The word Guadalajara is from the Arabic  Wad-al-hidjara, meaning "River Running Between 
Rocks"


Here is a good tongue twister about the town in Michoacan with the long name:

El otorrinolaringologo de Parangaricutirimicuaro se quiere 
desotorrinolaringologoparangaricutirimicuarizar porque si no se 
desotorrinolaringologoparangaricutirimicuarizara lo van a 
desotorrinolaringologoparangaricutirimicuarizar.

"The eye-ear-nose-throat doctor in Parangaricutirimicuaro wishes to stop practicing in 
Parangaricutirimicuaro because if he doesn't stop practicing in Parangaricutirimicuaro they 
will make him stop practicing in Parangaricutirimicuaro

--- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, "Steve G. Apodaca" <sgapodaca@y...> wrote:
>
> Indeed, the only correct way to pronounce Guadalajara is as it is 
> read (in Spanish).
> 
> However, in Jalisco, many, especially young people, refer to 
> Guadalajara as Guanatos. This word sounds horrible, and is totally 
> incorrect. Still, I lived in Jalisco for 15 years and I 
> heard "Guanatos" a lot.
> 
> I use it every now and then. I don't know the origin of it, but I 
> suppose people say it just to abbreviate because "Guadalajara" is a 
> long word.
> 
> Saludos.
> 
> Steve
> 
> PS. By the way, talking about long words, last september, on my 
> honeymoon in Michoacan, my wife and I visited a place called San 
> Juan Parangaricutirimicuaro. (No kidding).
> 
> 
> --- In ranchos@yahoogroups.com, Joseph Puentes <makas@n...> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > has anyone heard of alternate pronunciations of Guadalajara.
> > 
> > I heard someone say something like: Guaclacacara
> > 
> > joseph
> >
>