"how you say, America ? "

In German -> Auf Deutsch

America -> Amerika
The United States of America -> Die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika
Canada -> Kanada
Mexico -> Mexiko
Greenland -> Grönland
Iceland -> Eisland
England -> England
Ireland -> Irland
Great Britain -> Groß Britanien
Spain -> Spanien
France -> Frankreich
The Netherlands -> Die Niederländer (?)
Denmark -> Dänemark
Germany -> Deutschland
Switzerland -> Die Schweiz
Austria -> Österreich
Italy -> Italien
Poland -> Polen
Czech Republic -> Tschechen (?)
Slovakia -> Slowakei
Greece -> Griechenland
Turkey -> Türkei
Russia -> Rußland
Japan -> Japan
Australia -> Australien

Useful if yer going from Germany/Switzerland/Austria to anywhere else in the list!
 
Vortexx said:
'BTW: pretty remarkable that estonions call sweden "rootsi", do estonions have their roots in sweden?
Click to expand...

nope, in estonian roots means thin... so maybe its becouse swedland is thin?
 
Goodie, goodie, love this thread. :)


1. This is Slovene:

America = Amerika
England = Anglija
France = Francija
Japan = Japonska
Canada = Kanada
Germany = Nemčija
China = Kitajska
Russia = Rusija
Finland = Finska
Sweden = Švedska
Denmark = Danska
Estonia = Estonija
Lithuania = Litva
Portugal = Portugalska
Spain = Španija
Italy =Italija
Brasil = Brazilija
New Zealand = Nova Zelandija


The weirdest one is for Germany - Nemčija. The word comes from the adjective "nem", which means 'mute', as the Germans were mute when spoken to in another language (or so the legend -- people simply didn't understand eachother, as multilingualism wasn't that hip back then :) ).
The Russian form "Neemansky" is also related to the adjective "nem".


2.

Frankrijk(NL)
Frankreich(D)
Frankrig(DK)

It is the same meaning in all three: "rijk", "reich" and "rig" mean 'the territory ruled by a king'; the English adjective "rich" is related to those words. And Frank stands for the Francs, the people.


3. Germany, Deutschland, Tysk

Germania was the name that the Old Romans used.


The word "Deutschland" is made of the adjective "deutsch" and "Land", 'German land'.
(I am quoting this from my history of German book:)

The first time the word "deutsch" was used was in a latinised form and in Latin sources. The earliest is from year 786, in a report from bishop Georg von Ostia to Pope Hadrian I.; there it is "tam latine quam *theodisce*".

The "old high German" (Althochdeutsch) form "diutisc" is first used by Notker the German (955-1022).

The Latin form "theodiscus" is a loan word from the Germanic *theudo, which means 'people; tribe'. This word was first used to denote the people's language, only later it also became a name for the Germanic people (probably under the influence of "teutonicus" -- the Teutons were a German tribe).

The etymology of the word "deutsch" suggests a limited meaning and usage of the word, as it was used to denote the language (spoken and written).

Only later, around 990, in the "Annolied", there is a widening of that use: "diutischi liute" 'German people', "diutischi man" 'German person', "diutischin sprechen" 'to speak German' -- a sense for the consciousness of their culture and language developed.

In the text "Kaiserchronik" from the middle of the 12th century, the word was established to denote the people as well as the territory they lived in.

But "Teutschland" in the sense of a nation begins to be used in the 14th century.
And later on.

***

I take that forms like "Tysk" are just phonological versions of "diutisc", "teutsch" -- depending on at which time and into which language the word was loaned.
 
Good post Rosa, there is an extra "e" in the Danish "rige, but it does not matter, it was proberly removed to make the spelling more in tune with how its pronounced. Which lead to Tysk, which as your say, proberly is our phonological version of teutsch.

got any more word of wisedom :)
 
What about the French for Germany, Allemand (or was it Allemaigne)? Where does that come from?

For interest's sake, in Afrikaans (Close to Dutch, I would imagine):
America = Amerika
England = Engeland
France = Frankryk
Japan = Japan
Canada = Kanada
Germany = Duitsland
China = Sjina
Russia = Rusland
Finland = Finland
Sweden = Swede
Denmark = Denemarke
Estonia = Estonië
Lithuania = Lituanië
Portugal = Portugal
Spain = Spanje
Italy =Italië
Brasil = Brasilië
New Zealand = Nieu-Seeland
 
Well, as for the french word Allemange:

Me said:
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.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, that is the most probable historical origin of that word.
 
"Zhong guo" for China, in chinese means the country of the center (of....? guess this your self heh) zhong - center, guo - country

i guess everyone has his/her egotistic side.
 
mm and in chinese:

美國 America -> Mei(3) guo(2)
美利堅合眾國 The United States of America -> Mei(3) Li(4) Jian(1) He(2) Zhong(4) guo(2)
加拿大 Canada -> Jia(1) Na(2) Da(4)
墨西哥 Mexico -> Mo(4) Xi(1) Ge(1)
葛蘭林 Greenland -> Ge(2) Lan(2) Lin(2)
冰島 Iceland -> Bing(1) Dao(3)
英格蘭 England -> Ying(1) Ge(2) Lan(2)
愛爾蘭 Ireland -> Ai(4) Er(3) Lan(2)
大英國協 Great Britain -> Da(4) Ying(1) He(2) Xie(2)
西班牙 Spain -> Xi(1) Ban(1) Ya(2)
法國 France -> Fa(4) guo(2)
荷蘭 The Netherlands -> He(2) Lan(2) (the Netherlands.....this is Holland right?)
丹麥 Denmark -> Dan(1) Mai(4)
德國 Germany -> De(2) guo(2)
瑞士 Switzerland -> Rui(4) Shi(4)
奧地利 Austria -> Ao(4) Di(4) Li(4)
義大利 Italy -> Yi(4) Da(4) Li(4)
波蘭 Poland -> Po(1) Lan(2)
捷克斯洛伐克 Czech Republic -> Jie(2) Ke(4) Si(1) Luo(4) Fa(2) Ke(4)
斯洛伐克 Slovakia -> Si(1) Luo(4) Fa(2) Ke(4)
希臘 Greece -> Xi(1) La(4)
土耳其 Turkey -> Tu(2) Er(3) Qi(2)
俄羅斯 Russia -> E(4) Luo(2) Si(1)
日本 Japan -> Ri(4) Ben(3)
澳大利亞 Australia -> Ao(4) Da(4) Li(4) Ya(3)

AND

台灣 Taiwan -> Tai(2) Wan(1) woot!

well the english thingy is only the pingying......it's like the official way to "spell" chinese words in roman alphabets.....so.....i don't think you can pronounce it with regular english ways......=/
 
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