Lake Michigan is Tautological: What That Means (And Why It’s Not an Insult!)

If someone told you that Lake Michigan was tautological, you may think those are fighting words and want to defend the lake's honor. But, fear not, calling something tautological is not a dig.

Here's what it means that Lake Michigan is tautological.

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The term tautological refers to place names (itself a fancy word: toponymy) that have the same meaning. What does that mean?

The discussion about tautology came up on the Today I Learned subreddit of Reddit.

Understanding Tautology: When Names Repeat Themselves

Say the word Mississippi means "big river" - which it does. The term is a French take on the Algonquin word Misi-ziibi or great river. So saying Mississippi River is like saying Big River River or Great River River.

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Non-geographically, this is exactly like saying ATM machine for automated teller machine machine or PIN number for personal identification number number.

The same thing can be applied to Lake Michigan. Michigan is a term from the Ojibwe First Nation: Mishigami. It means large lake.

So when you say "Lake Michigan," you're really saying "Lake Large Lake."

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The big lake isn't the only tautological thing in Michigan. Consider the Detroit River. It's actually a strait as it connects Lake Erie to Lake St Clair.

The French word for strait? It's detroit.

So if you say the "Detroit Strait," you're really saying the "Strait Strait."