Well, hi again! This week I intend to somehow complete my entry on toponyms that I wrote last week. Well, as I mentioned in the post last week, toponyms are words that originate from the name of a famous place. Last year, we were going through some very interesting examples such as china porcelain, sandwiches from the town of Sandwich, hamburgers (from Hamburg immigrants), canaries from the Canary Islands, Jeans, from the Italian city of Genoa, and the origin of the words lesbian and marathon, both from Greek places.
In today's entry, I will continue exploring some more surprising toponyms. Ready?
8. Badminton
Well, surprising though it may sound, this sport is indeed a toponym word. Where does it come from? Apparently, it comes from Badminton, a village in Gloucestershire in England where this sport was played.
9. Brussels sprouts
This not so tasty (not to say disgusting) vegetable used to be grown near Brussels, hence its name.
10. Volcano
Well, this word is an eponym and a toponym at the same time. Isn't that amazing? As an eponym, it comes from the Roman God Vulcan, obviously the God of fire. As a toponym, the word volcano is coined after Vulcano, an Italian island with volcanic activity.
11. Tuxedo
The origin of this word is Tuxedo Park, a place where the socialite used to wear this fancy, smart suit.
12. Champagne
This sparkling drink reserved to celebrate one's best moments in life borrows the name of a region in France, where this drink is produced. In addition, champagne is said to derive from Latin word 'campania.'
13. Cognac
This alcoholic drink also comes from France, a town in south-west France said to produce the best high-quality cognac.
14. Food and other products whose name refer to the place where they originated:
- Buffalo wings
- Yorkshire pudding
- Havana cigar
Well, there are thousands of toponyms in the English language. I've tried to show you the most representative ones. Do you know any others? If so, tell me in a comment!
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