HIALEAH, A FORMER SWAMP

An Ohio's Relative from Florida

Why should we examine the name of the Florida city Hialeah from a Kartvelian perspective?

First, because it sits right next to the flawless Megrelian toponym Miami, which we’ve discussed long ago.

Second, because Hialeah has no known etymology of its own.

And third—because the word breaks down perfectly into Megrelian roots: “haia” and “lia.”

The first refers to the plant ისლურა (woodrush or Luzula), which grows in wetlands, among other habitats. We’ve already encountered this root in another American Megrelian construction—Ohio.

And the second root, “lia,” means swamp.

So, Hialeah? Quite literally: the woodrush swamp.