Today we look at Manhattan. Indeed, if Queens turned out to be a Megrelian word, what are the odds for the rest of New York?
The name is intricate, having undergone many variations throughout history — making it nearly impossible to settle definitely on anything resembling the truth. And yet, the truth turned out to be remarkably simple...
None of the later variants of the name make much sense once we consider the earliest and very clear version — "Manatus", found on the 1639 map Manatvs gelegen op de Noot [sic] Riuier, housed in the U.S. Library of Congress.
It is precisely this word — manatu (მანათუ) — that appears in the Megrelian dictionary of Kobalia, meaning მნათობი, მანათობელი — that is, “radiant, shining.” Most likely, this refers to the lights of the large Native settlement of Lenapehoking.
Guys, please, get the original name back.