etymology - Why are Kansas and Arkansas pronounced differently?



Arkansas is typically pronounced like so:



“ahr-kuhn-saw”   IPA: [ˈɑɹkənˌsɔː]



However, Kansas is typically pronounced like this:



“kan-zuhs”             IPA: [ˈkænzɨs]



Why are these two words that are so similar in spelling pronounced so differently?


Both are apparently linked to “Native American” origins. So what’s the difference in the original usages?




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