Where did the name america, england, italy, france etc etc come from!? Who named them!? Anyone know!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
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Position:Home>History> How were countries originally named?Question: How were countries originally named!? Where did the name america, england, italy, france etc etc come from!? Who named them!? Anyone know!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: - America: (actually, the Americas, north ans south) is named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci who had a leading role in exploring it!. - England: was named after the Angles, the largest of the Germanic tribes who settled in England in the 5th and 6th centuries, and who are believed to have originated in the peninsula of Angeln, in what is now Denmark and northern Germany!. - France: from Latin Francia, which literally means “land of the Franks” or “Frankland”!. There are various theories as to the origin of the name of the Franks!. One is that in an ancient Germanic language, Frank means free as opposed to slave!. - Italy: The origin of the term "Italy" (It: Italia), from Latin Italia is uncertain!. According to one of the more common explanations, the term was borrowed through Greek, from Oscan Víteliú, meaning "land of young cattle" (cf!. Lat vitulus "calf", Umb vitlo "calf") and named for the god of cattle, Mars!.[3] The bull was a symbol of the southern Italian tribes and is often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Samnite Wars!.Www@QuestionHome@Com It is inherent in a characteristic of the people within that particular territory!. England - from the tribe, the 'Angles'!. Land of the Angles!. Angle Land = England!. England is 'Angleterre' in French!. France from the Franks!. States have not always been homogenous!. For instance, in Italy you had a Papal state, Venice and so on!. In Europe the Czech Republic and Slovakia (and some other neighbouring territories) were originally Moravia and Bohemia and so on!. Therefore, as states emerge, the ancient names can become lost or changed!. There is no hard and fast rule!. You also need to look at why Germany is Deutschland (land of the Deutsch) and not Germany; or Spain Espana as opposed to Spain!. Or why the United States is the United States and not say, Columbia or something!.Www@QuestionHome@Com According to Terry Pratchett, countries, mountains, Rivers etc!. were named by the colonialists as they took over a country by grabbing the nearest native, pointing to the feature and saying VERY LOUDLY AND SLOWLY (an early incarnation of the infamous Tourist French perhaps!?) "what's that called", and writing down the first thing the unsuspecting native said, leading to names that mean literally in their own language " a mountain you fool", "what does this idiot want" and "Oh God, not you again!." As for the real reason: i think they're probably originally from the Romans, and translated into their current forms from Latin!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Most countries were named by explorers and christian religious leaders who travelled far and wide spreading the gospel!. Names mostly from rivers, language or religious beliefs were needed to be put on their mapsWww@QuestionHome@Com gaul=france germania= germany, little rome=wales britiana=uk now check the bible!.popaWww@QuestionHome@Com romans i think, when they conquered the worldWww@QuestionHome@Com |