# Name Origins of States and Countries



## diegodbs

*Mod Edit*: With diegodbs' permission, I have moved this post from another culture thread to open up a discussion on the name origins of states and countries. 



			
				diegodbs said:
			
		

> Although it is not actually a person's name, this is a very interesting link about the origin of the word "California" and why California bears that name.


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## diegodbs

diegodbs said:
			
		

> *Mod Edit*: With diegodbs' permission, I have moved this post from another culture thread to open up a discussion on the name origins of states and countries.


 
The name "España" comes from Latin "Hispania" which seems to be a Phoenician word related to "tierra de conejos" (a land full of rabbits), and the name "Península Ibérica" (the Iberian Peninsula) from the name that the Greeks gave to a river (Iber) and the name of the inhabitants in that area (Iberes). Some scholars think that "Iber" was the river known today as "Ebro" in Spanish, but some others think that the "Iber" was a river in southwestern Spain, in the province of Huelva, either the "Tinto" river or the "Odiel" river. Greek settlers knew this southwestern region of Spain earlier than the northeast, so it seems plausible that the "Iber" river was either the Tinto or the Odiel.

 In my previous post there was a link about the origin of the name "California" (USA). Do you know something about the origins of the names of your countries or states?

Thank you.


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## Fernando

Extremadura (W Spain): Extreme land meaning "Frontier land" (Christian-Muslims in the Middle Ages).

Castille (and probably, also, Catalonia): "Castle land" (also, defensive strongholds built by either Muslims or Christians).


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## ampurdan

Venezuela: after Venice (but paradoxiacally dwarfed) because of the watery nature of its lands...
Bolivia: after Simon Bolivar.
Colombia: after Christopher Columbus (I guess).
Argentina: something to do with silver and Río de la Plata river?


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## Outsider

The word "Portugal" derives from "Portucale", previously "Portus Cale". Portus  (Port) is the name of the city of Porto (Oporto) in Latin. The etymology of "Cale" is not certain, but one theory asserts that it's related to a Celtic tribe whom the Romans knew by Gallaeci, having thus a common origin with "Galicia/Galiza". Initially, Portucale was a county in the Northern part of present day Portugal. As it expanded Southwards during the Christian reconquest, the name was extended to the whole territory.

Previous discussion here.


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## marinax

ampurdan said:
			
		

> Venezuela: after Venice (but paradoxiacally dwarfed) because of the watery nature of its lands...
> Bolivia: after Simon Bolivar.
> Colombia: after Christopher Columbus (I guess).
> Argentina: something to do with silver and Río de la Plata river?


 
the "chemical element" (?) of silver is called, in latin, ARGENTUM.
the first spaniards that came to argentina, saw that the natives used a lot of silver in their ornaments, and then thought that this country was filled with "argentum"...noun that has "argentinus" as an adjective.
Argentina came later, as a deformation of "argentinus" or a translation into spanish.


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## Jana337

The mythological praotec Čech (roughly: patriarch Bohemus) brought his people to the mountain of Říp, near Praha. He liked the place ("this    is a country overflowing with milk, butter and honey"), so his tribe settled there. Patriarch Čech gave name to Bohemia, now the largest part of the Czech republic, and to the inhabitants of the whole country (a Czech male - Čech).

Jana


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## Vanda

Brasil: Derived from the word *brasa* (ember), because of the red color of a native tree that existed in abundance when the Portuguese arrived here. In tupi language (natives' language):  _Ibira pitanga_, or  red wood.


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## ampurdan

According to Wikipedia, the word Italy is derived from that of a Greek colony in Calabria, whose people where called "italos" (italiots). In Greek, this word alluded to the young bull, which was the emblem of the coaligation of peoples against Roman domination in the Italic peninsula.

France: after the Franks.

¿Deutschland/Germany/Alemania?


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## Outsider

On German and Germany


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## BasedowLives

Iowa comes from the name of the Indian tribe that was there before us.  They were called the Ioway Indians.


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## Gremli Skremli

Norway: the way to the north.  You can actually hear it better in English than in Norwegian (Norge or Noreg).


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## Alundra

"La Mancha" :

It's said that the name of "La Mancha" proceeds from the Arab word "Mantxa" and it means "tierra seca"... 

Other version says that it proceeds from to contract the expression "la más ancha"...



Alundra.


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## Gabriel Marín Aballi

LIMA- from RIMAC,a river getting through that city.When spaniards arrived to Perú heard  the pronunciation variation of other native group,that was LIMAC .So it  was reducted to LIMA...


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## cuchuflete

Santander (españa)...published sources say the name is derived from St Emeterio.  I have an 18th century map which shows it as Santo Andero, and another, older map with San Andrés.


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## Brioche

*Australia* from the Latin "terra australis" for "land of the south"


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## Dalian

China: from the name of the great ancient empire 'Chin' (221BC-206BC).

But we Chinese call our country 中国(Zhong Guo), literally meaning 'the middle/central country'.


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## Laia

Well, it's not the name of a State or Country, but a city...  (excuse me if this means that I'm off-topic...)

*Barcelona*: the actual name of the city comes from *Barcino* (some historians think that's because of the name of *Hamilcar Barca*). There's a legend that says that Barcelona comes from "*barca nona*" (9th small boat) and it's related with the arrival of *Hercules* to the city. I don't know of other theories, anyway is not clear where does the name come from. It's also interesting to know that, before the time of Romans, the "íbers" that inhabited Barcelona and the nearest lands were called *Laietanians* (laietans), and Barcelona was probably called *Laie*.


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## diegodbs

- Florida (USA) bears that name because Juan Ponce de León first set foot on that land during "Pascua Florida" ("Easter" in English). Florida means full of flowers.

- Montana (USA) from Spanish "montaña" (mountain)

- Nevada (USA) from Spanish "nevada" (snowed)


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## GenJen54

Many US states have their names from Native American languages:

*Alabama* - possible derivative of Cherokee, meaning "thicket clearers"
*Illinois* - from the Algonquin language "tribe of superior man"
*Indiana *- an indian word for "land of the Indians"
*Kansas *- a Sioux word meaning "land of the South Winds"
*Kentucky* - an Iriquois word meaning "land of tomorrow"
*Minnesota* - from a Dakota Indian word meaning "sky colored waters"
*Mississippi - *from an Indian word meaning "Father of Waters" - the Mississippi River is commonly nicknamed "Old Man River"
*Ohio - *Iriquois word for "great river"
*Texas - *from an Indian word meaning "friends"

The word *Dakota* in North and South Dakota comes from the Sioux language and means "allies"

*Okla-homa*, where I am from, means "land of the red man (people)." Indians themselves were considered "red skins," and the geographical area now called Oklahoma was part of the _Unassigned Lands_ or territories where Indians were forced to live after the Civil War.

The names of several towns and cities in our state are named from Native American words.


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## alahay

*Lebanon*: from the Semitic "Laban", "white", referring to the snow on Lebanon's mountains
I actually found a great resource


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## ampurdan

Interesting source Alahay... But I don't understand what's the Navajo name of Castille in aid of, over there.


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## Outsider

GenJen54 said:
			
		

> *Indiana *- an indian word for "land of the Indians"


Are you sure that it's an Indian word? It seems European (perhaps Spanish?)


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## belén

Mallorca comes from the Arab Medina Mayurka, which was the name of one of the villages where they established.

I can't find the meaning of Medina Mayurka, though. Maybe someone who speaks Arab can tell me if it actually means something or it is just a made up name

Thanks

B


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## ampurdan

belen said:
			
		

> Mallorca comes from the Arab Medina Mayurka, which was the name of one of the villages where they established.
> 
> I can't find the meaning of Medina Mayurka, though. Maybe someone who speaks Arab can tell me if it actually means something or it is just a made up name


 
Maybe the Arabs took it from its latin name: "insula maior" (according to Wikipedia).


Edit: "insula maior": larger island.

Edit 2: In fact, "Madina Mayurqa" means "the city of Majorca" (maybe the island was called "Al-Mayurqa"?), which was translated into Catalan as "Ciutat de Mallorca"... What I don't know is where "Palma" come from? (today, the main town in the island is called "Palma o Ciutat de Mallorca", I think).


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## xav

Lorraine, Germ. Lothringen, from Lotharingia, after the name of Lothar, the firstborn of Karolus Magnus, who had obtained a long country from the Netherlands to Italy.

Alsace, Ellsass, the land of the Ill (the river which flows through).

Bourgogne, Burgundia, from the name of the German tribe "Burgund", as for France. Idem for Lombardia, in northern Italy, and for Sachsen, Bayern (Bavaria), Hessen (eine Art Franken), Schwaben, Dane-mark, Sweden... and for Andalucia ("Vandalusia", from the name of the Vandals).

Languedoc, the country where the "langue d'oc" was spoken, by opposition to the "langue d'oïl" in northern France ("oc" and "oïl" > "oui" being the way to say "yes")

Provence = Provincia romana, the first part of Gaul to be romanised.

Bretagne, after the name of the Briton Celts, who came from GB because of the Anglo-saxon invasion of the isle.

Belgium, after the name of the Gauls (or gallicised Germans) "Belgi", which means, I think, "brave" - exactly like "Slav" means "strong".


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## Fernando

Alternative origin of Andalusia. From Al Andalus (Arab) meaning "the West".



			
				ampurdan said:
			
		

> What I don't know is where "Palma" come from? (today, the main town in the island is called "Palma o Ciutat de Mallorca", I think).



I think the Roman name was Palmaria. Please, do not ask me when Palmaria come from.


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## Outsider

Macau


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## Fernando

Alentejo (Portuguese region): Alèm Tejo (the land beyond Tejo/Tajo river).


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## *Cowgirl*

Check this out!


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## Outsider

Fernando said:
			
		

> Alentejo (Portuguese region): Alèm Tejo (the land beyond Tejo/Tajo river).


Here's the name of another Portuguese region you might find interesting: Trás-os-Montes. _Trás_ means -- yep, you guessed it -- the same as in Spanish, but it's an old fashioned word we don't use in everyday conversation.
And we have our own Estremadura.


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## cherine

belen said:
			
		

> Mallorca comes from the Arab Medina Mayurka, which was the name of one of the villages where they established.
> I can't find the meaning of Medina Mayurka, though. Maybe someone who speaks Arabic can tell me if it actually means something or it is just a made up name


 
Belen,
To my knowledge the word mayurka is not Arabic. The suggestion of Ampudran seems more acceptible.
The Word Medina, though, IS Arbic but it only means city.


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## cherine

If I may also contribute to this very enteresting thread :
Egypt's Arabic name *Misr* comes from Hebrew : *Mesrayim*, son of Noah.
My city, *Alexandria*, owes its name -of course- to its creator : *Alexander* the Great
*Cairo*, the capital of Egypt, is called in Arabic *al-Kahira*, which means the *conqueror* (or the conqueror city, meaning it conquers its enemies, or more precisely : can't be conquered).
I read that the city of *Luxor* got it's name from the Arabic *al-uxor* which mean palaces, due to all the Pharaonic moments which are there.


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## Chaska Ñawi

One version of how Canada got its name is that some Spanish explorers looked up and down the rocky coast, said "Aca nada" (Nothing here!) and sailed off to Florida as fast as they could.

Being a colonial country, everything outside Quebec seems to be named after English royalty (Victoria, Charlottetown, Fredericton), nobility (Halifax, Lansdowne), or communities (London, Durham, Bath).  Only the unsettled areas and a few settled ones were allowed to retain their original names, leaving us such jewels as Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Ontario and Toronto (this last one means "meeting place", because the tribes got together every summer to meet and negotiate).  

EVERY anglophone town in Canada has one, or sometimes all of the following:  Queen street (Queen Victoria); Prince Street (any prince from the Regent to Prince Albert to Prince Edward); Princess Street (usually one of the Regent's or Victoria's daughters) and King Street (King George IV). 

In Quebec, as in Latin America, many of the communities are named after saints, even if the saints' names don't appear on maps:  Ste. Anne de la Pocatiere, Notre Dame du Laus.


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## blancalaw

MICHIGAN:  Based on Chippewa Indian word "meicigama" meaning "great water" and refers to the Great Lakes.
http://www.50states.com/michigan.htm


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## xav

> Alternative origin of Andalusia. From Al Andalus (Arab) meaning "the West".


I'm not sure, Fernando ; see there : http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=87633


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## frequency

Xipanu or Japangu, the original name of Japan had been written on Chinese ancient book, it seems.
And we have a story tells the origin that a certain deplomat in the letter declared Japan as a country from where the sun rises...not so interesting story though.


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## irka_hcmc

The france is from Frank, which means the french people. The one who lives in the kingdom of france. Before that the country was called the gaul referring to the "gaulois, gaulish" people who lived there. They were 5 tribes of gaulois in this period which is like 2000 years ago.The most famous battle of the gaulois was Alesia in -54BC. Vercingetorix the king of the gaul lost against Caesar because of a strategy problem , he could have won if the gaulois relied with each other... Good he lost.


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## Fernando

Just a little acclaration: Frank was the name of the German tribe which invaded North current France and current Benelux in the 5th century.


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## Outsider

Algarve: from Arabic _al-Gharb_, the West.


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## QUIJOTE

GenJen54 said:
			
		

> Many US states have their names from Native American languages:
> 
> *Texas - *from an Indian word meaning "friends"----


Interesting, and I thought it meant people not to be messed with


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## tvdxer

According to Wikipedia, Minnesota comes the Dakota words mni-sota, meaning "turbid water".  My city's name, "Duluth", was named after Sieur Du Lhut, I believe the first white man to set foot in it.


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## polaco

diegodbs said:
			
		

> The name "España" comes from Latin "Hispania" which seems to be a Phoenician word related to "tierra de conejos" (a land full of rabbits), and the name "Península Ibérica" (the Iberian Peninsula) from the name that the Greeks gave to a river (Iber) and the name of the inhabitants in that area (Iberes). Some scholars think that "Iber" was the river known today as "Ebro" in Spanish, but some others think that the "Iber" was a river in southwestern Spain, in the province of Huelva, either the "Tinto" river or the "Odiel" river. Greek settlers knew this southwestern region of Spain earlier than the northeast, so it seems plausible that the "Iber" river was either the Tinto or the Odiel.
> 
> In my previous post there was a link about the origin of the name "California" (USA). Do you know something about the origins of the names of your countries or states?
> 
> Thank you.


 
there's also second hypothesis about _Espana. _Ancient name of beautifull city of Sevilla was _Hispalis_ and some say that this is the source from which derives _Hispania._


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## polaco

*Texas - *from an Indian word meaning "friends"

Very funny. Texas goes like this: it is actually Tejas (after reform of spanish language in the second half of XIX cent.) and _la teja _is tile. Tiles were usually red at the time when name was invented. The colour  of soil in Texas is red. So, this is oryginal name: _las Tejas - _tiles. Not so romantic as "friends" but true instead.

greetnigs _Norteamericano_


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## AlfonsoHKG

Spain, Hispania = from the fenicians, land of rabits
France = from the Germanic invadors, the Franken (they still exists and have their dialect)
Britain = Celtic Invadors (like Bretagne)
Catalunya = from Gotalonia, land of Goths, Westgoths
Galicia = Land of Gaelicians, Gaelic invadors (same as Wales)
Andalucia = Vandalucia, land of the Vandals, Germanic invadors
Vascongadas = Celtic Asturs and Cantabrians who became more or less basks (that is why vascongdos = "basked") after the mixed with the Askos, tribe from the North of Navarra who moved to the mountains of Vascongadas during the Roman invasion
Ebro from Ibar (bask and iberian language = valley on the river)
Iberians = people from the valley, from Ibar.. Iberians

The basks are the first Spaniards, the pure Iberians. I am not, I am mixed with Celtic, gothic, fenician, Jewish, Italic.. what else, all possible.

At the end who cares, I did not decide, more a question of luck to be European than pride


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## Residente Calle 13

I don't think it has ever been established that Basques are "pure Iberians" or pure anything. They couldn't have been Spaniards back then just as the Canarsie Indians could not have been New Yorkers. Those places didn't yet exist as such.

What is certain is that the Basques were there when the Romans got there and that their language is not related to Celtic or any other language in Europe (or perhaps nowhere else on Earth). It's one big mistery. 

But I don't think you can say there are pure Basques in any sense of the word. Their language mixed and evolved and so did their people.


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## AlfonsoHKG

Residente Calle 13 said:
			
		

> I don't think it has ever been established that Basques are "pure Iberians" or pure anything. They couldn't have been Spaniards back then just as the Canarsie Indians could not have been New Yorkers. Those places didn't yet exist as such.
> 
> What is certain is that the Basques were there when the Romans got their and that their language is not related to Celtic or any other language in Europe (or perhaps nowhere else on Earth). It's one big mistery.
> 
> But I don't think you can say there are pure Basques in any sense of the word. Their language mixed and evolved and so did their people.


 
Correct, they cannot been pure basks anymore after so much mix

But with the ADN (English DNA?) you can trace now and know more.

Do you know what Early-Europeans mean and what is the main difference berween Early-Europeans and Caucasians? 

The difference is more extreme than blue eyes or blond hair.
Just check.


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## AlfonsoHKG

AlfonsoHKG said:
			
		

> Correct, they cannot been pure basks anymore after so much mix
> 
> But with the ADN (English DNA?) you can trace now and know more.
> 
> Do you know what Early-Europeans mean and what is the main difference berween Early-Europeans and Caucasians?
> 
> The difference is more extreme than blue eyes or blond hair.
> Just check.


 
"they cannot be" sorry mate, I write too fast


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## Residente Calle 13

AlfonsoHKG said:
			
		

> Correct, they cannot been pure basks anymore after so much mix
> 
> But with the ADN (English DNA?) you can trace now and know more.
> 
> Do you know what Early-Europeans mean and what is the main difference berween Early-Europeans and Caucasians?
> 
> The difference is more extreme than blue eyes or blond hair.
> Just check.



Yes. In English, it's *DNA*. I don't more that much more about DNA than how it's spelled. I think I should leave that to the experts. I do know people reproduce outside of their group so it's not very likely that there are pure Basques or pure anything in the world today.


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## Outsider

There is no such thing as racial purity, and _there has never been_. See the links on this page.

And, since we're on a language forum, let me offer a linguistic counterargument. There are indeed indications that the Basque language is derived* from the languages of peoples who inhabited Europe before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans. But this does _not_ mean that the Basque people of today are all derived from the oldest inhabitants of Europe, and from no others. Languages can be learned by any person, regardless of ethnicity, and it's quite possible that some Indo-European invaders ended up intermarrying with proto-Basques, their descendants switching to the Basque language. Or vice-versa, that some proto-Basques ended up switching to Indo-European languages. 

* 'Derived', because all languages change with time, including Basque.


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## Residente Calle 13

I always thought this was the cutest factoid :

_Español _was once _españon_; it changed under the influence of Provençal (Penny 272). The online DRAE lists its etymon as 'espaignol' so not even español is Spanish in that sense. Spanish already had an lexeme for 'Spanish' but it still borrowed a word for it from Provençal.

*Penny, Ralph. A History of the Spanish Language. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2002.*


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## Brioche

Chaska Ñawi said:
			
		

> One version of how Canada got its name is that some Spanish explorers looked up and down the rocky coast, said "Aca nada" (Nothing here!) and sailed off to Florida as fast as they could.
> 
> Being a colonial country, everything outside Quebec seems to be named after English royalty (Victoria, Charlottetown, Fredericton), nobility (Halifax, Lansdowne), or communities (London, Durham, Bath). Only the unsettled areas and a few settled ones were allowed to retain their original names, leaving us such jewels as Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Ontario and Toronto (this last one means "meeting place", because the tribes got together every summer to meet and negotiate).
> 
> EVERY anglophone town in Canada has one, or sometimes all of the following: Queen street (Queen Victoria); Prince Street (any prince from the Regent to Prince Albert to Prince Edward); Princess Street (usually one of the Regent's or Victoria's daughters) and King Street (King George IV).


 
There's a German joke about Canada being so named because when the early explorers came they found "Keine Da" _nobody there_.

The naming situation in Australia is similar to Canada.
We have the states Queensland and Victoria.
The city I live in is named for Queen _Adelaide_, the main street for her husband _King William_, and in the middle we have _Victoria_ Square.


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## Outsider

Wales, Welsh, and 'England' in Welsh.

P.S.



			
				Brioche said:
			
		

> *Australia* from the Latin "terra australis" for "land of the south"


By the way, *Austria* (in German, _Österreich_) also means "land of the South". (See below.)


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## AlfonsoHKG

Outsider said:
			
		

> Wales, Welsh, and 'England' in Welsh.
> 
> P.S.
> By the way, *Austria* (in German, _Österreich_) also means "land of the South".


 
Not sure about that:
South is Sudden
Land is Land

It sounds to me more like East Kingdom, but not sure.
Anybody?


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## Cath.S.

AlfonsoHKG said:
			
		

> Not sure about that:
> South is Sudden
> Land is Land
> 
> It sounds to me more like East Kingdom, but not sure.
> Anybody?


I think you're correct, Alfonso.

Britain alledgedly comes from the name of a tribe called Pritani, a celtic name that means _the painted people_.


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## Outsider

AlfonsoHKG said:
			
		

> Not sure about that:
> South is Sudden
> Land is Land
> 
> It sounds to me more like East Kingdom, but not sure.
> Anybody?


You're quite right! 



> The German name _Österreich_ can be translated into English as the "eastern realm", which is derived from the Old German _Ostarrîchi_. [...] The term probably originates in a vernacular translation of the Medieval Latin name for the region: _Marchia orientalis_, which translates as "eastern border", as it was situated at the eastern edge of the Holy Roman Empire [...]
> 
> Wikipedia


I've asked about this in the German language forum.


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