NationStates

What is the etymology or reason behind various place names in your country, such as major cities? Is there an interesting historical reason why certain places were named as they were?

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For Tangatarehua:

Tangatarehua: The nation's name itself means "People of the God of the Stars" as according to legend, the first Empress was a descendant of Rehua, the Maori god of the stars.

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Islands of Tangatarehua:

Moanapapa: Literally just means "Ocean land" and is what the name says on the tin.

Marangawhenua: "Land of the Rising Moon" - according to legend, Rehua guided the Maori people to their promised land and said you will know you have found your home when you see the moon rising over the land.

Rangiwhero: "Red Sky" - so named because much of the island is famous for dramatic weather, leading to dramatic red sky sunsets.

Motumakariri: "Cold Island" - Tangatarehua's southernmost island is exceptionally cold in winter and even in summer is notably cooler and greyer than the rest of the country.

Ikame nga Maramara islands: Sometimes hilariously translated as "Fish and chip islands" (technically correct) though a better translation would be "fish and broken pieces" island, referring to the abundance of fish and the the fact that the area contains multiple small islets.

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Cities of Tangatarehua:

Kaiika: "Eat fish" - being the largest city in the Ikame nga Maramara islands, Kaiika is so named for its abundant fisheries.

Takutairoa: "Long beach" - located on the northern coast of Moanapapa on the edge of, as the name suggests, a very long beach.

Rakipa: "Northern Palace" - Founded in 811 AD when the Empress moved her court north to keep control over a rebellious faction, Rakipa still today is the location of the winter palace, when the Empress heads north in the winter to enjoy Rakipa's warmer, milder climate.

Tamaki: "Many people" - a fitting name for the city that contains one third of Tangatarehua's entire population. For centuries Tamaki, which is also the de facto capital, has been the most populous area in the country, originally a group of various fishing villages that merged into one metropolis. It's strategically located on the Whangakawa strait at a narrow chokepoint between Moanapapa and Marangawhenua and has therefore been a natural place for fishing, trade, commerce, the military and the government.

Within Tamaki there are also other interesting place names, such as 'Whangakawa' meaning 'Stormy Harbour' due to the prevalence of thunderstorms in Tamaki.

Kotiropai: Originally called Awakotiro-pai, (river of Kotiropai) and named after Empress Kotiropai who is Tangatarehua's first non-legendary Empress and founded the first permanent capital city in the area in 404 AD.

Whakaara: Means 'Storage place', which is precisely how it was founded - it was used as a secret hiding place for Empress Tamahine Matamua in 1178 when supporters of her sister (and pretender to the throne) Princess Tawhai violently stormed Rakipa Castle. Because Whakaara was difficult to access, being blocked off by mountains, and therefore difficult for an invading army to conquer, it has remained the de jure capital and seat of the imperial throne since 1178.

Kaingaraorao: "Home in the valley" - so named because the city is located in a valley between two major mountain ranges on northern Rangiwhero.

Wharekorana: "House of the Quran" although technically could be translated simply as "Mosque" - so named because the city was founded by Muslims in 1750 (making it Tangatarehua's newest city) and built around the Wharekorana Grand Mosque.

Kaitohura: "Eat whale" - the centre of Tangatarehua's (often controversial) whaling industry is so named for its local dish.

Rangipukuriri: "Angry sky" - the southernmost city in Tangatarehua is known for its cold and rainy climate and so named accordingly.

"Yenbrew" came from the people that inhabited the country,it had no official name,and they called it "Ying brewa' meaning cold island in Yenbralic.

Maran comes from the name "Mer d dran" meaning "land of ocean" In Hutai (Maran's official language) given to the indigenous people who lived there
The capital city,Marour,also comes from the indigenous people who called it "Mer d our" or "gold of sea"

The folklore of the indigenous people of Lionsroar tells the story of how the archipelago came to be known by its current name. According to the legend, long ago, the archipelago was ruled by a powerful and wise king, who was a descendant of the first humans and blessed by the mystical lion god "Loevriius" with a magic sword.
One day, an unknown neighbouring land came to the archipelago with the intention of conquering and claiming it as its own. The king, who was the protector of the archipelago, did not take kindly to this invasion and challenged the hostile king to a battle. The battle was fierce and intense, but the first king with his mystical sword and the blessing of the lion fought with great valour and courage, and with his powerful roar, he struck fear in the hearts of the enemy. The hostile king was no match for him and got struck down with a final push in his heart!
From that day on, the archipelago was known as "Lionsroar" in honour of the powerful king, blessed by the lion god and victorious through his roar, who defended the archipelago and his inhabitants. The people of the archipelago saw the king as a symbol of their own strength and power, and they took pride in the name "Lionsroar." They built monuments and temples to the king, and the people of the archipelago would gather to pay homage to the king and celebrate their victory over the invaders.
As time passed, the archipelago's population grew and prospered. The people of the archipelago continued to honour the king as a symbol of their strength and power, and the name "Lionsroar" became synonymous with the archipelago and its people. Today, the archipelago is still known as Lionsroar, and the king and his mystical sword remain a symbol of pride and strength for the people of the archipelago. The king is still honoured in festivals and ceremonies, and the people of Lionsroar continue to tell the story of the powerful king who defended their archipelago.

(I honestly don't have etymology for more places yet )

Etymology of:
Hospe
The name comes from a philosophical school of thought called Hospeanism, which composed the principles on which the country unified. This school of thought took it's name from the name Hospea, which was given to the land by latin scholars based on the word "hospes" as all locals generally believed that their ancestors were not born on the island but rather migrated from elsewhere.

Mirus
Mirus is the capital of Hospe and the most historically important city. It is named for the river Miri on which the original settlement was centred.

Three Kings, Mirus
Three Kings Boulevard and it's surrounding area is named for the three historic kings of Mirus, Lodi and the Ekpahee Empire that chose to parley rather than fight a war that would have led to the death of hundreds of thousands.

Freeland
Freeland was one of those Hospean cities that were founded during the widespread adoption of English by the constituent states. New settlers fleeing war or persecution from other parts of the island were accepted with open arms and given a plot arable land to support themselves for free. Hence, the city was literally named "Free Land".

St.Remington
Named after a cathedral that was named after a French evangelist that spent the latter years of his life in northern Hospe.

Spacias was called "Spa zie ase" in Spaciese which means "land of space". These words also originated to "Spaze zire aze" which means "space is ours".

The etymology of Salartovsk is:
Sal- comes from "Salyut", which is a greeting in Russian (and by extension in Salartovskiy too), and -artov- comes from "artov", which means group. Effectively our nation's name is simply "the place of friendly association"

Ivartixi:
Similar to the word in Askalden (Ivartixi official language) "Ivartixumia" which means: a land of communists.

Heldarki:
Heldarki actually means "Glory Communism".