September 30th, 2007Ilenweewa
From a random wikipedia article: U.S. State Name Etymologies.
The name Illinois is from the Algonquian word ilenweewa.
The state is named for the French adaptation of an Algonquian language (perhaps Miami) word apparently meaning “s/he speaks normally” (c.f. Miami ilenweewa,[27] Old Ottawa
,[28] Proto-Algonquian *elen-, “ordinary” and -we·, “to speak”),[29] referring to the Illiniwek (Illinois).[28]
So that’s why Illinois natives don’t pronounce the ‘S’; we speak normally!
Really, its L-annoying.
Rant courtesy of wikipedia and yet another person to tick me off this week.
