Alaska etymology

Etymology

The name "Alaska" is derived from the Aleut word "Alaxsxaq", meaning "the mainland" or "the great land".

Meaning

The Aleut people, who originally inhabited the region, used the term "Alaxsxaq" to refer to the vast mainland of North America, which they saw from their islands in the Bering Sea.

Origin

The name was first recorded in 1741 by the Russian explorer Vitus Bering, who encountered the Aleut people during his expedition. He transliterated the name as "Alyaska", which eventually became "Alaska" in English.

Additional Notes:

• The spelling of "Alaska" was standardized by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1890.
• The name "Alaska" has no known significance in any other language besides Aleut.
• The word "Aleut" is also derived from Aleut and means "island dweller".

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