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WHY ARKANSAS THE STATE THINKS IT IS PRONOUNCED ARKANSAW.

My Reason.

I could never figure out where they got the pronunciation of the state of Arkansas.  When asked why Kansans' pronounce Arkansas as Ar-Kansas I have an answer that usually brings smiles, but one that I take very seriously.  That answer is, "because I don't live in Kan-Saw".  Recently (winter of 2000) I told  some people from Arkansas who were in Cimarron looking for some tractors my reason.  They did not think it was as funny as most people do, however their reply to me was quite surprising.  They told me that it made more sense to them than any other thing they had ever heard, and that they could never figure out why the river or their state was pronounced "Ar-Kan-Saw".

I went on to tell them the theory that was taught to me while I attended  grade school here in Cimarron.  

Originally there were many tribes of Indians that roamed the great plains in the area of present-day Kansas.  The prominent Indian tribe was called   the "Kanza" Indians.  When it was time for the territory to be named, it was named Kansas after the Kanza Indians. 

The river going through the Kansas Territory was named by combining the territory's name and a very peculiar feature of the river.

Starting in the present southwest Kansas area around Ford KS and going northeast from there, the river started making a great "arc"* away from its easterly path.  The present-day city of Great Bend now sits where the river made its turn back to the southeast.  The river proceeded southeast to an almost straight line position from the river's original path, about 125 miles east of Ford where the city of Wichita sits today.

If the river had continued its path from Ford on to the east instead of its real path northeast, it could have bi-passed Wichita completely.  

From there it continues southeast, through Oklahoma, and then it crosses Arkansas and empties into the Mississippi river.  The city of Great Bend got its name from the "great bend" or "arc" in the river.  The territory name combined with the unique "Arc" in the river gave it the name Arkansas. (pronounced ar-kansas)

Of course, the state of Arkansas was named for the Arkansas river.  How the state's name became pronounced "Ar-Kan-Saw" remains a mystery.

*arc
Pronunciation: 'ärk
Function: noun

1 : the apparent path described above and below the horizon by a 
celestial body (as the sun)
2 : something arched or curved

WHY ARKANSAS THE STATE THINKS IT IS PRONOUNCED ARKANSAW.

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