s4burf t1_iuiks00 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:33 PM

The “mander” part of the name is from salamander as the resulting shape of districts can look more like a salamander than some rectangular, logical district layout.

DavidRFZ t1_iuinr9w wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:53 PM

And Elbridge Gerry who the technique is named after pronounced his name with a hard G.

Lachtaube t1_iuinzdn wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:54 PM

It more specifically comes from a direct redrawn district example that looked like a salamander in the early 1800s, as approved by then Massachusetts governor Eldridge Gerry.