[LINK] "Mi'kmaq atlas reveals secrets behind Nova Scotia place names"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC reports on an intriuging new map project in Nova Scotia, aiming to reunite contemporary placenames with their original meanings.

The new Mi'kmaq Place Names Digital Atlas and Website project is letting people see the true origins of Nova Scotia place names.

The project is meant to raise public awareness and document the Mi'kmaq's 13,000-year history in Nova Scotia.

Although the project may sound a little stuffy, it has revealed some pretty funny facts about places around the province.

"It's the expulsion of gas, human gas and that's where we get the word Picto," said Bernie Francis the linguist on the project.

That's right — Pictou is the Mi'kmaq word for fart. There's a logic to the name as well. Francis said the bad smelling sulfur in some parts of Pictou County most likely lead to the area getting its distinct name.

The community named Hectanooga in Digby County also has a bizarre origin word. Francis said Hectanooga is very similar to a Mi'kmaq word meaning "Your dog's on fire."