Geography Explained

[swestrup]

So, my sweetie taxlady discovered today that there is a place called Winnipegosis, which is clearly a diseased state of Winnipeg. At first we thought that it might be a badly inflamed Winnipeg, but that turns out to be Winnipegitis. A check of a medical dictionary reveals that Winnipegagogue is a medicine designed to help in the expelling of Winnipeg, while Winnipegagra is a sudden, severe pain in the Winnipeg.

I further discovered that Winnipegectasis is a state of dilated Winnipeg, while Winnipegectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a Winnipeg. Even worse, Winnipegemesis is a terrible condition in which you continually vomit up Winnipeg. On the other hand Winnipegicterus is simply a case of jaundiced Winnipeg.

Then I started getting close. Winnipegism is chronic case of Winnipeg and Winnnipegismus are spasms in one's Winnipeg. Finally I discovered that Winnipegosis is merely an abnormal (usually diseased) state of Winnipeg, which is what I had assumed all along.

So, vocabulary richer, but no wiser, I am left to wonder: what exactly IS the difference between Winnipeg and Winnipegosis?

Comments

oh, what a dull name

[ims.livejournal.com]

So (having long been amused by the name myself) I did a Web search to find out what the difference really is. Couldn't be duller:

The first European to have seen the lake is believed to have been Henry Kelsey in 1690. He adopted the Cree language name, win-nipi ("muddy waters"), for the lake. Later, the Red River Colony to its south would take the lake's name and become Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba.

(http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnipeg)

The lake's name derives from that of Lake Winnipeg, with a diminutive suffix.

(http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnipegosis)

Re: oh, what a dull name

[swestrup]

Its Manitoba. They have a rule requiring dullness.