Ethiopia or Abyssinia?

[Greywulf]

I recall reading some years ago, in a Time magazine in a doctor's waiting room, that a poll of Ethiopian citizens conducted during the government of Meles Zenawi (who led the coalition that overthrew Mengistu Mariam's one-party dictatorship in 1994, which itself overthrew Haile Selassie's Empire of Ethiopia in 1974, and Zenawi established a federal, SOMEWHAT democratic republic with him as Prime Minister), who died in 2012, of several names that each common citizen of the country preferred their country be called, that "Ethiopia" got a plurality of support in the poll.

That is pretty recent. Ethiopia would probably be the best title then, as it is what Ethiopians seem to want...

Still, that doesn't mean that Abyssinia is not a more idealistic choice for a general history of Ethiopia (perhaps with less attention on modern Ethiopia).

 

[Patine]

That is pretty recent. Ethiopia would probably be the best title then, as it is what Ethiopians seem to want...

Still, that doesn't mean that Abyssinia is not a more idealistic choice for a general history of Ethiopia (perhaps with less attention on modern Ethiopia).

I believe Abyssinia is still popular amongst ethnic Amhara, but many other ethnicities in the nation see "Abyssinia" as the land of the (or under the) Amhara, and "Ethiopia" as the greater land of all of it's ethnicities, an idea strongly promoted by Zenawi (an ethnic Tigray, not Amhara) who created a federal republic in 1994, in sharp contrast to the Derg, which was highly centralized, and the long-standing Empire, which was very feudal in organization under Amhara overlordship with some local vassal rulers of other select ethnicities.

 

[Greywulf]

I believe Abyssinia is still popular amongst ethnic Amhara, but many other ethnicities in the nation see "Abyssinia" as the land of the (or under the) Amhara, and "Ethiopia" as the greater land of all of it's ethnicities, an idea strongly promoted by Zenawi (an ethnic Tigray, not Amhara) who created a federal republic in 1994, in sharp contrast to the Derg, which was highly centralized, and the long-standing Empire, which was very feudal in organization under Amhara overlordship with some local vassal rulers of other select ethnicities.

It's ironic that they have that view, considering the meanings behind Abyssinia and Ethiopia. I guess it's about who were using the terms in recent history, kinda like how terms that don't mean anything offencive can become offencive by how they get used...at least that is how I'm imagining the situation.

 

[Alexander's Hetaroi]

If the name "Ethiopia" is of Greek origin, then I don't think it would represent the whole history of the region.

Well the region of "Aethopia" according to the Greeks is what the region they referred to as Nubia or Kush. The name therefore is an adaptation of what the Greeks called their northern neighbors along time ago, so I don't see a problem with it. Anyway isn't Abbysinia derived from an Arabic origin? If so that wouldn't necessarily represent the whole history of the region either. No matter which name it will use, it would be derived from some foreign language.

 

[Greywulf]

Well the region of "Aethopia" according to the Greeks is what the region they referred to as Nubia or Kush. The name therefore is an adaptation of what the Greeks called their northern neighbors along time ago, so I don't see a problem with it. Anyway isn't Abbysinia derived from an Arabic origin? If so that wouldn't necessarily represent the whole history of the region either. No matter which name it will use, it would be derived from some foreign language.

That makes sense, as Nubia is geographically closer to Greece. Interesting that the name moved over to mean modern day Ethiopia.

You're right...either way it comes from a foreign term.

 

[Patine]

Well the region of "Aethopia" according to the Greeks is what the region they referred to as Nubia or Kush. The name therefore is an adaptation of what the Greeks called their northern neighbors along time ago, so I don't see a problem with it. Anyway isn't Abbysinia derived from an Arabic origin? If so that wouldn't necessarily represent the whole history of the region either. No matter which name it will use, it would be derived from some foreign language.

That makes sense, as Nubia is geographically closer to Greece. Interesting that the name moved over to mean modern day Ethiopia.

You're right...either way it comes from a foreign term.

In the nation's current official name, the name of the country (after "the Federal Republic of") is transliterated in Amharic from their endemic alphabet as "Ītyōṗṗyā."