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Why Is it So? Trivia Quiz

Ever wondered where certain places got their names from or what those names meant? Trace the origins of the names belonging to a few famous cities from around the world.

A multiple-choice quiz by zorba_scank. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
zorba_scank

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
330,181

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
4058

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: xchasbox (9/10), Zippy826 (9/10), Jabberwok (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Austrian city of Salzburg is a popular tourist destination and well known as the birthplace of Mozart. From which food item did the city derive its name? Hint

Salmon

Salad

Salt

Salami

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. When the Portuguese first landed at Mumbai in 1508, they named the group of islands 'Bom Bahia' which was later Anglicized to Bombay during the British rule of India. Why was the city named Bom Bahia? Hint

They landed on a Sunday and hence named it 'good day'.

It resembled an existing Portuguese island called Bahia.

It was named after the leader of the expedition, Bartholomeu Dias.

It meant 'good harbour'.

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Question 3 of 10

3. Paris was called Lutetia by the Romans, which meant 'marshy place'. However after the decline of the Roman Empire and towards the end of Roman occupation, the city reverted to its earlier name of Paris. How did it get the name Paris in the first place? Hint

From a Celtic tribe

From a river that ran through the settlement

From an ancient pagan goddess

From a nearby mountain range

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which of the following cities is NOT named after a Christian saint? Hint

Sangli, India

Santiago, Chile

Sao Paolo, Brazil

San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Question 5 of 10

5. The name of the Kenyan capital city, Nairobi, translates to "the place of cool waters" in which language? Hint

Maasai

Afrikaans

Zulu

Xhosa

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Question 6 of 10

6. The Scottish city of Perth was named after a city of the same name in Australia.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following Asian city names is NOT derived from a word meaning 'capital city' in the local language? Hint

Nanjing

Hong Kong

Kyoto

Seoul

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Question 8 of 10

8. The etymology of which of the following cities has no connection with mythology? Hint

Athens, Greece

Rome, Italy

Tunis, Tunisia

Cairo, Egypt

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Question 9 of 10

9. Three of these four cities have names connected to the word 'peace'. Which is the odd one out? Hint

Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

Vladivostok, Russia

Jerusalem, Israel

La Paz, Bolivia

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. All of these four cities have names derived from colours, but which one is NOT derived from the colour white? Hint

Vienna, Austria

Dublin, Ireland

Casablanca, Morocco

Belgrade, Serbia

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Austrian city of Salzburg is a popular tourist destination and well known as the birthplace of Mozart. From which food item did the city derive its name?

Answer: Salt

Salzburg literally translates to 'Salt Fortress'. The wealth of the city was at one time closely tied to the trade of salt, an important food preservative. There are a number of salt mines located close to Salzburg. The river Salzach that flows by the city also derives its name from salt and was so named because of the barges carrying salt that used the river for transportation.

Answer: It meant 'good harbour'.

The first Europeans to reach Bombay were the Portuguese led by Francisco de Almeida. At the time, the city was nothing more than a group of seven islands. In 1661, the islands were given to England as part of the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza's dowry on her marriage to King Charles II of England.

Answer: From a Celtic tribe

Paris was named after Parisii, a Celtic Iron Age tribe that lived on the banks of the Seine River from around 250 BC. After the Romans invaded and conquered the area in 52 BC, it was known as Lutetia before reverting to its former name towards the 5th century AD.

4. Which of the following cities is NOT named after a Christian saint?

Answer: Sangli, India

Sangli derives its name from Saha Galli, which in the local language Marathi means 'Six Lanes'.

Santiago was named after Saint James, the son of Zebedee, by its founder Pedro de Valdivia.

San Juan was named after Saint John the Baptist.

Sao Paolo was named after Saint Paul.

5. The name of the Kenyan capital city, Nairobi, translates to "the place of cool waters" in which language?

Answer: Maasai

The Maasai language is spoken by people from the southern part of Kenya and the northern part of Tanzania belonging to the Masai tribe. The place was earlier called Ewaso Nai�beri, but was later Anglicized by the British to Nairobi.

6. The Scottish city of Perth was named after a city of the same name in Australia.

Answer: False

It is actually the other way round. The city of Perth in Scotland derived its name from the Scottish Gaelic word for a copse or small wood. The Australian city was named after the Scottish city by Captain James Stirling, a Scotsman who later became the governor of the colony of Western Australia.

7. Which of the following Asian city names is NOT derived from a word meaning 'capital city' in the local language?

Answer: Hong Kong

Hong Kong means 'fragrant harbour' in the Cantonese language.

Kyoto and Seoul both mean 'capital city' in Japanese and Korean respectively, while Nanjing translates to 'southern capital'.

8. The etymology of which of the following cities has no connection with mythology?

Answer: Cairo, Egypt

Cairo is derived from the Arabic word Al-Qahira, which means 'The Victorious'.

Rome is considered to have been named after Romulus, one of the twin founders of the city.

Athens is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom.

One of the theories regarding the etymology of Tunis is that the city may have been named after the Phoenician lunar goddess, Tanith.

9. Three of these four cities have names connected to the word 'peace'. Which is the odd one out?

Answer: Vladivostok, Russia

A loose translation of Vladivostok in Russian is 'Ruler of the East'.

Jerusalem is a combination of two Semitic roots and can mean 'Abode of Peace' or 'Teaching of Peace'.

La Paz means 'the peace' in Spanish. The official name of the city is Nuestra Senora de La Paz, meaning 'Our Lady of Peace'.

Dar-es-Salaam is Arabic for 'House of Peace'.

10. All of these four cities have names derived from colours, but which one is NOT derived from the colour white?

Answer: Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is derived from the Irish name Dubh Linn which means 'black pool'.

Belgrade is named after the Serbian term for 'white city'.

Casablanca translates to 'white house' in Spanish.

A possible origin of the name Vienna is a Roman settlement named Vindobona, a Celtic term meaning white or fair base.

Source: Author zorba_scank

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