Comments on: Etymology of Country Names

By: Wooster

Wooster — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 04:23:13 +0000

In reply to Heinous. and racist

By: R.u.b.e.n. Semmoh

R.u.b.e.n. Semmoh — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 13:06:05 +0000

South America the land with the question mark is Suriname. Its name is derived from the indegeous people who where living there before and during the time of slaverny. The indian tribe was named Surinen.

By: Giorgi

Giorgi — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 06:05:21 +0000

Farmers??
Does anyone checked it before you post it?
Georgia is called like that in English, because of Persians, who called it “Gurjistan” – Land of the Wolfs.
In Georgian it’s called “Sakartvelo” – Land of the Kartvels.

By: C B

C B — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 17:04:10 +0000

In reply to Adam. mythical ruler = made up word . . . duh!

By: Heinous

Heinous — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 10:11:51 +0000

It is interesting, but in most cases, even if etymology is your aim, rather than geography, you need to look at two perspectives: what the ‘natives’ (people who live there) call it, and what the colonists call it. Australia is a classic example, where the ‘colonials’ refer to a snobbish version of ‘southern land’, while – as far as I can see, no-one ever asked an Aborigine what they call it (and I doubt they called themselves ‘blackfella’ before the whities turned up).
Geographical etymolology is, alas, inherently political.

By: Adam

Adam — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 03:07:02 +0000

California is not just a “made up word” it’s named after the mythical ruler of the Island of California, Queen Calafia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calafia?wprov=sfla1

By: David Atherton

David Atherton — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:26:16 +0000

China means ‘land in the middle’, or ‘middle kingdom’

By: Luis Miguel Villa Aguirre

Luis Miguel Villa Aguirre — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 21:23:59 +0000

Muy intresante la aplicación un tanto descriptiva de los nombres, sería muy bueno saber el origen de tales nombres, desde una perspectiva endógena o exógena, qué tanto tiene que ver con la propia sociedad de tales sitios y su cultura o idiosincracia, y qué tanto tiene que ver con la visión política, social, económica o colonialista que se tenía de cada sitio. Gracias por la inciativa, muy interesante.