- Meaning of the name of the state of Sonora
- 1- Transformation of the word «lady»
- 2- Setting of a Yaqui word
- 3- Origin in opata word
- 4- Name given by Francisco Vásquez
- 5- Name of tribe
- 6- Precious stones that "sound"
- References
The word "loud" means clear, loud and resonant. Sonora is the name of the northern state of Mexico and also of the homonymous desert. The name of the state does not come from that academic meaning; it has a much more interesting origin.
The origin of this name comes from various hypotheses that are mixed with the legends of the time of the Spanish conquest of this territory.
You may also be interested in the meaning and history of the shield of Sonora.
Meaning of the name of the state of Sonora
There are 6 versions associated with the origin of this name. The details of each will be described below:
1- Transformation of the word «lady»
One of the stories tells that the conqueror Diego de Guzmán was sent in 1533 to discover an important river that flowed into the sea and of which the Spanish had heard. It was the Yaqui River.
After an expedition that lasted several months, Diego de Guzmán arrived at the Yaqui River on October 7, the day of Our Lady of the Rosary.
There was the Spanish custom of naming towns or regions according to the saint that corresponded to the pastoral calendar. Then Diego de Guzmán gave the name of "Our Lady" to the Yaqui territory.
As the natives could not pronounce the letter ñ because it was not in their phonetics, the word “lady” ended up being pronounced “lady”, which resulted in “sonorous”.
The word continued to refer to the Virgin Mary of Roman Catholicism, brought to Mexico by Spanish explorers.
2- Setting of a Yaqui word
Another version says that, in the Yaqui language, water courses are called “sonot”. It is said that the Yaqui River was named that way.
According to the hypothesis, the Spanish did not like to call it "sonote" or "sonota", which is why they changed the name to Sonora.
3- Origin in opata word
A third version, documented in the writings of Father Cristóbal de Cañas in 1730, says that Sonora could be derived from the opata word "xunuta", which later became "sonotl", which means "corn leaf."
The story goes that the indigenous groups that lived near the town of Huépac used corn husks to cover the walls and roofs of their huts.
4- Name given by Francisco Vásquez
According to this version, Fray Marcos de Niza crossed the state from north to south in 1539, without giving him any name.
However, the explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado in his passage through these regions was the first to call it "Valley of the Sonora" in 1540.
Years later, in 1567, Francisco de Ibarra was exploring the area and referred to the “Valles de la Señora”.
5- Name of tribe
Some historians support that the word Sonora was the name of an ancient indigenous tribe of the territory.
6- Precious stones that "sound"
Lastly, the state's mineral and gemstone riches are said to "ring" and resound throughout the world.
This region in northern Mexico was famous for its mineral treasures; therefore, it is believed that this may be the origin of its name.
References
- Editores de Enyclopaedia Britannica (2017) Sonora State, Mexico. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Website: britannica.com
- Editor (2017) What does the name Sonora mean? Name Meaning Dictionary, Website: namemeaningsdictionary.com
- Editor (2016) Sonora. Nations Encyclopedia, Website www.nationsencyclopedia.com
- Editor (2017) Sonora. History Channel, Website www.history.com
- Francisco R Aldama. Sonoran History Dictionary, Geography and Bibliography. Tour By Mexico, Website tourbymexico.com