THE NAME “CANADA”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23321, 13 October 1937, Page 2

THE NAME “CANADA”

DERIVED FROM INDIAN WORD

There has been considerable discussion in the Canadian press recently on the origin of the name Canada and, at a later stage, its combination with the word Dominion to effect the official designation of this part of North America.

The prevailing and best-informed opinion is that Canada is an Iroquois Indian word, still surviving among them in the form kanata. meaning a collection of dwellings or a settlement Cartier in one of his vocabularies of the Iroquois speech, says. “They call a town Canada.’’ It was applied first to the village of Stadaccna, on the site of the present city of Quebec, gradually extended in its application to the surrounding district, and presently to the British settlements on this continent.

Seventy years ago when the provinces were being joined under Act of the British Parliament, a name for the new political entity had to be chosen. It is on record that such fantastic names as Laurentia. Britannia, Cabotia, Columbia. Canadia. even Ursulia, were proposed and rejected. The Kingdom of Canada was favoured but abandoned because it was feared it might offend the susceptibilities of the Americans. Then one of the delegates read from the Psalms so it is said. “He shall have dominion also from sea to sea and from river to river to the end of the earth.” Thereupon the name Dominion of Canada was joined and a new nation had its birth