I have discovered the world's most awesome article: Evan T. Sage, "Classical Place-Names in America" (American Speech, April 1929).
If doubt is permissible as to the classical sources of these geographical, mythological and historical names, none is possible, I think, in the case of towns which have grammatical forms for names. Nearly one hundred towns have Latin verb forms for names. These are of course generally the vocabulary forms, though there are a few perfects, a fair number of participles, a few imperatives, one infinitive, and one subjunctive. Nouns are still more common, and the list of names of this kind is long. Pronouns are represented only by three Egos, Tuque, Mo., Quod, Ky., Quid Nunc, Ala., Idem, Va., and Nihil, Pa. Adjectives are of very common occurrence, and the feminine is again preferred to the masculine, while clear cases of the neuter are rare. Such words as Conifer, Pa., Pulcifer, Wis., and Sandifer, N. C. seem to be consciously Latin, the last being a sort of parody. Adverbs are restricted to Instanter, Pa., Maxime, Miss., Retro, Tenn., Ergo, Mo., Imo (sic), Okla., Ita, N. C. and Miss., Gratis, Ga., and Tex., and by a slight strain on the imagination, Ditto, Tex. The only prepositions are Ante and Contra, Va., and Extra, W. Va., and this is, I think, a clear indication of deliberate choice, since nothing like it is found elsewhere. Alabama furnishes us with our one conjunction, Nisi.
. . . It is interesting to watch the invasion of this field by the "made" or "adapted" Latin so popular at this time. We have such made to measure but pleasing names, partly Latin, partly intended to be or to seem Latin, as Alta Vista, Vista, Lavista, Montevista, Terra Bella and Terra Alta. Villa, Villa Nova, Villa Rica and Villa Park are not objectionable, but what shall we say of Terra Cotta, a name which disfigures the maps of two states and the District of Columbia? I fear that a misguided enthusiasm for the classics may be responsible for Hypoluxo and perhaps Homosassa, Fla., and the sinister-sounding Noxapater, Miss. If the census of 1930 credits these Florida towns with a dangerous decline in population, it may serve as a warning to the makers of the synthetic substitutes for Latin which are so popular in this generation. Every governor, every real estate agent and every manufacturer should have a consulting etymologist on his staff.
Other articles with Sage's name in them on JSTOR indicate to me that he is responsible for a translation of the Satyricon with introduction and notes, a project to which I imagine he was eminently suited.
If doubt is permissible as to the classical sources of these geographical, mythological and historical names, none is possible, I think, in the case of towns which have grammatical forms for names. Nearly one hundred towns have Latin verb forms for names. These are of course generally the vocabulary forms, though there are a few perfects, a fair number of participles, a few imperatives, one infinitive, and one subjunctive. Nouns are still more common, and the list of names of this kind is long. Pronouns are represented only by three Egos, Tuque, Mo., Quod, Ky., Quid Nunc, Ala., Idem, Va., and Nihil, Pa. Adjectives are of very common occurrence, and the feminine is again preferred to the masculine, while clear cases of the neuter are rare. Such words as Conifer, Pa., Pulcifer, Wis., and Sandifer, N. C. seem to be consciously Latin, the last being a sort of parody. Adverbs are restricted to Instanter, Pa., Maxime, Miss., Retro, Tenn., Ergo, Mo., Imo (sic), Okla., Ita, N. C. and Miss., Gratis, Ga., and Tex., and by a slight strain on the imagination, Ditto, Tex. The only prepositions are Ante and Contra, Va., and Extra, W. Va., and this is, I think, a clear indication of deliberate choice, since nothing like it is found elsewhere. Alabama furnishes us with our one conjunction, Nisi.
. . . It is interesting to watch the invasion of this field by the "made" or "adapted" Latin so popular at this time. We have such made to measure but pleasing names, partly Latin, partly intended to be or to seem Latin, as Alta Vista, Vista, Lavista, Montevista, Terra Bella and Terra Alta. Villa, Villa Nova, Villa Rica and Villa Park are not objectionable, but what shall we say of Terra Cotta, a name which disfigures the maps of two states and the District of Columbia? I fear that a misguided enthusiasm for the classics may be responsible for Hypoluxo and perhaps Homosassa, Fla., and the sinister-sounding Noxapater, Miss. If the census of 1930 credits these Florida towns with a dangerous decline in population, it may serve as a warning to the makers of the synthetic substitutes for Latin which are so popular in this generation. Every governor, every real estate agent and every manufacturer should have a consulting etymologist on his staff.
Other articles with Sage's name in them on JSTOR indicate to me that he is responsible for a translation of the Satyricon with introduction and notes, a project to which I imagine he was eminently suited.
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