Arkansas and Arkansas were two different states when i was a kid. always thought it was weird i couldn’t find Arkansas on a map
Is the Ar a prefix? Does “Arkansas” actually translate to “other Kansas” or something?
I call it are-kansas. I say sal-mon. I say pah-terodactyls. That’s how it’s spelled. Either fix the spelling or fix the pronunciation. That’s my hot take of the night.
It’s French
It is from the Native American and French.
https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/education/arkansas-history/how-did-arkansas-get-its-name#:~:text=The%20word%20“Arkansas”%20came%20from,live%20downstream%2C”%20or%20UGAKHOPAG.
What are Kansas and Arkansas pronounced differently
They were sued by the state of Kansas for defamation. It was proved in court that there was no ark there.
Wait, what? You don’t pronounce the second S in Arkansas?
I have to admit I don’t know anybody who has ever been there, not exactly a place anybody talks about. Also the few times Arkansas is mentioned in movies/tv-shows I have never noticed the S was missing
Its not?