1597: calgary Apr 29, 2019

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Like many cities in Canada, and elsewhere in the anglophone world, 'Calgary' is named directly for another city in Britain. While this might be pretty cut-and-dry for Canada, British place names come from many places, usually Celtic, Old Norse, or Old English varieties. In the case of Calgary, the name is actually disputed between these. The town in Scotland was near a Viking settlement, and many believe that the name comes from 'kald' 'gart', meaning 'cold garden'. Alternatively, the name might come from the Gaelic 'Cala ghearraidh' meaning 'beach of the meadow' i.e. a pasture or field. For more on British place-names, click here.

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