Talk:Idaho

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There's two things about the etymology section of this article that seems worth the consideration of changing. 1) is that things progressed historically as suggested in the section as it says now, but the story of the little girl named Ida is thought by the cited man, Erl H. Ellis, to be apocryphal (well, he actually calls it a "fiction" told by an "imaginative writer" cx). It was told first by a journalist named William O. Stoddard in 1875, who calls Willing "late" at the start of the article, indicating this was written after his death This also indicates that it's unknown if Willing himself actually claimed that he invented the word, or if Stoddard was the one who originated the claim. This is from a pamphlet that Ellis published on the subject of the toponym "Idaho" in 1951 (the same year as his book Western Folklore, so I suspect that the pamphlet exists thanks to his research during it) titled That Word "Idaho". Unfortunately, this pamphlet--which extensively looks at the early instances of the word "Idaho" in the written record--is not easily accessible at all and it's only because I live in Idaho and have access to nearby local record hoards that I was able to track a copy down. At least, that's from my research. Perhaps there's a resource I'm missing that could be more easily cited and accessible.

The second thing worth mention is that it seems an omission to not have the conclusion of one William O. Bright, considered a foremost scholar in the realm of specifically Native American place name toponymy. He, and others before and since, have suggested that Idaho has origins in the Kiowa-Apache language. It's suggested that ídaahę́ was the word used to refer to specifically the Comanche tribe and meant "enemy". Bright theorizes that the change from e to o was based on "a misreading of some frontiersman's handwriting". He wrote about this etymology for Idaho most notably in Native American Placenames of the United States (available here from the Internet Archive) on page 177 and there he sources a brief article he'd done before on the matter in the newsletter for The Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas in 1999, their 18th volume, which they have archived, but is accessible only to members.

Since this is a major page and am not usually an editor/inexperienced, I do not want to rock the boat and edit the page unnecessarily so I thought it best to mention things here to suggest the changes. ~2025-39222-46 (talk) 08:23, 8 December 2025 (UTC)

This is a great point, and seemingly well-researched. I agree on both fronts. It seems to me the section currently words Willing's claim as the definitive origin of the word.

The first half of the Museum of Hoaxes source cites a user comment on a boingboing.net ... article? forum? blog post? This secondhand "reader comment" seems to be the cited justification for beginning the narrative of "Willing was the one who suggested the name." But Museum of Hoaxes then goes on to cite the Erl H. Ellis Western Folklore source to note Willing's claim of inventing the word wasn't published until 15 years after discussion that Congressional committee in 1860.

Alas, I don't know that I can find the May 10th and 11th Congressional Globe discussion Ellis mentions in Western Folklore. Maybe CG would say whether or not Willing was the one who suggested "Idaho" or not. Ellis doesn't definitively say one way or the other. I may be able to find the New York Daily Tribune ...article? by William O. Stoddard though.

So I will make some edits to make Willing's claims less authoritative in the Wiki article. Yes, he made the claim that he invented "Idaho." But from what I've seen, the only source saying Willing suggested it before the Congressional committee is the unnamed BoingBoing reader lost to time and a broken link on Museum of Hoaxes. So I'll take that claim out as well.

Oh, ye not-usually-an-editor/inexperienced person, please dive right in! The water's fine! And seems like you have put a lot of thought into the matter AND have access to some sources that might be helpful on the matter. Pookywb (talk) 06:58, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

It could be organized better, but… I need to go to bed. Obvi kept the Willing story, but I made it clear his story is not the definitive origin of the name.

Some other changes I made and why: "Shoshone" was not cited that I saw, but I left it. Cut "the sun comes from the mountains" as it was not cited, and we already have “gem of the mountains” from Ellis and the Encarta.

Formerly “It is unclear whether the steamship…”

It IS clear that the ship was named before Willing’s claim was published in 1875; the ship sailed in 1860. Per IMNH ISU, Congress was aware “gem of the mountains” might not be accurate in January of 1861, but IMNH ISU’s narrative of Sen. H.D. Williams’s research into the name is not clear when Williams learned “Willing-or someone in the circle… had invented” it, or indeed who he thought had invented it at the time. So I made that more neutral as well and less focused on Willing's story. Pookywb (talk) 08:07, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

Wiktionary claims "there was use of the name in Colorado pre-dating Willing’s arrival in the West in 1859" but their cite's behind an OED paywall and I can't access it at this time.

But Wiktionary of all places cites 1875's New York Daily Tribune article by William O. Stoddard so now I don't have to go looking for it anymore. Pookywb (talk) 08:22, 21 January 2026 (UTC)

The redirect List of Idaho state agencies has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2026 January 21 § List of US state agencies until a consensus is reached. Squawk7700 (talk) 20:09, 21 January 2026 (UTC)