I love this segment from George Grant, but unfortunately I have to contend with his last statement about Alaska being an abbreviation of Unalaska. It is actually an anglicized version of the Aleut word "Alaxsxix", which the Russians pronounced Alyeska, meaning "the great land" or simply "the main land" and Americans pronounce Alaska (1.https://www.alaska.gov/kids/learn/facts.htm)(2.https://www.ci.unalaska.ak.us/community/page/story-name-unalaska-or-dutch-harbor). I grew up in Anchorage, and this was something we were all taught in school. Unalaska, also known as Dutch Harbor, is a town in the Aleutian islands and means "near the mainland". Love the segment, but as an Alaskan I kind of knew that he got his facts a little skewed on this one. Just trying to help!
I love this segment from George Grant, but unfortunately I have to contend with his last statement about Alaska being an abbreviation of Unalaska. It is actually an anglicized version of the Aleut word "Alaxsxix", which the Russians pronounced Alyeska, meaning "the great land" or simply "the main land" and Americans pronounce Alaska (1.https://www.alaska.gov/kids/learn/facts.htm)(2.https://www.ci.unalaska.ak.us/community/page/story-name-unalaska-or-dutch-harbor). I grew up in Anchorage, and this was something we were all taught in school. Unalaska, also known as Dutch Harbor, is a town in the Aleutian islands and means "near the mainland". Love the segment, but as an Alaskan I kind of knew that he got his facts a little skewed on this one. Just trying to help!