Quebec City

The name Quebec is derived from the Algonquin word Kébec, which translates to 'where the river narrows.' This refers to the specific point on the St. Lawrence River where the waterway is squeezed between the high cliffs of Cape Diamond and the shores of Lévis. This strategic narrowing made the site an ideal location for a fortified settlement, allowing for control over all traffic moving further inland toward the Great Lakes. Before the arrival of the French, the site was home to the St. Lawrence Iroquoian village of Stadacona, a significant settlement that Jacques Cartier visited in 1535.

In 1608, Samuel de Champlain founded the permanent French settlement of Quebec at the base of Cape Diamond. Champlain chose to retain the indigenous name Kébec, which eventually evolved into the modern spelling Québec. As the capital of New France and later the Province of Quebec, the city became the 'cradle of French civilization in North America.' The demonym Québécois (French) or Quebecer (English) carries a deep sense of cultural and linguistic identity, often referring not just to residents of the city but to the French-speaking people of the entire province.

Quebec City's etymology is a testament to its enduring role as a sentinel of the St. Lawrence. The transition from the Iroquoian Stadacona to the Algonquin Kébec and finally to the French Québec reflects the complex layers of indigenous and colonial history that define the city. Today, as a UNESCO World Heritage site and the only fortified city north of Mexico, Quebec City remains a living monument to its origins at the 'narrowing of the waters.'