Before entering statehood, Arkansas had different pronunciations than those. Here are a few: The name “Arkansas” came from the Quapaw Indians by way of French explorers. During the time of ...

The Algonquians’ name for the Quapaw was picked up by others ... to go with a modified French spelling along with a French pronunciation—an S on the page, but not on the tongue.

The name Arkansas was given to the state by the Quapaw tribe, who were some of ... it was also spelled "Arkansaw" relative to its current pronunciation. Some Arkansans say they were aware of ...