Little Education about "the kill"

Py was already wondering since the "Tour of the Battenkill" what is up with all the names and rivers ending on "-kill". First 'dumb' thought even not sure, it must be some what related to "creek" as many rivers (like the Battenkill) were named ending on kill and also the area "Catskills".

Even many just joke around with tough (killer??) bike races in the area with names ending on -kill...

Here is the truth about "the Catskills", originated in Dutch "Kaatskil", just meaning ("cat creek" in Dutch) and the namer (early Dutch explorers) are settled matters, exactly how and why the area is named is a mystery. Mountain Lions or "Catamounts" were known to have been in the area when the Dutch arrived in the 1600s.

The most common, and easiest, is that bobcats were seen near Catskill creek and the present-day village of Catskill, and the name followed from there. However there is no record of bobcats ever having been seen in significant numbers on the banks of the Hudson, and the name Catskill does not appear on paper until 1655, more than four decades later.

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catskill_Mountains

The proper translation for Catskills Mountains would thus be "Catscreek Mountains" -- no kill, nothing scary. Not so wrong his 1st guess at all!