Vermont
/vərˈmɒnt/noun
A northeastern U.S. state known for its Green Mountains.
Did you know?Although Samuel de Champlain described the region’s green mountains in French, the exact modern form “Vermont” became prominent later in colonial usage and was adopted as the state’s name in 1777.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
viridis
“Green, fresh, or flourishing; the source of the French color word.”
Medieval French
Old French
vert
“Green; descended from Latin viridis.”
Medieval French
Old French
mont
“Mountain or hill; descended from Latin mons.”
1609
French
monts verts
““Green mountains,” the phrase Champlain used when describing the mountain range.”
18th Century
French/English
Vermont
“A compact form interpreted as French vert plus mont, used for the region and later the proposed state.”
1777
English
Vermont
“The name adopted by the independent Vermont Republic, later retained when Vermont became a U.S. state in 1791.”