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California

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Map of US highlighting California

Etymology

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Probably Spanish after California, a Utopian island of the Amazons described in Las sergas de Esplandián, a 16th-century Spanish novel. The name comes from the fictional island's Muslim-allied queen, Calafia, whose name is a play on Arabic خَلِيفَة (ḵalīfa, caliph). For more information see: Etymology of California.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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California (countable and uncountable, plural Californias)

  1. The most populous state of the United States. Capital: Sacramento. Largest city: Los Angeles.
    Synonyms: (abbreviation) CA, (slang) Cali, (derogatory) Commiefornia
    • 1971, Joni Mitchell (lyrics and music), “California”, in Blue:
      But my heart cried out for you, California / Oh, California, I'm coming home
  2. (chiefly historical) A region on the west coast of North America comprising the US state of California and the Baja California peninsula in Mexico; historically also including other areas in Alta California and Baja California.
  3. Several places in the United States.
    1. A census-designated place in Maryland.
    2. A borough of Pennsylvania.
    3. A city, the county seat of Moniteau County, Missouri.
    4. A neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.
    5. A city in Campbell County, Kentucky.
    6. A neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky.
    7. A village in Maine.
    8. A ghost town in West Virginia.
  4. Several places in England:
    1. A village in Berkshire.
    2. A neighbourhood of Birmingham, West Midlands (OS grid ref SP0182).
    3. An area in Derby, Derbyshire.
    4. A district of Ipswich, Suffolk.
    5. A hamlet in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
    6. An outer suburb of Dunstable, Bedfordshire (OS grid ref TL0120).
    7. A coastal resort in Ormesby St Margaret with Scratby, Norfolk.
  5. A community of Ontario, Canada.
  6. A town in the Santander department, Colombia.
  7. A town in the Usulután department, El Salvador.
  8. A neighborhood of Casablanca, Morocco.
  9. A barangay of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo, Philippines.
    Coordinate terms: Bugnay, California, De la Peña, Del Pilar, General Luna, La Fortuna, Lipata, Natividad, Nueva Invencion, Nueva Sevilla, Poblacion, Puerto Princesa, Rizal, San Antonio, San Fernando, San Francisco, San Geronimo, San Juan, San Lucas, San Miguel, San Roque, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Santo Tomas, Ugasan, Vista Alegrebarangays of Barotac Viejo
  10. A barangay of Ubay, Bohol, Philippines.
    Coordinate terms: Achila, Bay-ang, Benliw, Biabas, Bongbong, Bood, Buenavista, Bulilis, Cagting, Calanggaman, California, Camali-an, Camambugan, Casate, Cuya, Fatima, Gabi, Governor Boyles, Guintabo-an, Hambabauran, Humayhumay, Ilihan, Imelda, Juagdan, Katarungan, Lomangog, Los Angeles, Pag-asa, Pangpang, Poblacion, San Francisco, San Isidro, San Pascual, San Vicente, Sentinila, Sinandigan, Tapal, Tapon, Tintinan, Tipolo, Tubog, Tuboran, Union, Villa Teresitabarangays of Ubay
  11. A village in Stirlingshire, Scotland.
  12. A town in Trinidad and Tobago.
  13. University of California, Berkeley.

Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Divisions of the United States of America in English (layout · text)
States: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Federal district: Washington, D.C.
Territories: American Samoa · Guam · Northern Mariana Islands · Puerto Rico · United States minor outlying islands · United States Virgin Islands

Further reading

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Anagrams

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Central Nahuatl

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Proper noun

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California

  1. California (a state of the United States)

Danish

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Proper noun

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California (genitive Californias)

  1. Alternative form of Californien

Galician

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Proper noun

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California

  1. California (a state of the United States)
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Italian

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Italian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia it

Etymology

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Borrowed from English California.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ka.liˈfɔr.nja/
  • Rhymes: -ɔrnja
  • Hyphenation: Ca‧li‧fòr‧nia

Proper noun

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California f

  1. California (a state of the United States)

Latin

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Latin Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia la

Etymology

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New Latin, borrowed from Spanish California.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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California f sg (genitive Californiae); first declension

  1. (New Latin) California
    California regiō magna est.California is a big region.

Declension

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First-declension noun, singular only.

singular
nominative California
genitive Californiae
dative Californiae
accusative Californiam
ablative Californiā
vocative California

Derived terms

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Romanian

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Proper noun

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California f

  1. California (a state of the United States)
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Spanish

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Etymology

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First attested in Montalvo's Las sergas de Esplandián as the name of Calafia's monarchy. A name invented by the author to remind Spanish readers of the recent Reconquista, probably based on califa (caliph).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /kaliˈfoɾnja/ [ka.liˈfoɾ.nja]
  • Rhymes: -oɾnja
  • Syllabification: Ca‧li‧for‧nia

Proper noun

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California f

  1. California (a state of the United States)
  2. A town in the Usulután department, El Salvador

Derived terms

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References

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  • Putnam, Ruth (1917). Herbert Ingram Priestley (ed.). California: the name. Berkeley: University of California.