Chicago? Or Stink Onion?

Unfamiliar words from foreign tongues have a way of finding their way into English, a language which itself is a melting pot when it comes to origins. Frequently the foreign expression has a way of better summing up what the user is trying to say than what is available in the native tongue. What sounds better? A “smorgasbord?” Or “an extensive array or variety?” How about “faux pas” versus “a slip or blunder in etiquette?”

You would probably agree that these foreign phrases, however odd they might sound, help quickly convey meaning from a speaker or writer to his listener. It’s a pity then, that as the first settlers spread out across “new worlds” like America and parts of Europe, they didn’t stop to consider the native words and phrases they chose for their new homes. Surprisingly enough a new book of maps called The Atlas of True Names hopes to set the record straight on this linguistic confusion, offering detailed maps laid out with ridiculously literal translations of place names in their native tongue.

Thought that island across the pond was called Great Britain? According to the map, it’s actually “The Great Land of the Tattooed,” a reference to the colorfully tattooed people who originally occupied the place. Weird. And how about the beautiful city of Chicago, my hometown? It loosely translates as “Stink Onion,” from the Algonquin phrase checagou, referring to the soggy marshland upon which the city was founded. Ouch.

Certainly not the type of thing the local tourist board will want to brag about, but interesting nonetheless for anyone interested in geography and language. There’s plenty more oddly named cities, rivers and mountains in the galleries over at the Telegraph website.

Straight-up Scandinavia: Understanding the smörgåsbord

Smorgasbord is a word commonly used in the English language. The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes it as “a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (as hors d’oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes).” You can even use the word to describe a random mixture of things. But let’s take a look at its real meaning.

In Swedish the word is spelled smörgåsbord and breaks down into two parts: smörgås and bord. Smörgås of course means “sandwich” and bord means “table.” Scandinavians are big on open faced sandwiches and it is no surprise that one of their contributions to the global culinary vocabulary has to do with exactly that. This means that a true Scandinavian smorgasbord will always have a good selection of bread, butter and cheese, the beginnings of an excellent open faced sandwich. The first smorgasbord in America was seen at the 1939 World’s Fair held in New York, when Sweden’s delegation served up a traditional buffet as part of the exhibition. The American’s loved it so much they got rid of the pesky dots and rings over the “o” and “a” and americanized the word into its current state.

Although American lovers of Nordic culture like to use the word liberally, Scandinavians rarely use the word smorgasbord to refer to their buffets, and it is certainly not a staple of everyday life. Instead, the fancy buffet normally consisting of various fish like herring and salmon, even surströmming, cold meats and pates is saved for large gatherings, festive parties and special occasions. The most common variant on the theme is the julbord, the standard Christmas buffet which is served everywhere from family dinners to classy restaurants during the holiday season.