Why do we (Anglophones) use the native language name for some countries (Costa Rica, not Rich Coast), but not for others (Germany, not Deutschland)?
In: 4271
The name a foriegn language has for another country or region is called an exonym (outside name.)
Language is always evolving and sometimes the exonym evolves with the language or is borrowed from another language.
English speakers call Deutschland “Germany” because the region near modern day Deutschland was called “Germania” in Latin, which means “where the Germani live.” And Germani basically means “neighbor” in Latin.
Roughly similar lineage of people stayed living there and the Latin name wasn’t forced to change, so the Latin name stuck in English (and Italian). However, not all Latin influenced languages used the same name. The French call Deutschland “Allemagne” from the name Alemmani which were a group of tribes in the area.
Then, you have exonyms that a country or people wants to change. For example, modern Iran used to be called “Persia” in English from Greek Persís from Old Persian name for Cyrus the Great’s people. Officially the name was changed to Iran by request of one of Iran’s old leaders. Iran is roughly a changed spelling of the old Iranian word ērān which describes a people who lived in the area. However, during WW2, the Allies changed the name on maps back to Persia to avoid confusing it with Iraq, then it changed back to Iran, then some Iranians wanted to bring back the name Persia to connect Iran back to the old glory of the “Persian Empire” (and distance from the current Iranian government). Now the name Iran and Persia are both acceptable. So, for political and historic reasons, the exonym for Iran changed multiple times, often because people wanted actively to change the name for various reasons.
So… Exonyms are complex. They are often transmitted across languages and history and thus morph with time like all language. But country names are also political so sometimes exonyms are officially changed by governments or people.
Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it’s Turkish delight on a moonlit night.
Even old New York was once New Amsterdam. Why they changed it I can’t say, I guess people just liked it better that way!
Latest Answers