Hello team, just less than a week till my new book is out! As mentioend at the start of this video search word origins book into Amazon and click the non-sponsored link to order your copy today! And of course I'd love to hear if there's anyone watching from a US Territory!
Hey Pat, great video. I’ve been a Puerto Rican all my life and I remember when I was a little kid my mom told me the story of the name change from La Isla de San Juan Bautista to Puerto Rico but also some of the wacky names of our 78 municipalities. A fun example is a former municipality now burrow of San Juan named Río Piedras (river rocks) and where I went to uni.
The original name for the Island of Puerto Rico, before it was colonized by Spain, was “Borinquen”. Also Puerto Ricans are also known as “Borícuas”. Just adding a little more story to it.
My understanding is that the southern part of the Mariana island chain is just Guam. So America does own all the Marianas they're just administered seperately because they were aquired seperately.
If I not mistaken, technically during Spanish Colonial days, Guam is part of Spanish Administration in Manila, and as result of Spanish-American War, US separate the administration of Guam from the Philippines
@@homercastillo8834 Not sure but all the Marianas were once under Spanish rule. However, Spain sold them separately, Guam to the U.S., the Northern Mariana Islands to Germany (since they were trying to be a colonial empire), which were taken by the Japanese under the League of Nations mandate. The UN gave the U.S. a mandate over all the Pacific islands previously under Japanese control, most decided to become independent except the Northern Marianas. It's because of WWII and the fact that the people of the north helped the Japanese in attacking Guam that has kept them separate to this day, even when the Northern Marianas has asked to be united with Guam as one U.S. territory at least once, which Guam rejected.
@@sion8 the locals of the north didn’t help the japanese attack guam. a lot of the natives were being ethnically cleansed and beaten by the japanese during the wartimes because they were being accused of helping the americans. there was a woman who was arrested for playing the piano because the japanese thought she was sending codes to the americans
Just some slight corrections on the “Northern Mariana Islands” not “North Mariana Islands”. Although you are correct on where it got their name you are implying that there is a Southern Mariana Islands that is not US related or something. Guam in fact is the 1 and only and also southmost island in the Marianas. If your talking about the archipelago it is just called the Mariana Islands. If your talking government wise then there is Guam then the Northern Mariana Islands. We have the same natives Chamorro (Chamorro and Carolinian in the Northern Mariana Islands) , but politically separated yet both owned by the US. Spain colonized the Marianas then after the Spanish American war was lost the US took over Guam then Spain sold the Northern Mariana Islands and the rest of Micronesia to Germany. Which is what started the political divide. Also some facts that could be included is the island of Tinian (northern mariana island) is also the island in which both atomic bombs were loaded to end the Second World War. I am from Saipan the capital island of the CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 🇲🇵 and I must admit living stateside these days has made me miss home. Hafa Adai and Tirow everyone! 😊🇲🇵 🏝
On the topic of interesting names, the Marianas were also called Islas de los Ladrones (thieves' islands) after an incident involving the natives taking stuff off a boat and being subsequently attacked by the Spanish in retaliation.
Immediately after the Spanish-American War of 1898 Puerto Rico was officially renamed Porto Rico. Before the arrival of the Spaniards the island was known by its Taíno name of Borikén, which over the years has evolved into the current native name for the island: Borínquen. The puertorrican iisland-municipalities of Vieques and Culebra are also known as the Spanish Virgin Islands.
As far as I know, the official name is still Puerto Rico and Porto Rico is just how primary english speakers pronounce and write. Source, I’m boricua and lived on the island for most of my life.
@@dekuLink05 for a few years the federal government actually and literally changed the name of the island to Porto Rico. All the official documents of the era reflect this fact.
So, for Samoa, I heard a legend from someone from the island of Niue as to the origin of the names of both places. The legend went thus: a fisherman from Niue met a fisherman from Samoa out at sea one day, and they got talking about their islands. Niue had no niu, or coconut, while Samoa had no moa, or chicken, (bird). However, Niue had plenty of moa, and Samoa has plenty of niu, so they agreed to trade the next time they met, and that was how their names came to be. Now, that’s probably not all the way true, but I’d be surprised if it had nothing to do with that…
Moa is actually Samoan for "chicken". While I am still a beginner at the language, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that they wouldn't call themselves Moa hahaha
Moa is also the name for a few species of huge birds that used to live in New Zealand. They became extinct after the Maori arrived, but it was recently enough that the Maori language still had a word for them. Maybe the words are related, since they're both Polynesian languages and they both refer to ground birds.
I absolutely love your work, and I very much appreciate it. To have found something so entertaining and informative is just really something special and I can tell there is A LOT of work that goes into these videos.
My step-grandfather spent time on Howland in WWII. He was part of an AA gun crew and only saw a Japanese plane once, it was shot down by another U.S. plane. A great Uncle drove a truck on Nouvelle Caledonie, and married an Islander of French ancestry.
When you do get around to making a video about how the U.S. states got their names, I really hope you get New Mexico correct. Remember, it had the name nearly 3 centuries before the country did.
despite being owned by the U.S. this name is of Spanish origins.... um you might not have noticed, but like half of U.S. place names have Spanish names and there are over 30 million Spanish speakers in the U.S.
"Bald" originally means "white," and was used to refer to someone whose hair was white with age. If they called the Guam inhabitants "bald," it could mean that they had a lot of elderly people, indicating they had a long average lifespan.
@@paullatimer9249 Yeah, that part wasn't explained well at all. Both countries were ruled by the Habsburgs at the time, but that didn't make Austria a region of Spain (or vice versa)! Asturia[s], of course, remains part of Spain. Had Mariana - originally Maria Anna - been Princess of Asturia that would've suggested she was the heir to the Spanish throne in her own right, or married to someone who was. As Johnny hints at above, she was an Archduchess of Austria who was acting as Regent of Spain in the name of her infant and later sickly son, Carlos (or Charles) II.
About puerto rico.that is correct but, you should have mention the native name of puerto rico, that is Boriken that comes from the native people los tainos.
Puerto Rico has voted twice in the past 20 years for statehood - and each time the voters have stated that they want to be a state. This, coupled with DC statehood passing the House, should hopefully add two new states to the flag sooner rather than later.
If you look at the numbers you can clearly see that it was a minority in all but the last one which still had relatively high abstentions and a narrow win. Not enough to change status and especially not with our current situation. Give statehood to DC and let us figure our stuff out before you use us as pawns in your political game.
I think it and DC should just be absorbed into the two nearest states. That way the flag does not change and there is no change to the senate numbers. Porto Rico can become a part of Florida and DC can become a part of Maryland.
Hi! I was curious if you could explain something. I've been talking to people about how words like "crazy," "insane," and "lame" are ableist. When we say "Only a crazy person would do that," we're putting down the mentally ill. When we say something bad is "lame," we're saying that physically disabled people are bad. At least, that's how I take it. I was wondering if you could give me your own take on it. Some people have told me that words like "crazy" have secondary definitions, so it's not ableist. However, I don't believe these words originated with those "not ableist" definitions, and those definitions aren't the ones always used when people say those words. I would be really interested if you ever did a video on this (though of course, you don't have to!)
Edit: bad argument, scroll to my last one. Those words are not "ableist". No one has used "lame" in its old usage in decades, it now just means something that is "uncool". And the other words are also used in slang more than officially. It's not like with the word retard. No one is harassing the mentally challenged by calling them "lame". What makes something offensive is what society deems to be the connotation of the word. These words you mentioned do not have the same connotation as something that most deem offensive, like " retard". Please don't try to shame people for using words that none one cares about except for you. That is disgusting, self-righteous behavior that distracts from actual issues.
@@sion8 edit: keep scrolling It's sad was how there are people who think they are helping by casting judgment onto others and making ridiculous rules one can follow. This commenter is not as aware of actual issues as they think they are, so they make up none problems like this to "solve" because it's easier and requires less time and effort doing something helpful of substance. I am sure this commenter is well-meaning and a lovely person, but they need a reality check. I hold no animosity towards them, just actions like this.
@@11mazatl Ah, no. It's called settling. Or do you consider the peopling and settling of Iceland by the ancestors of the Icelanders or New Zealand by the ancestors of the Māori colonialism?
@@sion8 these american territories aren't unpopulated. And allowing US citizens to "settle" in the west is how the country expanded from coast to coast, except there WERE people living all over the entire country already, the natives.
Hello team, just less than a week till my new book is out! As mentioend at the start of this video search word origins book into Amazon and click the non-sponsored link to order your copy today!
And of course I'd love to hear if there's anyone watching from a US Territory!
Hey Pat, great video. I’ve been a Puerto Rican all my life and I remember when I was a little kid my mom told me the story of the name change from La Isla de San Juan Bautista to Puerto Rico but also some of the wacky names of our 78 municipalities. A fun example is a former municipality now burrow of San Juan named Río Piedras (river rocks) and where I went to uni.
@@c-bass9968 Cool story bro. Supongo que hay muchos conejos en su 'burrow' universitario. ;)
The original name for the Island of Puerto Rico, before it was colonized by Spain, was “Borinquen”. Also Puerto Ricans are also known as “Borícuas”. Just adding a little more story to it.
Borikén*
My understanding is that the southern part of the Mariana island chain is just Guam. So America does own all the Marianas they're just administered seperately because they were aquired seperately.
If I not mistaken, technically during Spanish Colonial days, Guam is part of Spanish Administration in Manila, and as result of Spanish-American War, US separate the administration of Guam from the Philippines
@@homercastillo8834
Not sure but all the Marianas were once under Spanish rule. However, Spain sold them separately, Guam to the U.S., the Northern Mariana Islands to Germany (since they were trying to be a colonial empire), which were taken by the Japanese under the League of Nations mandate. The UN gave the U.S. a mandate over all the Pacific islands previously under Japanese control, most decided to become independent except the Northern Marianas.
It's because of WWII and the fact that the people of the north helped the Japanese in attacking Guam that has kept them separate to this day, even when the Northern Marianas has asked to be united with Guam as one U.S. territory at least once, which Guam rejected.
@@sion8 the locals of the north didn’t help the japanese attack guam. a lot of the natives were being ethnically cleansed and beaten by the japanese during the wartimes because they were being accused of helping the americans. there was a woman who was arrested for playing the piano because the japanese thought she was sending codes to the americans
Thank you for the stellar informational video! I am proud of my Guamanian origins and am most honored to be the Patreon saint :)
Just some slight corrections on the “Northern Mariana Islands” not “North Mariana Islands”. Although you are correct on where it got their name you are implying that there is a Southern Mariana Islands that is not US related or something. Guam in fact is the 1 and only and also southmost island in the Marianas. If your talking about the archipelago it is just called the Mariana Islands. If your talking government wise then there is Guam then the Northern Mariana Islands. We have the same natives Chamorro (Chamorro and Carolinian in the Northern Mariana Islands) , but politically separated yet both owned by the US. Spain colonized the Marianas then after the Spanish American war was lost the US took over Guam then Spain sold the Northern Mariana Islands and the rest of Micronesia to Germany. Which is what started the political divide.
Also some facts that could be included is the island of Tinian (northern mariana island) is also the island in which both atomic bombs were loaded to end the Second World War. I am from Saipan the capital island of the CNMI Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 🇲🇵 and I must admit living stateside these days has made me miss home. Hafa Adai and Tirow everyone! 😊🇲🇵 🏝
Dang it. I was hoping to become a Patreon Saint of Guam. Guam is my home. Oh well. Thanks for bringing us some attention, St. Jenny. 😊
Taitano = No land?? lol 😆 I’m just kidding
On the topic of interesting names, the Marianas were also called Islas de los Ladrones (thieves' islands) after an incident involving the natives taking stuff off a boat and being subsequently attacked by the Spanish in retaliation.
Immediately after the Spanish-American War of 1898 Puerto Rico was officially renamed Porto Rico.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards the island was known by its Taíno name of Borikén, which over the years has evolved into the current native name for the island: Borínquen.
The puertorrican iisland-municipalities of Vieques and Culebra are also known as the Spanish Virgin Islands.
As far as I know, the official name is still Puerto Rico and Porto Rico is just how primary english speakers pronounce and write.
Source, I’m boricua and lived on the island for most of my life.
@@dekuLink05 for a few years the federal government actually and literally changed the name of the island to Porto Rico.
All the official documents of the era reflect this fact.
So, for Samoa, I heard a legend from someone from the island of Niue as to the origin of the names of both places. The legend went thus: a fisherman from Niue met a fisherman from Samoa out at sea one day, and they got talking about their islands. Niue had no niu, or coconut, while Samoa had no moa, or chicken, (bird). However, Niue had plenty of moa, and Samoa has plenty of niu, so they agreed to trade the next time they met, and that was how their names came to be.
Now, that’s probably not all the way true, but I’d be surprised if it had nothing to do with that…
Moa is actually Samoan for "chicken". While I am still a beginner at the language, I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that they wouldn't call themselves Moa hahaha
Moa is also the name for a few species of huge birds that used to live in New Zealand. They became extinct after the Maori arrived, but it was recently enough that the Maori language still had a word for them. Maybe the words are related, since they're both Polynesian languages and they both refer to ground birds.
@@kittyprydekissme This has occurred to me, but I've never looked into it. Glad I'm not the only one who has thought of it though haha
I absolutely love your work, and I very much appreciate it. To have found something so entertaining and informative is just really something special and I can tell there is A LOT of work that goes into these videos.
My step-grandfather spent time on Howland in WWII. He was part of an AA gun crew and only saw a Japanese plane once, it was shot down by another U.S. plane. A great Uncle drove a truck on Nouvelle Caledonie, and married an Islander of French ancestry.
Comments: PUERTO RICOOOOO BORICUA WEPA PUÑETA.
I was thinking you were gonna say that howland island was named because they were like: “how is this land here?” And just shortened it to howland…
Puerto Rico also known as "Borinquen" that's the native people's name for the island.
When you do get around to making a video about how the U.S. states got their names, I really hope you get New Mexico correct. Remember, it had the name nearly 3 centuries before the country did.
despite being owned by the U.S. this name is of Spanish origins.... um you might not have noticed, but like half of U.S. place names have Spanish names and there are over 30 million Spanish speakers in the U.S.
"Bald" originally means "white," and was used to refer to someone whose hair was white with age. If they called the Guam inhabitants "bald," it could mean that they had a lot of elderly people, indicating they had a long average lifespan.
Can't wait for these comments, grab the popcorn!
I realized that Rota/Luta,Isnt with the Rest Of The NMI,Is it not apart of it?
PuertoRico is also called "Borinquen"..
@NameExplain could you do more Pokémon name stuff
When did Puerto Rico stop being a port city in San Juan?
Isn't the Spanish territory named Asturia instead of Austria?
The Spanish regent of the time was Mariana (Maria Anna) of Austria. No relation to the region of Asturia.
I could have sworn the video states that Austria was a Spanish territory.
@@paullatimer9249 well Austria and Spain were Hapsburg
@@paullatimer9249 Yeah, that part wasn't explained well at all. Both countries were ruled by the Habsburgs at the time, but that didn't make Austria a region of Spain (or vice versa)! Asturia[s], of course, remains part of Spain. Had Mariana - originally Maria Anna - been Princess of Asturia that would've suggested she was the heir to the Spanish throne in her own right, or married to someone who was. As Johnny hints at above, she was an Archduchess of Austria who was acting as Regent of Spain in the name of her infant and later sickly son, Carlos (or Charles) II.
@@oliverravenThe connection is that the Spanish king was married to a princess from Austria.
About puerto rico.that is correct but, you should have mention the native name of puerto rico, that is Boriken that comes from the native people los tainos.
Diffrence between a sedan car and Sudan the country?
🤨What?
@@sion8 Whats your question man?
Anyone else watching from Puerto Rico?
Patrick, it’s the Northern Mariana Islands, not North Mariana Islands.
Howland Island is a pickle?
7:52 The origin story of reddit
Puerto Rico has voted twice in the past 20 years for statehood - and each time the voters have stated that they want to be a state. This, coupled with DC statehood passing the House, should hopefully add two new states to the flag sooner rather than later.
If you look at the numbers you can clearly see that it was a minority in all but the last one which still had relatively high abstentions and a narrow win. Not enough to change status and especially not with our current situation. Give statehood to DC and let us figure our stuff out before you use us as pawns in your political game.
Yes statehood is popular if you don't count the abstained votes sure. But logically you need to consider it.
I think it and DC should just be absorbed into the two nearest states. That way the flag does not change and there is no change to the senate numbers. Porto Rico can become a part of Florida and DC can become a part of Maryland.
🇲🇵
US territories or you know colonies
GUAAAAAMM
pls make this top comment
Hi! I was curious if you could explain something. I've been talking to people about how words like "crazy," "insane," and "lame" are ableist. When we say "Only a crazy person would do that," we're putting down the mentally ill. When we say something bad is "lame," we're saying that physically disabled people are bad. At least, that's how I take it. I was wondering if you could give me your own take on it. Some people have told me that words like "crazy" have secondary definitions, so it's not ableist. However, I don't believe these words originated with those "not ableist" definitions, and those definitions aren't the ones always used when people say those words. I would be really interested if you ever did a video on this (though of course, you don't have to!)
Edit: bad argument, scroll to my last one.
Those words are not "ableist". No one has used "lame" in its old usage in decades, it now just means something that is "uncool". And the other words are also used in slang more than officially.
It's not like with the word retard. No one is harassing the mentally challenged by calling them "lame". What makes something offensive is what society deems to be the connotation of the word. These words you mentioned do not have the same connotation as something that most deem offensive, like " retard".
Please don't try to shame people for using words that none one cares about except for you. That is disgusting, self-righteous behavior that distracts from actual issues.
@@VagabondRetro
Exactly.
@@sion8 edit: keep scrolling
It's sad was how there are people who think they are helping by casting judgment onto others and making ridiculous rules one can follow. This commenter is not as aware of actual issues as they think they are, so they make up none problems like this to "solve" because it's easier and requires less time and effort doing something helpful of substance.
I am sure this commenter is well-meaning and a lovely person, but they need a reality check. I hold no animosity towards them, just actions like this.
@@sion8 I suggest thinking a little longer next time before making a comment.
@@Mcwollybob
Nah, I read what you said and what the other person said and I agree with them and not you. Sorry.
Well, hell... as a U.S. citizen, how do I emigrate to and claim one of these unclaimed and unpopulated pieces of America?
They are all under the Fish and Wildlife Administration and other federal agencies that care for them as parks, so you can't live there.
Hello! That's called colonialism. please stop it
@@11mazatl
Ah, no. It's called settling. Or do you consider the peopling and settling of Iceland by the ancestors of the Icelanders or New Zealand by the ancestors of the Māori colonialism?
@@sion8 these american territories aren't unpopulated. And allowing US citizens to "settle" in the west is how the country expanded from coast to coast, except there WERE people living all over the entire country already, the natives.
@@sion8 The Israeli government calls the illegal building of communities in Palestine territories "settlements" as well
Americans against American imperialism
✊🚩
The USA is a Modern colonial empire builder.
Aren't territories a byproduct of colonialism?