"how you say, America ? "

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by steponit, Aug 16, 2004.

  1. steponit Registered Senior Member

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    134
    Do all countries have the same name for other countries or even their own countries. What is the greatest desparities of country names? How do you say Germany in greek etc?
     
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  3. path Militant wiseguy Registered Senior Member

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    As far as I can tell germany seems to have the most varying name in other languages (probably because the nation was made up of many germanic tribes) the ones I am familiar with.

    germany (english)
    Allemange ?sp (french, and most latin languages I know of)
    Tysk (pro. tisk) (norweigan, I belive it is similar in danish and swedish too)
    Neemansky (russian)

    All I know, maybe others can add more languages to the list for us.
     
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  5. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    The sound of the y in "Tysk" is different in Danish, still same spelling

    I think all countries have there own spelling of the names of other countries.
     
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  7. path Militant wiseguy Registered Senior Member

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    True but what I meant was that the sound of the words for germany are very different almost unrelated as opposed to say the word for france in those languages I listed which are very similar phonetically.
     
  8. Tracker00 Registered Senior Member

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    51
    in Chinese Germany is "de2 guo2" and in Japense its "doitsu"
     
  9. Dreamwalker Whatever Valued Senior Member

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    Well, the tribes may have played a role in the names of Germany. I suppose Allemange (french) was derived from a prominent germanic tribe called "Allemannen" which resembles the words "Alle Mannen", roughly translated it would equal "Everyone". Since that tribe was widespread and bordered on what is France today, the name might have indeed been used to describe everyone from around here.

    Tysk? Well, I really don´t know, there were many dialects spoken in the early German times. Perhaps it was the name of a tribe in the north?

    The Germans themself were only a tribe, but one that also became very prominent. Until the "Holy roman reich of german nation" (or something like that, I never tried to translate Heiliges römisches Reich deutscher Nation).
    It then became commonly known as Germany.
    This would be Germania in the german tongue (also the name of an ancient local goddess) but every German calls it "Deutschland"....

    Well, but considering other countries names, they seem to be pretty consistent. There don´t seem to be so many discrepancies. Except the far eastern countries like China or Japan, which are called Zhonggou and Nippon by local inhabitants (But I don´t know how they are written in the native script)
     
  10. Closet Philosopher Off to Laurentian University Registered Senior Member

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    1,785
    Canada is Canada. In Canada, we will mostly call the United States "The States". We don't tend to call them "America" because America ( North America and South America) consists of many countries.
     
  11. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    tracker: Does the 2 have the same sound as the 2 in english ?

    I see, fiddling a little using bablefish, my browser does not support cyrolic chars but anyway
    France(UK)
    Frankrijk(NL)
    Frankreich(D)
    Francia(ES)
    Frankrig(DK)
     
  12. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    what is Canada called by the french speaking part of Canada.. La Canada?
     
  13. fahrenheit 451 fiction Registered Senior Member

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    323
    no quebec, just being silly ok.
     
  14. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    19,083
    from what I know
    Latvia in Latvian -> Latvija
    in English -> Latvia
    in French -> Lettonie
    in German -> Letland

    I know russian and "germany" in it sounds nothing like it
    it sounds more like-> Gjermanjia
    Njemec is a German person (a german)
     
  15. Closet Philosopher Off to Laurentian University Registered Senior Member

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    1,785
    In the French part of Caanda, it's Le Canada and they hold the 'a' due to their French accent.
     
  16. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    From around 1850 to - 187x Prussian annexed or in other ways manage to unify the german people into the German empire under the prussian king, Wilhelm I.
    Ofcause the entire storie is a bit longer but perhaps the "Deutschland" comes from this unification?... then again...
     
  17. hotsexyangelprincess WMD Registered Senior Member

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    in german, japan is spelled the same way. but its pronounces "Yapan". :m:
     
  18. pilpaX amateur-science.com Registered Senior Member

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    239
    in Estonia:

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    america = ameerika
    england = inglismaa
    france = prantsusmaa
    japan = jaapan
    canada = kanada
    germany = saksamaa
    china = hiina
    russia = venemaa
    finland = soome
    swedland = rootsi
    denmark = taani
     
  19. Avatar smoking revolver Valued Senior Member

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    19,083
    In Latvia:
    --
    below Estonia
    --
    America = Amerika
    England = Anglija
    (United Kingdom = Apvienotaa Karaliste)
    France = Francija
    Japan = Japaana
    Canada = Kanaada
    Germany = Vaacija
    China = Kjiina
    Russia = Krievija
    Finland = Somija
    Sweden = Zviedrija
    Denmark = Daanija
    Estonia = Igaunija

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    Lithuania = Lietuva
    Portugal = Portugaale
     
  20. rGEMINI Fallen Entity Registered Senior Member

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    339
    Japanese call japan [nihon] the language [nihongo]
    they call english (im guessing that includes american) language eago. i have yet to learn america thou.. =(
     
  21. Vortexx Skull & Bones Spokesman Registered Senior Member

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    From a dutch street perspective: AMERICA --> Amerika
    From a dutch government perspective: USA ---> Verenigde Staten

    - the netherlands (uk & usa government speak) or
    - holland (uk & usa street speak, refferes to "hollow land, below sealevel"
    - niederlande or holland (german)
    - pays bas (france)

    BTW: pretty remarkable that estonions call sweden "rootsi", do estonions have their roots in sweden?
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2004
  22. Kunax Sciforums:Reality not required Registered Senior Member

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    2,385
    In Danish:

    Norway = Norge
    Sweden = Sverige
    Denmark = Danmark
    Finland = Finland
    Estonia = Estland
    Lithuania = Letland
    Russia = Rusland
    China = Kina
    Japan = Japan
    Germany = Tyskland
    Dutchland = Holland, Nederlandene
    France = Frankrig
    Portugal = Portugal
    England = England
    Canada = Kanada
    America = Amerika

    heh taani, rootsi wonder where that comes from

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    Last edited: Aug 17, 2004
  23. vslayer Registered Senior Member

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    in japanese:

    japan - nihon or nippon
    china - chuugoku
    america - amerika
    germany - doitsu
    france - furansu
    australia - oosutoreeria
    new zealand - njuujiirando
    england - igurishi
    canada - kanada


    the only ones that are different for reasons other thna lack of characters are:
    china, because they have intertwined histories and chuugoku means king land or something
    and germany, which is doitsu from the german word for geramny: deutsch(pronounced doitch)
     

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