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!
Goodie, goodie, love this thread. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! 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 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! ). 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 bookPlease Register or Log in to view the hidden image! 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 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
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: 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......=/