I've been learning a lot about my home state. For instance, the name doesn't necessarily mean "dark and bloody ground." It could be Shawnee for "at the head of the river." Or Wyandotte for "the land of tomorrow." Or Iroquois for "the meadow land"—kenta (level) and aki (place).
That one makes the most sense: it captures the open savannah for which the Bluegrass region is known.
But whatever the origin, Morgan says, "some words have a resonance, a color, and are memorable even before we know what they mean. We love to say them just to feel them in the air and on our tongue."
Amen, Mr. Morgan.