The 1541-42 visit of Hernando de Soto’s company did not leave in its wake
any place names.
Instead it was the French, whether Catholic missionaries, explorers, soldiers
at Arkansas Post, or trappers, who left a colorful legacy in our state’s place
names. Mostly the French influence can be seen in the southern half of the
state, especially in names of waterways, such as the L’Anguille River, named
for the eels there, and Cossatot, from the French slang for tomahawk. Of
course the French word Bayou finds its way into the Bayou Bartholomew and
Bayou Meto.
Place names like Maumelle and Mount Magazine are based on French words
describing their shape.
As more English speakers settled in the state, many French names either fell
into disuse, like Fourche a Loupe, or had their pronunciations anglicized in
ways that are very different from their French originals, the most famous
being Smackover and Petit Jean, both of which we will visit again.
Daniel Boice, University of Arkansas at Monticello