Name of Toronto

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A pen of hogs at the William Davies Company, circa 1920. Although the vast pork processing plants are long gone, Toronto's nickname of "Hogtown" remains.

The name Toronto has a rich history which is distinct from the history of the city itself. Originally, the term referred to The Narrows, a channel of water through which Lake Simcoe discharges into Lake Couchiching. This narrows was styled tkaronto by the Mohawk, meaning where there are trees standing in the water.^[1]

1 Overview 2 Pronunciation 3 Nicknames 4 References and notes

[edit] Overview

By 1680, Lake Simcoe appeared as Lac de Taronto on a map created by French court official AbbÃ© Claude Bernou; by 1686, Passage de Taronto referred to a canoe route tracking what is now the Humber River. The Humber River became known as RiviÃ¨re Taronto as the canoe route became more popular with French explorers, and by the 1720s a fort to the east of the mouth of the river was named Fort Toronto.

The change of spelling from Taronto to Toronto is thought to originate on a 1695 map by Italian cartographer Vincenzo Coronelli.^[1]

[edit] Pronunciation

The stress is on the second syllable; with careful enunciation "Toronto" is pronounced /toÊŠËˆrÉ’ntoÊŠ/ toe-RON-toe or /tÉ™ËˆrÉ’ntoÊŠ/ tuh-RON-toe. In conversation, locals generally pronounce it tÉ™ËˆrÉ’noÊŠ tuh-RON-oe (as in 'I'm gonna go to Toronno'), /ËˆtrÉ’noÊŠ/ TRON-oe, /ËˆtrÉ’ntoÊŠ/ TRON-toe, /toÊŠËˆrÉ’nÉ™/ toe-RON-uh or /tÉ™ËˆrÉ’nÉ™/ tuh-RON-uh (listen to an example (helpÂ·info)), or its most abbreviated form, /ËˆtrÉ’nÉ™/ TRON-uh. As with other words beginning with tr, the stressed /tr/ often sounds almost like [tÊƒÊ°É¹Ê·] chr, for pronunciations such as CHRON-oe and CHRON-uh. The same speaker may pronounce "Toronto" differently depending on the subject of the conversation in which it is used.

Torontonians may identify someone as a local if they say traw-na. A pronunciation of toe-RON-toe in casual speech is usually seen as a sign of someone not being a native of the city.

Canadian francophones say IPA: [toÊÉ”ÌƒËˆto], with the French nasal on on the second syllable and (if the word is said at the end of a phrase) the accent on the third syllable.

[edit] Nicknames

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Toronto has garnered various nicknames throughout its history, including:

T.O. â€“ an acronym for Toronto, Ontario, also thought of as an abbreviation of Toronto; pronounced "Tee-Oh". This nickname is sometimes referenced as T-dot or T.dot.^[2] The Megacity - a name which evolved from the amalgamation of the former Metropolitan Toronto^[3] The Big Smoke â€“ originally a nickname for London, England, presumably imported by British immigrants. The Centre of the Universe - A derogatory term used by Canadians outside of Toronto; Torontonians have come to also use it fondly, reversing the original sentiment Hogtown â€“ Related to the livestock that was processed in Toronto, largely by the city's largest pork processor and packer, the William Davies Company.^[4] Toronto the Good â€“ from its history as a bastion of 19th century Victorian morality. There is a 1898 book by C.S. Clark, Of Toronto the Good. A Social Study. The Queen City of Canada As It Is^[5]. This is sometimes used ironically to imply Toronto's standing is something less than great, or inverted (i.e. "Toronto the Bad") as a derogatory nickname Methodist Rome â€“ an analogy implicating the city as a centre for Canadian methodism, akin to Rome's role in Catholicism^{[citation needed]} City of Churches^{[citation needed]} Hollywood North â€“ a shared nickname with Vancouver describing the film industries. Queen City â€“ a reference most commonly used by francophone Quebecers ("La Ville-Reine")^{[citation needed]} Muddy York â€“ derived from Toronto's previous name, York, and the weather's effect on its once-largely unpaved streets^{[citation needed]} The 416 â€“ 416 is the original telephone area code for much of the city (the other area code in Toronto is 647; 905 is used in the surrounding GTA suburbs) The Economic Engine of Canada^[6]^[7]^[8]