# Deviating names for Poland



## yuggoth

That is the second thread I make for a similar question.
I would like to know the reason why the Polish and their country Poland, which have a similar name in the European languages, are called "*Lengyel*" by the Hungarians.
I know the names "_Polans_", "_Pomeranians_", "_Pomerelians_", "_Vislans_" and some else,but I don't think they have any relation with the Hungarian name.
Could somebody tell me the origin of this name?
I perhaps have a clue on the surname of the great Czech tennis player Ivan Lendl.
Thanks in advance.


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## Henryk

I'm not too much into it but I think it might have to do with the Lengyel culture parts of southern Poland belonged to around 5000-4000 BC.


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## vput

According to the Hungarian Wikipedia:

A magyar nyelvben használatos „lengyel” és „Lengyelország” szó eredete az óorosz _lendo_ („irtásföld”, „szűzföld”) szó _lendzsan_ származéka lehetett (azaz „irtásföldön élő ember”), amely az ómagyar nyelvben még _lengyen_ alakban szerepelt.

(approximate translation)

"In Hungarian, the origin of "lengyel" (Pole, Polish) and "Lengyelorszag" (Poland) is the Old Russian 'lendo' (~ cleared land, virgin land). The word "lendszan" (i.e. 'person who lives on the cleared land') may have been a derivative of this [i.e. 'lendo'], which [would have] acted as a base for 'lengyen' in Old Hungarian."


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## Jana337

yuggoth said:


> I perhaps have a clue on the surname of the great Czech tennis player Ivan Lendl.


An interesting hypothesis.  Unfortunately, I can neither confirm nor refute it.

Etymology of Lengyel.


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## Lillita

How interesting... I didn't know it!


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## Abbassupreme

Funny . . . makes me think about why Iranians call Poland "Lahestân" and Hungary "Majorestân".


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## yuggoth

Jana337 said:


> An interesting hypothesis.  Unfortunately, I can neither confirm nor refute it.
> 
> Etymology of Lengyel.


Thank you for your response, so enlightening for me. I  knew the name of that tribe (in Spanish "_ledzanos_", which hasn't an obvious similarity with "l_engyel_" if anything makes you think of. Reading to the etymology you posted, I realised that it is pronounced in fact "lendzianie" in Polish, where the relation with the Hungarian name can be seen.
Thanks very much again.


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## Alijsh

Abbassupreme said:


> Funny . . . makes me think about why Iranians call Poland "Lahestân" and Hungary "Majorestân".


Yes, it's also a question to me.

As you know, Persian -stân which is a suffix for a big place (land), is found in the name of several countries: Afghanistan, Tajikistan (Persian-speaking countries), Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Kirghizstan or also Dagestan, Hindustan (name of India in Persian), Arabistan (name of Saudi Arabia in Persian), etc.

Lahistân is what we say for Poland and based on that in most of above country names, the first part denotes an ethnic group, I think lah is also the name of an ethnic group living there. I also think the same for Majâristân (Hungary). 

Can anybody say something about it?


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## Jana337

Moderator note: I created a new thread for Hungary, so let's stick to Poland here. Thanks.


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## Chazzwozzer

Ottomans called the country *Lehistan*, but we now call it *Polonya*. But the language spoken: *"Lehçe"*


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## Asgaard

Hi,


vput said:


> According to the Hungarian Wikipedia:
> 
> A magyar nyelvben használatos „lengyel” és „Lengyelország” szó eredete az óorosz _lendo_ („irtásföld”, „szűzföld”) szó _lendzsan_ származéka lehetett (azaz „irtásföldön élő ember”), amely az ómagyar nyelvben még _lengyen_ alakban szerepelt.
> 
> (approximate translation)
> 
> "In Hungarian, the origin of "lengyel" (Pole, Polish) and "Lengyelorszag" (Poland) is the Old Russian 'lendo' (~ cleared land, virgin land). The word "lendszan" (i.e. 'person who lives on the cleared land') may have been a derivative of this [i.e. 'lendo'], which [would have] acted as a base for 'lengyen' in Old Hungarian."



Can anyone translate származéka, please?

Regards,
Asgaard


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## zpoludnia swiata

The Iranians and Turks called Poland "Lahistan" (or some approximation of it) because of their contact with Ukrainians who called Poles "Lakhy".  This itself was based on some legend about the brothers "Lech, Czech, and Rus" the fathers of Poland, Czechs, and Russians (just a legend).  Also, the Polish name "lech" is related to this, as in "Lech Walesa".


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## tenkaoi

Derivation is the English for származék.


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## Oletta

Jana337 said:


> Etymology of Lengyel.


 I believe the hypothesis is true. Even the name of my town is Lędziny, its etymology having had some slight different roots, but still the associacion of Lengyel with the tribe of Lędzianie sounds the most reasonable. 'Lendo' and "Lędzianie" - both words have a lot in common as both carry the same meaning and the Polish "ę" sound is comparable to "en".


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## yamaneko

This name in fact comes from the tribe Lędziaenie who lived in eastern Poland and their name in turn from "lęda" pronounced [lenda] and meaning "field" (exactly the same as "pole" from which "Polanie" in western Poland. The name for Poland in Lithuania is "Lenkija" [lenkiya]. The link between "Lech" and lendzianie is not generally accepted. The word "Lechici" in sense of "Poles" comes from the name of one of the first rulers.


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## Oletta

yamaneko said:


> from "lęda" pronounced [lenda] and meaning "field"


Exactly! The name of my town, Lędziny just originates from the word "lęda", which precisely means "a land cleared of stubs and roots, a land stubbed for the purpose of cultivation".


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