Brooks, creeks, kills, rivers, runs, and streams
map + history + language = sold
Check out this map of New York State showing the different types of names used for the bodies of water that run through different areas. It was created by Andy Arthur from a US Geological Survey dataset.
red = brook
green = creek
orange = kill
blue = river
yellow = run
magenta = stream
If you click the image above, you can see a larger version. Also: If you head over to Andy's site the map is available in a few different formats for viewing.
It's interesting how the different names are clustered in different parts of the state. Example: You can see the Dutch influence on names throughout the Hudson Valley. Normans Kill, Poesten Kill, Moordener Kill*, and so on...
* Moordener Kill sounds like some moody prestige TV crime series.
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Comments
I love the reaction I get when I tell visitors and tour groups about our Moordanerskill at Albany Rural Cemetery.
... said Paula Lemire on Aug 23, 2018 at 10:27 AM | link
I lived with the Moordener Kill in my backyard for about 3 years. The one that always gets me is the Muitzeskill, which the locals pronounce "mitcheskill". It took me a long time to realize they were the same thing.
... said Kate on Aug 23, 2018 at 2:15 PM | link