a city in texas known for its yellow soil and wildflowers
The settlement originally was called Oneida; it later changed its name to Amarillo, which probably derives from yellow wildflowers that were plentiful during the spring and summer or the nearby Amarillo Lake and Amarillo Creek, named in turn for the yellow soil along their banks and shores (Amarillo is the Spanish word for the color yellow). Early residents originally pronounced the city's name more similar to the Spanish pronunciation / ˌɑːməˈriːjoʊ / ah-mə-REE-yoh, which later gave way to the current pronunciation.