OTAGO HISTORY
TO THE EDITOR
SiR, —Under " Answers to Correspondents " in your issue of the 9th inst. you quoted from a correspondent that the word " Otago" was first applied to this settlement in 183], that it is a corruption of the word " Otakou," and that the whalers were responsible for the present name of the province. May it be pointed out that some authorities consider that the word " Otago" was first used about 1810 and locally about 1817? Whether the latter was intentionally intended to be applied to the port, to the Maori settlement at the Heads, or to the general locality is at present not fathomed. In the face of this, it is difficult to accept tire statement that the deep sea, off-shore or shore whaling parties were responsible for the name of the province. Tn reference to the assertion that " Otago" is a corruption of the word " Otakou/," research may prove that it may be the other way about. Not being an authority, I feel it would be interesting for the sake of accuracy to have the opinions of those who hfve delved deeply into Otago early history.-—1 am, etc. Gko. C. Thomson. Dunedin, April 11.
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 19
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198OTAGO HISTORY Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 19
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