Guest guest Posted November 20, 2002 Report Share Posted November 20, 2002 Dear Sri.Srinivasan Interesting theory... however, upon checking, it turns out that the name California comes from a Spanish novel... I am quoting from a site on the history of California. QUOTE Early in the sixteenth century, Spanish writer Garcí Rodríguez Ordóñez de Montalvo published a book called Las Sergas de Esplandián (The Exploits of Esplandián). One of the characters in this fantasy was Calafía, the queen of California, "more beautiful than all the rest." .... .... Historians assume that Montalvo's novel was known to the Spanish explorers who first sailed along the coast of the Baja California peninsula in the early 1500s. Apparently the explorers named the peninsula "California" after the mythical island in the novel. UNQUOTE Even if it is indeed so, I personally have one nagging suspicion - that the name (even the one in the novel) *could have* come from some Indian name known to the Spaniards, because the Spanish were in fact looking for India when they came to the Americas and in those heady times, exploration meant finding a route to India! Regards Ramki -- --------------------------- Let us endeavor so to live, that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry. -Mark Twain --------------------------- Ramakrishnan Kazhiyur-Mannar Graduate Research Associate Dept of Computer and Info Sciences Room 474(15), Erwin E. Dreese Labs 2015, Neil Avenue Columbus, OH - 43210 --------------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.