I'm always interested in the more obscure pieces of history than the actual major stuff, so I thought I'd open up this thread so that yis can let me know how your country came to be called what it is today.
This is the history forum, so give us a bit of history, not just a couple of lines.;)

Use google to refine your knowledge, it makes for more interesting reading.:)

Canada derives from the Ojibway "Que nada" meaning "nothing here"

Okay, that was a joke. The real truth is that it comes from a First Nations word (I believe it is Huron, but I'm probably wrong) meaning "place of many huts"

The government's official story (as we see in our regular CBC propoganda during commercials) is that early British settlers met up with some First Peoples who beckoned them to their village saying something close to "Kah na da". The settlers mistook the word thinking it was what they called their nation.

I'm really intersted to know, could someone form the United States of America please explain the origin of your coutnry's name? I'm really interested to know. ;)

Originally posted by sysyphus
I'm really intersted to know, could someone form the United States of America please explain the origin of your coutnry's name? I'm really interested to know. ;)
aahh, we were states, in america, who united together---no big story or origin

Believe Britan is dervied from Latin, meaning "painted people". More traditional non-Latin name for it is "Albion", I think.

Wales? Scotland? Not my country :).

I thought Britain was named after a traditional high-king, Brutus of the House of Troy.

Australia is shortened of the Latin 'Terra Australis Incognita' (or something like that) meaning Great Southern Land.

Originally posted by sysyphus
I'm really intersted to know, could someone form the United States of America please explain the origin of your country's name? I'm really interested to know. ;)

Well, this Italian named Amerigo Vespucci discovered some big island and it was named after him, thus the term "America" (in English).

The term "united" is defined as such:

1. Combined into a single entity.
2. Concerned with, produced by, or resulting from mutual action.
3. Being in harmony; agreed.

[Middle English uniten, from Latin nre, nt-, from nus, one. See oi-no- in Indo-European Roots.]

Thus was the case for the 13 "American" colonies of England.

The term "state" is defined as such:

One of the more or less internally autonomous territorial and political units composing a federation under a sovereign government: the 48 contiguous states of the Union.

[Middle English, from Old French estat, from Latin status. See st- in Indo-European Roots.]

This term became synonymous with colony, and the "United States of America" was founded under the aformentioned name (I should mention that it was in "America" that these "United States" were founded, but that's fairly obvious...har har har).

So there you have it, my good man. Tell it to everyone you know, and the legend of the "USA" will grow as time passes...


:D

I once put together a quiz on this subject here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?threadid=40422), at least for some European countries.

For China, named after the Qin dynasty (the old spelling was Ch'in).

For Singapore, came fr the Hindu Malay name, Singapura, meaning lion (singa) city (pura). Old name for S'pore is Temasek.

For Malaysia, named after the native Malays. Not sure what the 'sia' means though...

Scotland is quite simple. It is a mixture of a Latin word and an English one. We don't know who the original Scotii were, but by the Middle Ages it was the Latin word for "Gael". The Kingdom of Alba's culture was Gaelic, so the name Scot survived in the Latin and English word for the country, long after the Gaels became sidelined. A bit like France, Burgundy and Lombardy,. ;) The parallel with France is particularly strong because neither the French speaking kings of France nor the Middle English speaking kings of Scotland wished to emphasize a break in the with the ethnic groups that establihed their respective kingdoms, even when one did in fact exist.

I found this by searching through google.

The Constitution states the name of the country is Éire, or in the English language, Ireland. Normally practice the name Éire is restricted to texts Ireland is used in all English-language texts, and of course equivalent translations are used in other languages.

The Republic of Ireland Act of 1948 provides a description of the State as: "the Republic of Ireland", but general usage of the state as Ireland is prevalent in the English language.

The root of the name Éire is uncertain but it is thought to be a name of considerable antiquity. It first appears as Ierne in Greek writings which may have a base dating as early as the 5th century BC. The name appears as Iouernia in Ptolemy's map (c AD 150) and has also been found translated into Latin as Iuverna.

The Latin form, Hibernia, appears in the works of Caesar, who may have confused it with the Latin word hibernus (wintry). Ériu was an Old Irish form of Éire, and was seen in the earliest of Irish literature.

Ireland is derived from the Irish word Éire adding the Germanic word Land.

Denmark derives from the Danes (Latin: Dani) A Gothic-Germanic tribe from Skania (Eastern Scandza, now called Skaane)

They became the strongest tribe in all of Scania when they drove the Heruli from Zealand (Western Scandza)

Eventually they conquered(?) the Jutes and Harders (or Harudes), Germanic tribes in Jutland – back then called the “Cimbric Peninsula”. Today the dialects of Jutes and Zealanders still differ.

The modern name for Scandinavia comes from the Latinised version of Scandza – “Scandia”.

:king:
Cimbri

I'm not 100% sure of mine, but New Zealand...Zeeland. I think Zeeland is somewhere in Holland? I need to read more about it. Hehe.

Originally posted by sysyphus
Canada derives from the Ojibway "Que nada" meaning "nothing here"

Okay, that was a joke. The real truth is that it comes from a First Nations word (I believe it is Huron, but I'm probably wrong) meaning "place of many huts"

The government's official story (as we see in our regular CBC propoganda during commercials) is that early British settlers met up with some First Peoples who beckoned them to their village saying something close to "Kah na da". The settlers mistook the word thinking it was what they called their nation.

Actually I did read on more than one ocasion that "Cá Nada" was what was written in some portuguese maps of the early XVI century, meaning that in that land there was nothing interesting for trading. The french thought that was the name the portuguese (who were the first europeans to explore those lands) gave to that land and so they called it Canada.

As for Portugal it comes from Portucale, which was the ancient name of the city of Porto (or Oporto). The first part because it was a harbour (portus), the second word I don't know what it means. Anyway, in the Middle Ages the word refered to the surrounding region and the king of Leon offered it as wedding gift to a burgundian noble that helped him against the Moors in the south and married her daughter. His son rebelled against the king and after a war was recognised as king of Portucale. He pushed the Moors to south and his successors continued to do so. The people that were coming to south to colonize and administrate the new aquired lands never stoped refering themselves as people of Portucale, so the obvious name for the country, Lusitania, was never to be. Because the majority of the new élites actually came from the northern most part of the country, which wasn't part of the roman province of Lusitania, and the capital of the old province (Mérida) was never part of the new country. Despite in many literary sources, especially in latin, the name Lusitania was allways much present.

Spain (España) comes from the latin word 'Hispania' than means 'lands of rabitts' :)

Originally posted by yaroslav
Spain (España) comes from the latin word 'Hispania' than means 'lands of rabitts' :)

Yeah, that's one of the possibilities, but it's not the word Hispania that means that, but the phoenician word from where it originates.

Well, in fact there was many phoenican names for Hispania, we have shepham (->Hispania) and there was another that means 'land of snakes' and so on ;)

calagcus, weren't the scoti in ireland and the picts in scotland ( i figure you would know ) and if so how did scotland get the name scots if the scoti were from ireland?:confused:

Roman writers referred to the Scotii as attackers of Hadrian's Wall.

Later it comes to mean "Gael". Scotland was called Scotland and Scotia because the it was the "Land of the Gaels".

The Scoti migrated from Ireland to Scotland, and were subject to the native Picts before they eventually gained independence. IIRC todays Scots are decended from both the Picts and the Scoti of the Iron Age.

Originally posted by sysyphus
Canada derives from the Ojibway "Que nada" meaning "nothing here"

Okay, that was a joke. The real truth is that it comes from a First Nations word (I believe it is Huron, but I'm probably wrong) meaning "place of many huts"

The government's official story (as we see in our regular CBC propoganda during commercials) is that early British settlers met up with some First Peoples who beckoned them to their village saying something close to "Kah na da". The settlers mistook the word thinking it was what they called their nation.

Actually the little known truth is that Canada is named after our favorite beer. This beer, "Molson Canadian," is usually refered to simply as "Canadian." The original settlers got the recipe from the woodlands Cree and liked the beer so much they named the country after it. :lol:

But seriously, we have a professional football team named after a beer. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are named after "Labbatt Blue" which is one of Canada's most popular beers.

(I suppose this belongs in sports talk then, not world history :) )

Finland:

The ancient Romans had not only a great military force but also a great trading system that reached all the way up to modernday Estonia, and perhaps even Finland. Of course, the Finnish language didn't really even exist and it is most likely that Estonians, Finns and Karelians were still the same people speaking the same language, but either way the name "Fennia" which the Romans used of the northern people who trated furs to them is believed to be the name from which Finland eventually developed. (EDIT: by the way, I remember hearing that the word "Fennia" would have ment something like "northern man" but I don't remember where I've heard that and I've never found any assurance for that vague piece of info...)

The name Fennia seemed to stick for a long time. In the 13th century, a German historian spoke about Fennis who fought under the Swedish army and who were extremely skillful in snowy terrain with their ability to ski very fast - that ability has been the ace card of Finnish soldiers throughout history all the way to the modern days.

So it seems quite possible that a "Fenn" turned into a "Finn" during the late middle ages.

There is one thing I fail to understand, though; all other nations know us as "Finland" or "Finnland", but in Finnish language our name is "Suomi". I have no idea where that name originates from and neither does google apparently, and if anyone has any idea I'd sure appreciate the help...

Originally posted by thedirk

But seriously, we have a professional football team named after a beer. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are named after "Labbatt Blue" which is one of Canada's most popular beers.


The Toronto Blue Jays (a baseball team) were named for much the same reason, though the name was selected from submissions by fans. Labatt's, who owned the team, hoped that eventually people would just refer to them as the Blues. Too bad for them that they are generally refered to as the Jays instead. :D Not that it matters anymore cause they no longer own the team.

Originally posted by sysyphus
I'm really intersted to know, could someone form the United States of America please explain the origin of your coutnry's name? I'm really interested to know. ;)
what most countries call provinces are called States in the USA. after we won our Independance from Britain, some people wanted the original 13 colonies to be their own countries. they were called Anti-Federalists. The people who wanted one, unified America were called Federalists. however, they comprimised. but the Federalists got the upper hand of the comprimise. the states got their own militaries (even today each state has a National Gaurd, which act as state militias) but were part of the same nation.

Originally posted by NewWaver
I'm not 100% sure of mine, but New Zealand...Zeeland. I think Zeeland is somewhere in Holland? I need to read more about it. Hehe.
Zealand is the largest of the Danish islands and the home of our capitol; Copenhagen.
Zealand or ’Sjælland’ (in Danish) means ‘Soul-land’.

New Zealand is named after Zealand due to the large number of Danish immigrants.

There you go… ;)

Originally posted by thedirk
The Scoti migrated from Ireland to Scotland, and were subject to the native Picts before they eventually gained independence. IIRC todays Scots are decended from both the Picts and the Scoti of the Iron Age.

The Scots (Irish) migrated from Ireland and conquered the picts through war and finally by marring into the pictish royal court.
They were never subject to the picts, but they did gain recognition and independance from Ireland.

(Then the cheeky b*stards tried to invade Ireland and run the lot from scotland.);)

Originally posted by Finmaster
Finland:

The ancient Romans had not only a great military force but also a great trading system that reached all the way up to modernday Estonia, and perhaps even Finland. Of course, the Finnish language didn't really even exist and it is most likely that Estonians, Finns and Karelians were still the same people speaking the same language, but either way the name "Fennia" which the Romans used of the northern people who trated furs to them is believed to be the name from which Finland eventually developed. (EDIT: by the way, I remember hearing that the word "Fennia" would have ment something like "northern man" but I don't remember where I've heard that and I've never found any assurance for that vague piece of info...)

The name Fennia seemed to stick for a long time. In the 13th century, a German historian spoke about Fennis who fought under the Swedish army and who were extremely skillful in snowy terrain with their ability to ski very fast - that ability has been the ace card of Finnish soldiers throughout history all the way to the modern days.

So it seems quite possible that a "Fenn" turned into a "Finn" during the late middle ages.

There is one thing I fail to understand, though; all other nations know us as "Finland" or "Finnland", but in Finnish language our name is "Suomi". I have no idea where that name originates from and neither does google apparently, and if anyone has any idea I'd sure appreciate the help...

The early Finnic tribes migrated north-westward from their ancestral home in the Volga River basin during the second millennium B.C., arriving on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea some time during the next millennium.

Around 3.000 B.C. the Finnic tribes migrated into modern Finland and settled along the northern coast of the Gulf of Finland. Gradually they expanded along the coast and further inland, and eventually merged with one another, absorbing the indigenous population
Among the Finnic tribes were the Suomalaiset (Suomi is derived from these guys), the Tavastians, the Karelians and the Estonians who were a Finno-Ugric people.
North of the Finnic tribes were the Lapps or Sami (also a Finno-Ugric people) but these guys resisted assimilation with the Finns.

On a site note: The Magyars (ancestors of the Hungarians) were a Finno-Ugric people.

There you go :)

Cymru:

From the word Cymry which referred to the people of the land, seperate from the rest of the inhabitants of Britain. The word Cymro referring to a man of these lands. The word Cymru was used to represent the country. All similar words really, with their origins at the same time in history. Born out of the need to differentiate between the people of this country and the foreigners who began to fill the rest of Britain.

Brazil origin is quite simple, it is derived from the Brazil-Tree, wich was very precious at early 16th Century becuase it was used in dying clothes and other fabrics.


Originally posted by MCdread


As for Portugal it comes from Portucale, which was the ancient name of the city of Porto (or Oporto). The first part because it was a harbour (portus), the second word I don't know what it means.

I think Portugal come from Portucal, meaning "white harbor"

Porto-harbor
Cal-whitewash

Originally posted by MCdread

Actually I did read on more than one ocasion that "Cá Nada" was what was written in some portuguese maps of the early XVI century, meaning that in that land there was nothing interesting for trading. The french thought that was the name the portuguese (who were the first europeans to explore those lands) gave to that land and so they called it Canada.


Someone else told me that story once, but how much truth there is to that I don't know.

As far as I know, the Vikings were the first Europeans to venture on this land, I've never heard anything of the French being preced by the Portuguese.

Zealand is the largest of the Danish islands and the home of our capitol; Copenhagen.
Zealand or ’Sjælland’ (in Danish) means ‘Soul-land’.

New Zealand is named after Zealand due to the large number of Danish immigrants.

So close, but missed it, the first part is correct. But it is actually called that because that is the name Abel Tasman gave it in 16-something when he discovered NZ. His map depicts it as a peninsula off The Great Southern Contenent.
New Zealand is also known as Aoteroa which could mean any of a number of things. However, the most popular story goes that a Maori canoe was travelling South from Hawaiiki which was becoming overpopulated. The captain Te Puke's (?) wife was sitting out front and suddenly shouted out, "Aoteroa" or Long white cloud. As sea people know (apparently), a white cloud indicates land.

Well I dont live in Italy, and my familly (despite being firm in its heritage, all the countries that it includes, a crazilly high number to be sure) is fairlly far removed from that stage in its long (and glorious ;)) past, no one else looks like they are about to post it, so here goes-

The name "Italy", is not actually from a native Italliot language, but rather is greek, for calf, or bull calf, noting the firstg form of currency used in the peninsula, before wide spread trade made ingots of most metals, and coins of gold,silver,and electrum the standard of trade

interstinglly enough, the Latin word the land of the Hellenes is what notifies them to most of the world today, that name is Greece (the Greeks call thire country 'Ellas, or more historiclly Hellas, and the people Hellenes, after that most famous woman, with the face that launched a thousand ships, Helen)

Oooo....I LOVE discovering where modern names come from. :)
Here is my offering:-

The large island off the coast of north west Europe was originally called in ancient times "Albion" by the early Greeks and Romans (from the Latin word albus, which means white, and probably refers to the White Clifts of Dover). The island soon became known as "Briton" after the Celtic tribes that lived there.
Once the Romans had conquered the place, they named it the "Roman Province of Britannia".
Later in 410AD, after the Romans left, Germanic tribes called the Angles and Saxons from Denmark invaded and took over. The major tribe was the Angles, who gave the country it's more common name of "Angleland" or "England".
Sidenote to English readers.....where did they land?
Why, on the east coast, in East Anglia.
And they were formed from two major tribes....the nothern people or folk, and the southern people.....i.e Norfolk and Suffolk
(I LOVE this sort of stuff :D )

Here is some information I have about other nearby nations:-
Holland, The Netherlands, the Low Countries, and the Dutch.
Four names for the same people and region.
Well, apparently the people were named "Dutch" by 14th century English sailors....because their language sounded German or Deutschlander.

Now this one you just won't believe:-
In the Dark Ages, Viking sailing ships had two ways of getting to Iceland.....either west through the English Channel and turn right at Ireland, OR, go straight up through the North Sea, thereby taking the "Northern Way"....or NORWAY!

(See....I told you that you wouldn't believe it! :lol: )

anyone know where poland got its name?

Originally posted by Furius


So close, but missed it, the first part is correct. But it is actually called that because that is the name Abel Tasman gave it in 16-something when he discovered NZ. His map depicts it as a peninsula off The Great Southern Contenent.
New Zealand is also known as Aoteroa which could mean any of a number of things. However, the most popular story goes that a Maori canoe was travelling South from Hawaiiki which was becoming overpopulated. The captain Te Puke's (?) wife was sitting out front and suddenly shouted out, "Aoteroa" or Long white cloud. As sea people know (apparently), a white cloud indicates land.
I stand corrected, good Sir, I didn't know that :)

For my fault, I shall now insert a brain-eating Earwig into my left ear :cool:

Originally posted by Xen
The name "Italy", is not actually from a native Italliot language, but rather is greek, for calf, or bull calf, noting the firstg form of currency used in the peninsula, before wide spread trade made ingots of most metals, and coins of gold,silver,and electrum the standard of trade
In the Oscan language, Italy (Italia) is called ‘Víteliu’ it derives from ‘Vitell’ meaning a little bull.

Originally posted by PolishAssassin
anyone know where poland got its name?
one of the chief slavic tribes was the polanie and in 966 they became christians and married into the bohemian royal house, i think the germans began to call all the slavic tribes in poland, poles

How did Czechoslovakia get its name and why was it called Bohemia for so long?

Originally posted by Cimbri

In the Oscan language, Italy (Italia) is called ‘Víteliu’ it derives from ‘Vitell’ meaning a little bull.

Oscan is a gallic derivitive- it migrated to greece via Epirus

Originally posted by luiz
Brazil origin is quite simple, it is derived from the Brazil-Tree, wich was very precious at early 16th Century becuase it was used in dying clothes and other fabrics.

Just to add that the tree was called Brasil (pau brasil) because it its timber was red like fire. It had the colour of a brasa (don't know the exact word in english, consider it fire).


I think Portugal come from Portucal, meaning "white harbor"

Porto-harbor
Cal-whitewash

No. The first part is right, but the second word is callis, latin for narrow way/passage/street. In some places, calha is still a narrow street. Porto is in a granitic hill on top of the river and it should be hard to climb from the harbour to the top. As I said earlier, the name from the city was later adopted by the entire country, and the city just kept the harbour (porto) part.

Originally posted by sysyphus
Someone else told me that story once, but how much truth there is to that I don't know.

Yep, I think that was me some months ago. :lol:


As far as I know, the Vikings were the first Europeans to venture on this land, I've never heard anything of the French being preced by the Portuguese.

Of course the Vikings werte the first , but I was referring to the modern era, and yes, the portuguese were the first, in the late XV century and eraly XVI, with the Côrte Real brothers and António Lavrador, who named Newfoundland (Terra Nova) and Labrador (precisely after A. Lavrador). In fact, for many decades, Canada was known in Portugal as Terra de Côrte Real (Côrte Real Land).

"How did Czechoslovakia get its name and why was it called Bohemia for so long?"

Czechoslovakia was a combination of the two countries which were part of Czechoslovakia - the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was called Bohemia after an ancient Teutonic tribe which inhabited the area, the Bohemii. IIRC, The name stuck and only changed when the Czechs and Slovaks got independence following World War I from Austria-Hungary.

Originally posted by Xen


Oscan is a gallic derivitive- it migrated to greece via Epirus Aren’t thinking about the Iapyges and Messapic tribes?
They both spoke a language derived from Illyrian.

:eek: :mischief:

whoops made a mistake, thought Illyia was a gallic based nation/ culture (due to how the Roman province was arranged) but here is what I have found out-



ILLYRIA EPIDAMNOU
Strictly speaking the Illyrioi were a small tribe just south of Skodra. However, the term was used to cover related tribes. For the Greeks it was the tribes bordering Epeiros, Makedonia and Paionia. The Romans stretched it wider to cover the tribes from Istria to the mouth of the Danube, including loosely, the Thrakians. The southern portion of Illyria south of Skodra contained the initially powerful tribes of the Taulantioi and Parthinoi, an unlocated stronghold called Dimale and 2 important Greek colonies at Epidamnos(later re-named Dyrrachium) and Apollonia. These colonies were often held by Makedonia or Epeiros, then later formed the Romans’ first foothold.



ILLYRIA PARTHINOU
Strictly speaking the Illyrioi were a small tribe just south of Skodra. However, the term was used to cover related tribes. For the Greeks it was the tribes bordering Epeiros, Makedonia and Paionia. The Romans stretched it wider to cover the tribes from Istria to the mouth of the Danube, including loosely, the Thrakians. The southern portion of Illyria south of Skodra contained the initially powerful tribes of the Taulantioi and Parthinoi, an unlocated stronghold called Dimale and 2 important Greek colonies at Epidamnos(later re-named Dyrrachium) and Apollonia. The tribal influence stretched inland to Lake Lychnos, and they probably at times controlled Atintanis and Dassaretis

But Oscan is still gallic- both northern, and standard Oscan

and the name Italy, is still greek given

Originally posted by Xen
But Oscan is still gallic- both northern, and standard Oscan

and the name Italy, is still greek given
All right, all right, I surrender on the language-link :)
I don’t dispute the fact that Greeks named Italy or that the Oscan and Gallic languages are related.
Celtic and Italic are actually very closely related, but I was referring to more ‘modern’ Times (Beginning of the first millennium BC), after the initial spread of the La Téne culture, after the establishment of a ‘proto-Italic’ culture and after the Etruscan displacement (or absorbing) of the Villanovans
BTW, the Vilanovan culture also originates from Eastern Europe and was very similar to the Hallstatt culture. ;)

Concerning the Italic-Celtic relations:
Many of the ’ modern ’ Indo-European languages, Celtic, Germanic, Slavic and Baltic are traced back to northern Europe and the Baltic coast region.
Illyrian, Thracian, Messapic, Greek, Phrygian and Armenian (Similar to Phrygian) are from the Balkan-Danubian area. Italic was stuck somewhere in between Northern European and Balkan-Danubian Indo-European. Presumably in modern day Hungary.

The Celtic Language:
The Celtic language is divided into two main groups: Continental and Insular (British and Irish-Celtic), I will not be getting into Insular Celtic, but the continental group includes Gaulish, ‘Hispano-Celtic’, Eastern Celtic and Lepontic. Lepontic was the Celtic language spoken in the Alpine region north of present day Milano.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comparative Indo-European:
The word: ‘Father’

Latin ‘piter’
Umbrian ‘patre’
Oscan ’patír’
Illyrian ‘patyros’
Continental Celtic ’ater’
Insular Celtic ‘tad’
Greek ‘pater’
Sanskrit ’pita’
Hittite ’tati’
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:)
Cimbri

Edit: Forgot Gaulish word for 'Father'

The English word "Germany" derives from the Latin "Germania". I don't know what that means, but "Germanus" means "real" or "brotherly".

In France, the country is known as "Allemande", which comes from the Allemans, who were one of the many Germanic tribes invading the Roman empire. The Allemans settled in what is now Swabonia and Switzerland, and you can still trace this origin from their very... er... interesting dialects.
Interestingly enough, in the Muslim world, Germany seems to be referred to either as "Allemania" or "Franghistan", the latter deriving from the Franks, from whom France got its name, but whose namesakes now live where I live, in northern Bavaria.

In Germany, the country is called "Deutschland", of which I know at least two theories where that name comes from.
Either, it derives from "djutsic", a word from Middle German, the language spoken around AD 1000 in Germany, meaning simply "people".
Alternately, it could also derive from the word "Teutonic", the Teutons being another Germanic tribe. This would explain why inscriptions from the early 19th century do not say "Deutsch", but "Teutsch".
"Land" simply means "country".

Israel.... There's no doubt it's coming from the bible. IT was actually not sure which of the biblical names of the country will be chosen untill Israel's first PM David Ben Gurion declared it to be Israel.
Israel was the name of the northern jewish kingdom (with the southern being Judea). Also the bible always calls the jews 'Sons of Israel". I think Yitzhak, son of Abaraham, is also called Israel and he is the one to start it all. Literally, the name is composed of two words:
"El" - Meaning god.
"Yashar" - Meaning straight
Together they mean to stay in god's path.

Originally posted by Stefan Haertel
The English word "Germany" derives from the Latin "Germania". I don't know what that means, but "Germanus" means "real" or "brotherly".
Germania is derived from a tribe neighbouring the Celts according to the Celts themselves. :)

This was mentioned by a Roman (or was it Greek?) writer, but bugger if I can remember the writer’s name..

On another note: the Danish word for Germany is ‘Tyskland’, a name derived from the Teutons.

I thought Germany was named after the Roman General Germanicus.

Germanicus was named after Germany ;)

Originally posted by Cimbri

Germania is derived from a tribe neighbouring the Celts according to the Celts themselves. :)

This was mentioned by a Roman (or was it Greek?) writer, but bugger if I can remember the writer’s name..

.

MAybe it was Tacitus, an assuredly Roman writer:

The Germans, I am apt to believe, derive their original from no other people; and are nowise mixed with different nations arriving amongst them: since anciently those who went in search of new buildings, travelled not by land, but were carried in fleets; and into that mighty ocean so boundless, and, as I may call it, so repugnant and forbidding, ships from our world rarely enter. Moreover, besides the dangers from a sea tempestuous, horrid and unknown, who would relinquish Asia, or Africa, or Italy, to repair to Germany, a region hideous and rude, under a rigorous climate, dismal to behold or to manure1 unless the same were his native country? In their old ballads (which amongst them are the only sort of registers and history) they celebrate Tuisto, a God sprung from the earth, and Mannus his son, as the fathers and founders of the nation. To Mannus they assign three sons, after whose names so many people are called; the Ingaevones, dwelling next the ocean; the Herminones, in the middle country; and all the rest, Instaevones. Some, borrowing a warrant from the darkness of antiquity, maintain that the God had more sons, that thence came more denominations of people, the Marsians, Gambrians, Suevians, and Vandalians, and that these are the names truly genuine and original. For the rest, they affirm Germany to be a recent word, lately bestowed: for that those who first passed the Rhine and expulsed the Gauls, and are now named Tungrians, were then called Germans: and thus by degrees the name of a tribe prevailed, not that of the nation; so that by an appellation at first occasioned by terror and conquest, they afterwards chose to be distinguished, and assuming a name lately invented were universally called Germans.
- Germania, 2

Originally posted by calgacus


MAybe it was Tacitus, an assuredly Roman writer
Yor're right Calgacus. How could I forget? :crazyeye:

I read Germania less than a week ago :lol:

Well, since the name of the US has already been explained, and I know little of the origins of foreign country's names (before reading this, except for China). I'll explain the name of my State.

Maryland, USA.

Maryland was founded as a English Catholic haven in the new world by the Baltimore and Calvert brothers (names of two counties and 1 city as well). As such they named this new land in honor of the Catholic Queen of England (post-Henry VIII), Queen Mary. Also, refered to sometimes by "Bloody Mary" for her violent attempts to make England a Catholic country again, and then inspiring a drink by that name as well.

"How did Czechoslovakia get its name and why was it called Bohemia for so long?"

Czechoslovakia was a combination of the two countries which were part of Czechoslovakia - the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was called Bohemia after an ancient Teutonic tribe which inhabited the area, the Bohemii. IIRC, The name stuck and only changed when the Czechs and Slovaks got independence following World War I from Austria-Hungary.

The name "Bohemia" derives from a 9th century tribe called the Boii, though whether they were Celtic of Germanic is still argued over. There is even an argument claiming that the Boii were the remnants of Etruscan refugees from Italy - perhaps, but wholly unprovable.

Czechoslovakia was actually a combination of several regions, the two main being the Czech lands and Slovakia. It also included the Ukrainian and Ruthenian-inhabited "Trans-Carpathia", several Hungarian-inhabited areas that were grafted onto Slovakia (Felvidék) and German-inhabited areas (most infamously the Südetenland). The Czechs also seized one of the mountain passes through the Carpathians at Cieszyn/Tesin/Teschen in 1918 though the town's Polish and Czech inhabitants had reached a compromise. (In a supreme act of stupidity in 1938 Poland seized this town back...until the Nazis took it over anyway in 1939...)

The Czech lands were composed of the medieval kingdoms of Bohemia and Moravia. I'm not exactly sure but I strongly suspect the Czechs chose to use the "Czech" name instead of "Bohemia" because the kingdom of Bohemia was as much German as Czech. The use of "Czech" was an attempt to distance themselves from the German part of their past. Given Czech nationalism at the time (1918), combined with a long past in the Holy Roman and Habsburg/Austrian empires, one can envision Masaryk and Benes wanting to emphasize the "Czechness" of the new country.

What I want to know is how did the name "Czechs" in English end up with what sure looks to me like a Polish spelling? In Czech, the name Czechoslovakia is written "Ceskoslovensko" with a "V"-shaped hasek diacritic mark over the C. "Cesky" (with that same mark over the C) is "Czech" in Czech - so where did the "z" in the English spelling of "Czech" come from? In Polish, Czechoslovakia is "Czechoslowacja", or in modern terms Republika Czeska, while the Czech lands are called "Czechy". :hmm:

Originally posted by Vrylakas
I once put together a quiz on this subject here (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?threadid=40422), at least for some European countries.
O.K. I saw that.
But could you explain the name Serbia (SRBIJA), 'couse I don't know.
I know that in a medieval period neighbournation call us Ras (Raška - Ras land) refering to capitol city of that time Serbian state. And if Polska (Poland) is quit easy for all who spoke some Slavs language, I realy don't know what is the meaning or orign of name Srbija (Serbia). There is some stories about that here, but they all look unrealistic to me.

Vrylakas? Or anyone else?

In east Germany still exist the small Slaven tribe who call themselfs also Serbs (Srbi). There's language is simular to Polish and not to Serbian (but they call it like that). To be diferent that southern cousins they add Luznicki (Srbi).

So, same tribe, same name, but diferent location,language and history.

Kind of confuse:confused: ?

Alone wrote:

O.K. I saw that.
But could you explain the name Serbia (SRBIJA), 'couse I don't know.
I know that in a medieval period neighbournation call us Ras (Raška - Ras land) refering to capitol city of that time Serbian state. And if Polska (Poland) is quit easy for all who spoke some Slavs language, I realy don't know what is the meaning or orign of name Srbija (Serbia). There is some stories about that here, but they all look unrealistic to me.

Vrylakas? Or anyone else?

There are two theories that I know of:

1. That the name "Serbia" is derived from the old Slavic word for sickle, Serp (i.e., "Srpski"). There were several tribes in what is today Ukraine who carried a similar name. It is not uncommon for peoples to have a name derived from a technology, though they usually get these names from their neighbors.

2. That the name is derived from the ancient northern Iranian "Ser" (man) and "-bi" (pluralization); in other words, the name originally meant simply "The People". This was a very common way for ancient pre-literate peoples to identify themselves. Here (http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Lobby/7681/origins.html) is an interesting website that takes up this theory.

In east Germany still exist the small Slaven tribe who call themselfs also Serbs (Srbi). There's language is simular to Polish and not to Serbian (but they call it like that). To be diferent that southern cousins they add Luznicki (Srbi).

So, same tribe, same name, but diferent location,language and history.

Kind of confuse

The Serbs of course were originally a northern Iranian group related to Sarmatians, Ingushets, etc., who migrated into Europe through what is modern Poland (like the Croats). After a brief stint there, at which point they became Slavicized, most of them moved southwards into the Balkans, into modern Serbia while some stayed in Lusatia (modern eastern Germany) and even survived Charlemagne's massive push against the Slavs across the Elbe in the 8th-9th centuries. These Serbs who stayed in Germany were caught in the tug-of-war between the western Slavs coalescing in Bohemia and Poland to the east and the German empire forming to the west after Charlemagne's death. Eventually the front line between German and Slav moved eastward into Silesia and the Lusatian Serbs were swallowed into the German cultural sphere. Amazingly they have survived to our day, though their language is a dying language now. I cannot believe Hitler did not just put them all in trains straight to Auschwitz. The "White" Serbs in Lusatia have become heavily Western Slavicized (i.e., similar to Polish and Czech as you mentioned). The Germans call them "Wends" (an old German name for the Slavs), and in English they're called "Sorbs", just to distinguish them from the Serbs of Serbia.

Just south of modern Kraków there's a region known as "Biala Chorwacja" (White Croatia) that has a similar story attached to it about the Croats, though any remaining Croats have long since been assimilated.

Hvala.
So first version look nicer to me:) .

About Lusatian(White) Serbs: It's realy amazingly how they subsist 'till modern days. I wached a TV story few years ago about them, but it's not that clearly explained as you did here what is the conection between two nation (or one).

Yep, one more step to PhD:goodjob: !

America came from the second discoverer, Amerigo Vespucci after Columbus sine he didn't know what he found and mistaken America for India and called everyone Indians. Later Amerigo found out that this wasn't India and said it was the New World so he got most of the credit and they named it America.

Now it the United States after the Revolutionary War which made America independant from England.