Etymology
The word Monongalia is a Latinized version of the Native American word Monongahela, which means "falling banks", in reference to the geological instability of the river's banks. Moravian missionary David Zeisberger (1721–1808) gave this account of the naming: "In the Indian tongue the name of this river was Mechmenawungihilla (alternatively spelled Menawngihella), which signifies a high bank, which is ever washed out and therefore collapses."
The Lenape Language Project renders the word as Mënaonkihëla (pronounced ), translated "where banks cave in or erode", from the verbs mënaonkihële "the dirt caves off" (such as the bank of a river or creek, or in a landslide) and mënaonke (pronounced ), "it has a loose bank" (where one might fall in).
Monongalia County and the town of Monongah in West Virginia, and Monongahela in Pennsylvania are named after the river.
Read more about this topic: Monongahela River
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