Worldbuilding Wednesday 9/4/19: Features of New Jersey

passaic river falls

The beautiful Passaic River falls.

As far as strange names goes, the state of New Jersey takes the cake. There are towns named Loveladies and Nutley and features like the Jenny Jump Mountains and Double Trouble State Park. In fact, drive a mile in any direction and you’ll be sure to find one or more oddly named creeks, reservoirs, hills, or cities.

Many of these names came from the Unami and Munsee languages of the region’s original inhabitants, the Lenape. Though the names are cherished to those born and raised in the state they can be giggle-producing to outsiders. Consider Assunpink and Piscataway. Some have a grimdark  grandeur, like Manahawken, while others, such as Ho-Ho-Kus, sound silly. But all are different, alien, and have their own unique sound and connotations. They mix, but never blend, with New Jersey’s more staid British names: Hamilton, Manchester, Monmouth. As one of the thirteen original colonies, New Jersey has plenty of both.

If you’re writing about a town, forest, river, or lake in New Jersey, here’s a list of possibilities, all randomly generated.

 

Features of New Jersey

Leyconk

Mattashack

Hopachmung

Tuncatsung

Delabir

Mendwar

Ranshoken

Nipitcong

Piscatong

Nescadouly

Assamenick

Nousalick

Oradink

Pehoran

Sussenkunk

Hedekus

Sickensack

Hukawanna

Hudekus

Putconsay

Monsippany

Tonwawenk

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.