i feel you Naga, my Pharo:
Malakula Island (coordinates 16.30°S 167.50°E), also spelled Malekula, is the second-largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, in the Pacific Ocean region of Melanesia. Its name, coined by James Cook, is apparently derived from the French mal à cul (literally, pain in the ass) and was inspired by the presence of cannibals, volcanic activity and other unpleasant features of the island at the time of its discovery.
love the photo! interesting genesis of the name!
ReplyDeletedid you ever hear of the mayan ruin of "Uaxactun"? it's a weird pun that Sylvanus Morley made. literally, it means eight stones (waxac and tun), and was chosen due to the discovery of the oldest known (at the time) long form date inscription, from the 8th Baktún of the mayan calendar. but he also chose it as a play on the name Washington, since his trip was funded through the Carnegie Institution in Washington, DC. I love this kind of "hidden language" behind the scenes!