Name of Germany in various languages
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Because of Germany’s long history as a non-united area of different tribes and kingdoms before January 1871, there are countless broadly different names of Germany in various languages, possibly more so than for any other European country. For example, in the German language, the nation is known as Deutschland from the Old High German “diutisc”, in Spanish as “Alemania” and in French as “Allemagne” from the name of the Alamanni tribe, in Italian as “Germania” from the Latin “Germania”, in Polish, Ukranian and Belorussian as “Niemcy” from the Protoslavic “nemets”, and in Finnish as Saksa from the name of the Saxon clan.
Name of Germany in various European languages
The most common name for Germany by country
Blue: Names derived from Old High German Diutisc – an endonym.
Red: Names derived from the Ancient Greek/Latin Germania – an exonym.
Yellow: Names derived from the Alamanni tribe – pars pro totam.
Green: Names derived from the Saxon tribe – pars pro totam.
Blue: Names derived from Protoslavic Nemec meaning “foreigner” – a descriptive exonym.
Violet: Names (probably) derived from the Vagoth tribe – pars pro totam.
So Italians call the country “Germania,” but they call the people who live there “Tedeschi.” Interesting…wonder where the latter word comes from?
From Medieval Latin theodiscus, “of the people”.
Thanks!