|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33
newbie
|
OP
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33 |
There are a lot of cities and countries with names ending in s preceded by a vowel, but very few with a consonant preceding the s. Examples: Netherlands, Brussels,New Orleans, Cowpens SC, Solomons aka Solomons Island (without apostrophe) MD
If I am right and my list above is nearly complete,why are there so few?
Also in most of the above the s at the end sounds either like a possessive or a plural, but when preceded by a vowel, for example, Annapolis and St Louis it does not suggest a plural or a possessive.
(Or is it my imagination?)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Brussels may be Brussels to you but it's Brussel to us. The there's Oss, Barbados, Kos, Lesbos, Rennes, Tours, Burgos, Troyes, Picos, Neuss. When you look at maps there are a lot more, but could be they are comparatively in the minority.
(The Netherlands' S stands for plural,twelve provinces)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
|
|
old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
The official name for the Solomons is 'Solomon Islands' which still has the S ending.
Last edited by olly; 06/30/10 10:15 PM. Reason: typo
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3 |
Des Moines
Los Angeles
Paris
Athens
Buenos Aires
St.V and Grenadines
Honduras
Texas
Kansas
Illinois
----please, draw me a sheep----
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33
newbie
|
|
OP
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33 |
I was not referring to Solomon Islands but to
Solomons Island, Maryland
also known as
Solomons, Maryland
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33
newbie
|
|
OP
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33 |
I guess, I was not clear in what I was asking and chose a poor wording for the Subject Heading. But you list 10 place names ending with s. Nine of them have the s preceded by a vowel. Only one (Athens) has a consonant before the s. That was really what I was asking. In place names ending with s why is the s almost always preceded by a vowel?
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3 |
Gotcha.
Did not understand your question, to which I do not know the answer. ( I was musing this AM and had a few more: Tunis,
Philippines, Galapagos, Maldives: yet they are all in your
category: s preceded by a vowel.) Luck to you, hope someone
has an answer. It may be a quirk of language, but I bet there
is a sensible answer.
----please, draw me a sheep----
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
OK. I overlooked the consonant-before-s principle too. But in the Skandinavian countries there's something to be found. I love maps so I gave it some time. Sweden: Glasgkogens, Grums, Robertsfors and lots more ending in -fors. Demark: Assens, Vojens, Horsens. Hungary: Paks, Pécs. (  time 's up)
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3
Carpal Tunnel
|
|
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 9,937 Likes: 3 |
Map lover here too!
In the state I live in theres:
Hoskins, Chambers, Saunders, Falls City,Hastings, Clarks, Cedar
Rapids, Enders, Hay Springs - and that's just a cursory glance.
There are also the vowel before s share like Curtis and Cowles.
----please, draw me a sheep----
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33
newbie
|
|
OP
newbie
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 33 |
Well based on all the posts maybe I am simply wrong. Certainly it would appear that it is not true for cities in Scandinavian countries. So maybe it only seems to be true in English speaking countries.But I found 18 countries ending in s and other than three ending with suffixes "lands" all have a vowel preceding s.
SO I like you believe there "is a sensible answer."
However, it can't be important and I thank all of you for taking the time to answer.
FYI I got into this when I discovered that Solomons, Maryland was named after a man named Solomon and wondered where the "s" came from.
Carl
|
|
|
|
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,670
Members9,187
| |
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
|
|
|
0 members (),
205
guests, and
17
robots. |
|
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
|
|
