Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is Mental Floss on YouTube, and did you know that “Hyundai” means “modernity” in Korean? But the brand’s car names aren’t exclusively in Korean. For example, the “Tiburon” sports car is Spanish for “shark.” And who could forget about the Hyundai Pony? Anyway, that’s the first two of many car name meanings I’m going to share with you today. By the way, I’m going to tell you about car brand names and car model names, so you can sound like a real expert later. All right, let’s do this.
Volkswagen is German for “people’s car.” In the 1930s, it was actually commissioned by Ferdinand Porsche to build the first Volkswagen, which we know as the Beetle. Back then, it was called the Strength through Joy Car, but KdF was its German abbreviation. After World War II, the car started to be called its nickname: the Beetle. But it is formally known as the Volkswagen Type 1. While I’m talking about Volkswagen, by the way, in German “Passat” means “tradewind” and “Jetta” means “jet stream.”
Toyota was founded by a man named Sakichi Toyoda. A representative for the company explained that the change from “Toyoda” to “Toyota” had to do with “the number of strokes to write Toyota in Japanese, eight,” which is important because eight is a lucky number in Japanese culture. Speaking of Toyota, since the Toyota Crown launched in 1955, Toyota has been using similar names for other cars. Like the Corolla is named after the ancient crown, and Camry comes from the Japanese word for “little crown.” Unrelated, but “Prius” is Latin for “to go before,” which the company chose because the car was available before hybrids became popular. Side note: In 2011, Toyota invited the public to determine the plural of Prius, and voters landed on Prii.
Nissan came from another company: Nippon Sangyo, which translates to “Japan Industries.” The first sounds of those two words were combined to give us “Nissan.” And if you’ve ever wondered why Nissan’s luxury line, Infiniti, has an “I” on the end instead of a “Y,” the Infiniti website states that the name was chosen in 1987 because the four I’s were considered a “fresh spelling.”
Chevrolet is named after its founder, Louis Chevrolet. So let’s talk about something a little more interesting, the Camaro. In the 1960s, representatives at Chevrolet claimed that “Camaro” was a French word for “comrade,” but it’s not. We may never know where the name “Camaro” truly came from, but we do know that at a press conference, a reporter asked a company rep what the word meant, and the rep replied that a Camaro is a “small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.” Anyway, the Corvette is named after a kind of warship.
Mercedes-Benz is a combination of two things: the Benz Patent-Motorwagen and the Mercedes car. In 1886, Karl Benz invented the first automobile: The Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Then in the early 1900s, a company called DMG also invented a car, the Mercedes, named after the daughter of board member Emil Jellinek. In 1926, the two parties merged into one company, Daimler-Benz, which was originally named for DMG founder Gottlieb Daimler, but quickly switched to the much catchier Mercedes-Benz.
The word “Jeep” likely came from the initials: G.P., which can mean either governmental purpose or general purpose. By the forties, the word “jeep” had come to mean any car that the military used with four-wheel drive. The trademark for the actual brand name was acquired in the fifties. By the way, Jeep is owned by Chrysler, which was named after founder Walter P. Chrysler.
The Aston Martin company had two founders, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The “Aston” is actually a reference to a place, Aston Hill in Buckinghamshire, England, where Lionel Martin used to race cars. It was these races that inspired Lionel and Robert to start building cars of their own in 1914.
Another company named after a place is Pontiac. This name actually dates back to the late 1800s when the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works Company was doing great business in the city of Pontiac, Michigan. In the early 1900s, August Horch was squeezed out of his own car company, called Horch. He ended up starting his own new car company and this time, he called it “Audi.” The name Horch is similar to the German word for “listen,” so he picked a name meaning “listen” in Latin. Speaking of which, “Volvo” means “I roll” in Latin.
Saab Group is a Swedish company that develops aircraft. But in the 1940s, they decided they wanted to be in the car business, which is why we know the name best as a car brand. The name Saab actually originates from the Swedish words for “Swedish Aeroplane Company” (Svenska Aeroplan AB), which is abbreviated to S.A.A.B.
The constellation Pleiades is a cluster of stars that’s also part of the Taurus constellation. In Japanese, the word for Pleiades is “Subaru.” The Subaru logo of six stars is also an allusion to that constellation. There are a few car names that are actually acronyms. The Italian company Alfa Romeo came from an acronym for the Italian words for Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company. Add its founder, Nicola Romeo, and we have the Alfa Romeo. Fiat now owns that company, which is also an Italian acronym meaning Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.
And finally, I return to my salon to tell you that the Cadillac is named after Detroit founder and former Louisiana governor, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. The famous Cadillac logo is based on his family’s coat of arms. Thanks for watching Mental Floss here on YouTube, which is made with the help of all of these nice people. Every week, we endeavor to answer one of your mind-blowing questions.
This week’s question comes from Richard Luciano, who asks, “What is the original method and date of making popcorn anyway?” Well, Richard, popcorn goes back so far in time that it’s hard to tell. We know that popcorn was being eaten in ancient Peru, maybe even as early as 4700 BCE. They probably just roasted corn cobs over fire. If you have a mind-blowing question, please leave it in the comments, and we’ll endeavor to answer as many as we can. Thank you again for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome.
Research the origins of different car names mentioned in the article. Create a colorful poster that includes the car name, its meaning, and an illustration or symbol that represents the name. Share your poster with the class and explain the significance of each car name.
Design a matching game where you pair car names with their meanings. Create cards with car names on one set and their meanings on another. Challenge your classmates to match them correctly. This will help reinforce your memory of the car name origins.
Choose a car brand from the article and create a short story or skit about its origin. Include historical context and interesting facts. Perform your story for the class, highlighting how the brand name reflects its history and identity.
Pick a car name from the article and research its etymology further. Write a brief report on how the name has evolved over time and its cultural significance. Present your findings to the class, emphasizing any surprising discoveries.
Imagine you are starting your own car company. Create a unique name for your brand and explain its meaning. Design a logo and a flagship car model. Present your brand to the class, explaining the inspiration behind your choices.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any inappropriate or sensitive content while maintaining the informative nature of the original:
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Hi, I’m John Green. Welcome to my salon. This is Mental Floss on YouTube, and did you know that “Hyundai” means “modernity” in Korean? But the brand’s car names aren’t exclusively in Korean. For example, the “Tiburon” sports car is Spanish for “shark.” And who could forget about the Hyundai Pony? Anyway, that’s the first two of many car name meanings I’m going to share with you today. By the way, I’m going to tell you about car brand names and car model names, so you can sound like a real expert later. All right, let’s do this.
Volkswagen is German for “people’s car.” In the 1930s, it was actually commissioned by Ferdinand Porsche to build the first Volkswagen, which we know as the Beetle. Back then, it was called the Strength through Joy Car, but KdF was its German abbreviation. After World War II, the car started to be called its nickname: the Beetle. But it is formally known as the Volkswagen Type 1. While I’m talking about Volkswagen, by the way, in German “Passat” means “tradewind” and “Jetta” means “jet stream.”
Toyota was founded by a man named Sakichi Toyoda. A representative for the company explained that the change from “Toyoda” to “Toyota” had to do with “the number of strokes to write Toyota in Japanese, eight,” which is important because eight is a lucky number in Japanese culture. Speaking of Toyota, since the Toyota Crown launched in 1955, Toyota has been using similar names for other cars. Like the Corolla is named after the ancient crown, and Camry comes from the Japanese word for “little crown.” Unrelated, but “Prius” is Latin for “to go before,” which the company chose because the car was available before hybrids became popular. Side note: In 2011, Toyota invited the public to determine the plural of Prius, and voters landed on Prii.
Nissan came from another company: Nippon Sangyo, which translates to “Japan Industries.” The first sounds of those two words were combined to give us “Nissan.” And if you’ve ever wondered why Nissan’s luxury line, Infiniti, has an “I” on the end instead of a “Y,” the Infiniti website states that the name was chosen in 1987 because the four I’s were considered a “fresh spelling.”
Chevrolet is named after its founder, Louis Chevrolet. So let’s talk about something a little more interesting, the Camaro. In the 1960s, representatives at Chevrolet claimed that “Camaro” was a French word for “comrade,” but it’s not. We may never know where the name “Camaro” truly came from, but we do know that at a press conference, a reporter asked a company rep what the word meant, and the rep replied that a Camaro is a “small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs.” Anyway, the Corvette is named after a kind of warship.
Mercedes-Benz is a combination of two things: the Benz Patent-Motorwagen and the Mercedes car. In 1886, Karl Benz invented the first automobile: The Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Then in the early 1900s, a company called DMG also invented a car, the Mercedes, named after the daughter of board member Emil Jellinek. In 1926, the two parties merged into one company, Daimler-Benz, which was originally named for DMG founder Gottlieb Daimler, but quickly switched to the much catchier Mercedes-Benz.
The word “Jeep” likely came from the initials: G.P., which can mean either governmental purpose or general purpose. By the forties, the word “jeep” had come to mean any car that the military used with four-wheel drive. The trademark for the actual brand name was acquired in the fifties. By the way, Jeep is owned by Chrysler, which was named after founder Walter P. Chrysler.
The Aston Martin company had two founders, Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. The “Aston” is actually a reference to a place, Aston Hill in Buckinghamshire, England, where Lionel Martin used to race cars. It was these races that inspired Lionel and Robert to start building cars of their own in 1914.
Another company named after a place is Pontiac. This name actually dates back to the late 1800s when the Pontiac Spring and Wagon Works Company was doing great business in the city of Pontiac, Michigan. In the early 1900s, August Horch was squeezed out of his own car company, called Horch. He ended up starting his own new car company and this time, he called it “Audi.” The name Horch is similar to the German word for “listen,” so he picked a name meaning “listen” in Latin. Speaking of which, “Volvo” means “I roll” in Latin.
Saab Group is a Swedish company that develops aircraft. But in the 1940s, they decided they wanted to be in the car business, which is why we know the name best as a car brand. The name Saab actually originates from the Swedish words for “Swedish Aeroplane Company” (Svenska Aeroplan AB), which is abbreviated to S.A.A.B.
The constellation Pleiades is a cluster of stars that’s also part of the Taurus constellation. In Japanese, the word for Pleiades is “Subaru.” The Subaru logo of six stars is also an allusion to that constellation. There are a few car names that are actually acronyms. The Italian company Alfa Romeo came from an acronym for the Italian words for Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company. Add its founder, Nicola Romeo, and we have the Alfa Romeo. Fiat now owns that company, which is also an Italian acronym meaning Italian Automobile Factory of Turin.
And finally, I return to my salon to tell you that the Cadillac is named after Detroit founder and former Louisiana governor, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac. The famous Cadillac logo is based on his family’s coat of arms. Thanks for watching Mental Floss here on YouTube, which is made with the help of all of these nice people. Every week, we endeavor to answer one of your mind-blowing questions.
This week’s question comes from Richard Luciano, who asks, “What is the original method and date of making popcorn anyway?” Well, Richard, popcorn goes back so far in time that it’s hard to tell. We know that popcorn was being eaten in ancient Peru, maybe even as early as 4700 BCE. They probably just roasted corn cobs over fire. If you have a mind-blowing question, please leave it in the comments, and we’ll endeavor to answer as many as we can. Thank you again for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, and as we say in my hometown, don’t forget to be awesome.
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This version maintains the educational content while ensuring it is appropriate for all audiences.
Car – A road vehicle, typically with four wheels, powered by an internal combustion engine or electric motor, used for transporting passengers. – The invention of the car revolutionized transportation and changed the way people live and work.
Name – A word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. – In history class, we learned about the significance of names in different cultures and how they can reflect a person’s heritage.
Meaning – What is meant by a word, text, concept, or action. – Understanding the meaning of historical documents is crucial for interpreting past events accurately.
Japanese – Relating to Japan or its language, culture, or people. – The Japanese culture is rich with traditions, including tea ceremonies and calligraphy.
Latin – The language of ancient Rome and its empire, widely used historically as a language of scholarship and administration. – Many English words have Latin roots, which we explored in our language arts class.
German – Relating to Germany, its people, or their language. – German history includes significant events such as the unification of the country in the 19th century.
Culture – The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. – Studying different cultures helps us appreciate the diversity of human experiences and perspectives.
Company – A commercial business. – The history of the company dates back to the early 20th century when it was founded as a small family business.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – In social studies, we examine history to understand how past events shape our present and future.
Brand – A type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name. – The brand became famous for its innovative designs and high-quality products.
