NationStates Jolt Archive

A group of people were trying to think of a name for the land that has come to be known as Canada. They couldn't think of a good name so they threw a bunch of letters into a hat and began to draw out one letter at a time. As the letter was drawn out some one wrote down the letter. First letter was announced: C-eh; N-eh; D-eh. And that is the true story of how Canada got its name.

Wouldn't that make it sound more like "sihennadah"?

Canada got it's name when the first settlers came to Canada and met with the aboriginal people, who invited them to their village. Canada actually means "village" the Europeans misunderstood them, thinking that they were saying that was the name of all of now Canada and called the country Canada.

Canada got it's name when the first settlers came to Canada and met with the aboriginal people, who invited them to their village. Canada actually means "village" the Europeans misunderstood them, thinking that they were saying that was the name of all of now Canada and called the country Canada.

Ya, I know.

yes i've heard that story too

Canada got it's name when the first settlers came to Canada and met with the aboriginal people, who invited them to their village. Canada actually means "village" the Europeans misunderstood them, thinking that they were saying that was the name of all of now Canada and called the country Canada.
Thanks a lot for spoiling it with the truth. :p

Heh, sorry. :D

A group of people were trying to think of a name for the land that has come to be known as Canada. They couldn't think of a good name so they threw a bunch of letters into a hat and began to draw out one letter at a time. As the letter was drawn out some one wrote down the letter. First letter was announced: C-eh; N-eh; D-eh. And that is the true story of how Canada got its name.


Bah, the truth is that the Canadianisn "Eh" is totally missunderstood.

We don't use it ALL the time after all.

Being polite folks, the "A" sound is actuaully just a socially accepted abbreviation for "Asshole" that lets us let our feeling about someone be known without resorting to off-colour language in polite company.


So GT, how's it going.... Eh?

:D

Wouldn't that make it sound more like "sihennadah"?

no. "cee eh en eh dee eh" = pronunciation of letters C A N A D A.

bah, I guess you had to be there.

Canada got it's name when the first settlers came to Canada and met with the aboriginal people, who invited them to their village. Canada actually means "village" the Europeans misunderstood them, thinking that they were saying that was the name of all of now Canada and called the country Canada.
I heard that some conference was held in London and the name 'Canada' won. Also suggested was 'Transatlantia'.

Bah, the truth is that the Canadianisn "Eh" is totally missunderstood.

We don't use it ALL the time after all.

Being polite folks, the "A" sound is actuaully just a socially accepted abbreviation for "Asshole" that lets us let our feeling about someone be known without resorting to off-colour language in polite company.


So GT, how's it going.... Eh?

:D

All the Canadians thought it was pretty funny when my friend Kevin Locke told the joke this weekend...Eh!

Aghhhh.... soooo.... oldddd.....

The pain... the pain...

*yawn* I first heard this joke about 15 years ago. I'm 20 now.

kinda funny. cept that only people from Alberta and a handful from Ontario actually say "eh"... Meh, not bad nevertheless.

I'm not even going to explain why a place near me is called Prat's Bottom.

kinda funny. cept that only people from Alberta and a handful from Ontario actually say "eh"... Meh, not bad nevertheless.

... I've never met anyone from Ontario or Alberta who says Eh. I am from the Maritimes and it is.. incredibly common here. And I've travelled to both Ontario and Alberta fairly extensively. In fact, Ontarioans (hmm? whatever) comment on me saying eh all the time.

I'm from Ontario and I say eh all the time.

All Canadians say it. I've lived all over Canada except the territories. We all say it.

But I'm sure it means the houses, the village!

The production designer on the last project I worked on was Canadian. Care to guess how I figured it oot...Steph? ;)

All Canadians say it. I've lived all over Canada except the territories. We all say it.
I don't.

Most people I know don't.

My bf's parents do occasionally (they're from down east) and one of their neighbours does (he's a francophone from like the very nort east corner of Ontario)

But I'm sure it means the houses, the village!
Hahaha. Don't you love those heritage moment things?

Hahaha. Don't you love those heritage moment things?

Sounds like kangaroo

White Guy 'What's that'
Aboriginal 'Kangaroo (I don't Know)'
White Guy 'Hey it's a kangaroo'

Sounds like kangaroo

White Guy 'What's that'
Aboriginal 'Kangaroo (I don't Know)'
White Guy 'Hey it's a kangaroo'
That's an urban myth. 'Kangaroo' (or rather something similar-sounding) is the name for that animal in one of the native languages.

That's an urban myth. 'Kangaroo' (or rather something similar-sounding) is the name for that animal in one of the native languages.

I believe it's the word for horse in one of the aboriginal australian languages

Bah, the truth is that the Canadianisn "Eh" is totally missunderstood.

We don't use it ALL the time after all.

Being polite folks, the "A" sound is actuaully just a socially accepted abbreviation for "Asshole" that lets us let our feeling about someone be known without resorting to off-colour language in polite company.


So GT, how's it going.... Eh?

:D

Ahh, kinda like in my profession "Mam" can mean "Bitch" and "Sir" can be asshole...

"I'm sorry sir, we cannot refund your money after you dropped your computer out of a second story window..."

"Hold on Mam, let me go over these steps with you again, you need to right click..."

I don't.

Most people I know don't.

My bf's parents do occasionally (they're from down east) and one of their neighbours does (he's a francophone from like the very nort east corner of Ontario)

I thought that I never said it, until I went to the States for awhile. Even with people pointing it out to me, it took me a while to actually hear it. But I will admit one thing, not all Canadians say it. The quebecois, after all, say 'la'.

you must all get very lonely in canada if this type of convo fills your day :P

I say 'eh' all the time in my normal speech, and I'm not even Canadian! It must be the general proximity, and all that Canadian TV...

'Eh'. It's not just for Canadians anymore...