List of country name etymologies 153829 225165213 2008-07-12T06:24:12Z CanisRufus 91310 dab: Javanese {{Articleissues|OR=August 2007|unreferenced=February 2007|refimprove=July 2007}} This list covers [[English language]] '''country names with their etymologies'''. Some of these include notes on indigenous names and their etymologies. Countries in ''italics'' no longer exist as sovereign political entities. {{compactTOC2}} ==A== '''{{flag|Afghanistan}}''': {{main|Origins of the name Afghanistan}} :From ''Afghan'' and the Persian suffix -''stan'' meaning "land of"; thus: "land of the Afghans". The origin of the word ''Afghan'' itself — which is synonymous with ''[[Pashtun]]'' — remains uncertain. One explanation derives it from Apakan, an 8th or 9th century [[Iran]]ian ruler.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Others point out a 3rd century [[Sassanid Empire|Sassanid]] reference to "Abgan", the oldest known mention of a word variant of "Afghan".{{Fact|date=February 2007}} It also appears in the inscriptions of [[Shapur I]] of Iran at [[Naqsh-e Rustam|Naqš-e Rostam]] which mentions a certain Goundifer Abgan Rismaund.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} The sixth-century [[India]]n Astronomer [[Varahamihira]], in his ''[[Brhat Samhita]]'' (11.61; 16.38), refers to Afghans as ''Avagan.'' The seventh-century Chinese pilgrim [[Xuanzang]] who travels from [[Kunduz]] and [[Balkh]] into India where he refers to a people to the north of [[Sulaiman Mountains]] whom he calls ''Apokien'', which alludes to Avagans or Afghans. A modern view supported by numerous noted scholars is that the name Afghan evidently derives from [[Sanskrit]] [[Ashvaka]] or [[Ashvakan]] (q.v.), ([[Panini (grammarian)|Panini's]] [[Ashvakayana]]), the [[Assakenoi]] of [[Arrian]]. The Ashvakayan/Asvakan are stated to be a sub-section of the [[Kambojas]] who specialised in horse-culture. <!-- (too much for this article, deserves its own or merged in Afghanistan#Origin and history of the name) : The first Muslim reference to "Afghan" appeared in [[Hudud-al-Alam]] in [[982]]. In addition, the Muslim scholar [[Al-Biruni]] (973{{ndash}} 1048) refers to the "barbaric and rebellious tribes" between [[Kabul|Kabol]] in the west up to valley of [[Sindh]] ([[Indus]]) in the east as "Afghans" and designates them specifically as ''[[Hindu]]s'' ([[Sachau]]'s Trans. of Al-Biruni's ''India'', pp 21-22, 199, 208, 239, 317). Al-Biruni further speaks of a King in "Ninhar" (obviously Ningrahar, a province of Eastern Afghan), who shows a public display of conversion to Islam, even though he has over 30 wives, described as "Muslim, Afghan, and Hindu". The distinction between Muslim, Hindu, and Afghan sounds very intriguing, since this shows that Al-Biruni considered the ''Afghans'' neither Muslim nor Hindu, but rather something else not unlike the [[Nuristanis]], [[Kalash]], [[Kafirs]] and other nearby populations. Modern Afghans remain very superstitious and believe in spirits, demons, and witches (as they did before the emergence of Islam); this correlates with the beliefs still extant amongst the Kalash. This also shows that the Afghans had not completely adopted [[Islam]] at Al-Biruni's time. The testimony of [[Arab]] geographer Ibn-Haukal also leads to similar conclusions when it asserts that the [[Buddhists]], [[Jews]] and [[Muslim]]s lived in different parts of Kabol city around 978. Accounts from the end of twelfth century about warfare between [[Prithvi Raj Chauhan]], the Hindu ruler of Delhi and the Muslim Afghan, [[Muhammad Ghori]] (1192), represent the Afghans as fighting on both sides, which again clearly reveals that although the legend places their conversion in the early Islamic period, they had not all converted to Islam even at this later point in time. : One suggested [[etymology]] for the name "Afghan" derives it from [[Sanskrit]] ''upa-ganah'', said to mean "allied tribes". However, according to a modern view, the name ''Afghan'' evidently derives from Sanskrit ''Ashvaka'' or ''Ashvakan'', the Assakenoi of [[Arrian]] (J. W. McCrindle, Saan Martin, Dr N. L. Dey, Dr J. C. Vidyalankar etc). In Sanskrit, word ''ashva'' ([[Iranian languages|Iranian]] ''aspa'', [[Prakrit]] ''assa'') means "horse", and ''ashvaka'' (Prakrit ''assaka'') means "horseman". Pre-Christian times knew the people of eastern Afghanistan as ''Ashvakas'' ([[cavalry|horsemen]]), since they raised a fine breed of horses and had a reputation for providing expeaha Mihira's time, and underwent further changes — to ''Afghan'' — probably around the beginning of [[middle ages]]. The terms ''Abgan'' and ''Apakan'', if indeed they refer to "Afghan", apparently represent Iranian variants of the Sanskrit ''Avagan''. : Further, the designation ''Aspasios/Aspasii'' (=Isapzais/Aspazais) became the modern ''[[Yousafzai|Yusufzais]] '' only a few centuries ago (''The [[Pathan]]s'', pp 36-37, Olaf Caroe). :Scholars identify these [[Ashvakas]] i.e. ''Assakenois'' and ''Aspasios'' as the [[clan]]s of the [[Kambojas]] (see refs: ''Historie du Bouddhisme Indien'', p 110, Dr E. Lamotte; ''Panjab Past and Present'', pp 9-10, Dr Buddha Parkash; ''Political History of Ancient India'', 1996, p 133, p 216 ffn 2, p 576; Commentary Dr B. N. Mukerjee; ''History of Porus'', pp 12, 38; cf: MBH VI.90.3; ''History of Panjab'', Vol I, Dr Fauja Singh, Dr L. M. Joshi; ''Ancient Kamboja, People and country'', 1981, pp 271-72, 278; ''These Kamboj People'', 1979, pp 119, 192, K. S. Dardi; ''Hindu Polity'', 1978, pp 121, 140, Dr K. P. Jayswal; ''The Kambojas Through the Ages'', 2005, pp 129, 154, 219; etc). :The remainder of the name originates from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''stān'' (''country'' or ''land''). The Afghans themselves adopted the English word ''Afghanland'' that appeared in various treaties between [[Qajars|Qajar-Persia]] and the [[United Kingdom]] dealing with the Eastern lands of the Persian kingdom (modern Afghanistan), and the name became ''Afghanistan''. --> '''{{flag|Åland}}''' (autonomous province of [[Finland]]): :"Land [in the] water," from the Germanic root ''*ahw-'', cognate with Latin ''aqua''. The Finnish name ''Ahvenanmaa'' is partly borrowed, partly translated from Germanic. '''{{flag|Albania}}''': :"Alb" from the [[PIE]] root meaning "white" or "mountain", as mountains are often white-capped with snow; compare [[Alps]]. :*[[Albanian language|Albanian]]: ''Shqipëria'' (Land of the Eagles) :*[[Turkish language|Turkish]]: ''Arnavutluk'' '''{{flag|Algeria}}''': :The name Algeria is derived from the name of the city of [[Algiers]] (French ''Alger''), from the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] word "الجزائر" (''al-jazā’ir''), which translates as ''the islands'', referring to the four islands which lay off that city's coast until becoming part of the mainland in 1525; ''al-jazā’ir'' is itself short for the older name ''jazā’ir banī mazghannā'', "the islands of (the tribe) Bani Mazghanna", used by early medieval geographers such as [[al-Idrisi]] and [[Yaqut al-Hamawi]]. '''[[Americas|America]]''': :Believed to derive from the [[Latin]]ized version of the explorer [[Amerigo Vespucci]]'s name, ''Americus Vespucius'', in its feminine form, ''America''. "America" is also Latin for "Land of the Prince." Another less popular theory derives it from the name of [[Richard Amerike]]. :''See also [[#U|United States of America]] below, [[Americas#Naming of America|Naming of America]] and [[List of continent name etymologies]].'' '''{{flag|American Samoa}}''' ''(territory of the [[United States|United States of America]])'': :''See America above and Samoa, United States of America below.'' '''{{flag|Andorra}}''': :Etymology unknown and contested; of pre-[[Ancient Rome|Roman]], possibly Iberian or [[Basque language|Basque]] origin. The name ''Andorra'' might be derived from ''al-Darra'', the Arabic word for forest. When the [[Moors]] invaded Spain, the valleys of the Pyrenees were especially wooded, and the title Andorra can be found linked to villages in other parts of Spain which had been under Moorish domination. Still others claim that it comes from the Spanish ''andar'', meaning "to walk", which gave name to the nomadic tribe of Andorrisoe which ostensibly migrated to the valleys in and around present-day Andorra, or could possibly originate from a [[Navarre]]se word ''andurrial'', which translates as "shrub-covered land." An oft-told legend is that the name came from the archaic "Endor", which Louis le Debonnaire christened what he referred to as the "wild valleys of Hell" after defeating the Moors – wild and desolate mountain ranges have been associated with the Devil throughout much European literature. '''{{flag|Angola}}''': :From ''Ngola'', a title used by the monarch of the Kingdom of [[Ndongo]]. The [[Portugal|Portuguese]] named the area in honour of a ''Ngola'' allied with them. '''{{flag|Anguilla}}''' ''(overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]])'': :From the word for "eel" in any of several Romance languages (Spanish: ''anguila''; French: ''anguille''; Italian: ''anguilla''), due to its elongated shape. The circumstances of the island's European discovery and naming are uncertain: [[Christopher Columbus]] (1493) or French explorers (1564) are both possibilities.<ref>[http://www.gov.ai/elections/anguillahistory.htm Anguilla's History], Government of Anguilla website</ref> '''{{flag|Antigua and Barbuda}}''': :[[Christopher Columbus]] named [[Antigua]] in honour of the [[Santa María La Antigua]] ("Saint Mary the Old") cathedral in [[Seville]], [[Spain]], when he landed there in [[1493]]. "Barbuda" means "bearded" in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]. The islands gained this name after the appearance of the their [[fig]] trees, whose long roots resemble beards. Alternatively, it may refer to the beards of the indigenous people. '''{{flag|Argentina}}''': :''Main article: [[Origin and history of the name of Argentina]]'' :From the [[Latin]] ''argentum'', meaning "[[silver]]". Early [[Spain|Spanish]] and [[Portugal|Portuguese]] traders used the region's [[Río de la Plata]] or "Silver River" to transport silver and other treasures from [[Peru]] to the Atlantic. The land around the terminal downstream stations became known as ''Argentina'' – "Land of Silver". '''{{flag|Armenia}}''': {{main|Armenia (name)}} :From Old Persian ''Armina'' (6th century BC), Greek ''Armenia'' (5th century BC). The further etymology of the Persian name is uncertain, but may be connected to the Assyrian ''Armânum, Armanî'' and/or the Biblical [[Minni]]. The Old Persian name is an exonym, see [[Hayk]] for the native name and [[Urartu]] for the Biblical ''Ararat''. :*[[Armenian language|Armenian]]: Հայաստան ''Hayastan'' '''{{flag|Aruba}}''' ''(territory of [[Netherlands]])'': :Two possible meanings exist. One story relates how the [[Spain|Spanish]] explorer [[Alonso de Ojeda]] named the island in 1499 as "Oro Hubo", implying the presence of gold (''oro hubo'' in [[Spanish language|Spanish]] means "there was gold"). Another possible derivation cites the [[Arawak]] Indian word ''oibubai'', which means "guide". '''{{flag|Australia}}''': :Originally from [[Latin]] ''terra australis incognita'' — "unknown southern land". Early [[Europe]]an explorers, sensing that the Australian landmass far exceeded in size what they had already mapped, gave the area a generic descriptive name. The explorer [[Matthew Flinders]] ([[1774]] – [[1814]]), the first to sail around and chart the Australian coast, used the term "Australia" in his 1814 publication ''A Voyage to Terra Australis''. Previous Dutch explorers had referred to the continent as ''Australisch'' and as "Hollandia Nova" ([[New Holland (Australia)|New Holland]]). From the introduction in Flinders' book: ::"There is no probability, that any other detached body of land, of nearly equal extent, will ever be found in a more southern latitude; the name Terra Australis will, therefore, remain descriptive of the geographical importance of this country, and of its situation on the globe: it has antiquity to recommend it; and, having no reference to either of the two claiming nations, appears to be less objectionable than any other which could have been selected.*"<ref name = "sa.gov.au-B129">[http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/encounter/collection/B12985211_259_3.htm Encounter 1802{{ndash}} 2002 : Collection Item View<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> :...with the accompanying note at the bottom of the page: ::"* Had I permitted myself any innovation upon the original term, it would have been to convert it into AUSTRALIA; as being more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the earth."<ref name = "sa.gov.au-B129"/> '''{{flag|Austria}}''': :Compare the modern [[German language|German]] ''Österreich'', from Old High German ''ôstarrîhhi'', which literally means "empire in the East." In the [[9th century]], the territory formed part of the [[Frankish Empire]]'s eastern limit, and also formed the eastern limit of [[Germany|German]] settlement bordering on Slavic areas. Under [[Charlemagne]] and during the early [[Middle Ages]], the territory had the Latin name ''marchia orientalis'' ([[Eastern March]]). This translated to ''[[Ostarrîchi]]'' in the [[vernacular]] of the time; that Old High German form first appears in a [[996]] document. :*[[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''Nimsa'': Presumably from the Slavic word nowaday used for Germany, via Turkish. :*[[Czech language|Czech]] ''Rakousko'' (country) or ''Rakousy'' ([[Upper Austria|Upper]] and [[Lower Austria]]): from ''Rakous'' (German: [[Raabs]]), an important fortress on the [[Moravia|Moravian]]-Austrian border. :*[[Finnish language|Finnish]] ''Itävalta'' '''{{flag|Azerbaijan}}''': :Native spelling ''Azərbaycan'' (from surface fires on ancient [[Petroleum|oil]] pools; its ancient name, ''(Media) Atropatene'' (in [[Greek language|Greek]] and [[Latin]]) or ''Atrpatakan'' (in [[Armenian language|Armenian]]), actually referring to the present-day Azerbaijan region of Iran. The name became ''Azerbaijan'' in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]. The Persians knew the territory of the modern republic of Azerbaijan as "Aran"; and in classical times it became "(Caucasian) Albania" and, in part, "(Caucasian) Iberia", although this last term corresponds mostly to the present-day republic of [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. (''See Georgia below.'') The region of ''Media Atropatene'' lay further to the south: south of the [[Araks river|River Araxes]]. "Aran" may derive from the same root as modern "Iran", while "Albania" and "Iberia" appear as toponyms of Caucasus mountain derivation. The name "(Media) Atropatene" comes from Atropates ("fire protector" in [[Persian language|Middle Persian]]) who ruled as the independent [[Iran]]ian [[satrap]] at the time of the [[Seleucids]]. The modern ethnonym 'Azerbaijani' has often become the subject of sharp differences of opinion between the ethnically Turkic inhabitants of the modern republic of Azerbaijan and the inhabitants of the Persian-dominated neighboring republic of Iran. Iranians regard the names "Azerbaijan" and "Atropatene" as expressions of historically Persian culture, and therefore often refer to the modern republic of Azerbaijan as "Turkish Azerbaijan", and to its inhabitants as "Azerbaijani Turks". In contrast, Turkophone Azerbaijanis insist on their own place as an historically continuous presence in Azerbaijani history. The suffix ''-an'' in [[Persian language|Persian]] means "land". ==B== '''{{flag|Bahamas}}''': :From [[Spanish language|Spanish]] ''Baja Mar'' – "Low (Shallow) Sea". [[Spain|Spanish]] conquistadors named the islands thus after the waters around them. '''{{flag|Bahrain}}''': :[[Arabic language|Arabic]] for "two seas". The exact referents of the "two seas" remain a matter of debate. Bahrain lies in a bay formed by the Arabian mainland and the peninsula of [[Qatar]], and some identify the "two seas" as the waters of the bay on either side of the island. Others believe that the name refers to Bahrain's position as an island in the [[Persian Gulf]], separated by "two seas" from Arabia to the south and [[Iran]] to the north. Yet another claim suggests that the first sea surrounds [[Bahrain]] and the second "sea" metaphorically represents the abundant natural spring waters under the island itself. {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Baker Island]]''' ''(territory of the [[United States|United States of America]])'': :Named after [[Michael Baker]], of [[New Bedford, Massachusetts]], who claimed to have discovered it in [[1832]] (subsequent to its actual discovery). '''{{flag|Bangladesh}}''': ''Bangla'' referring to the [[Bengali language|Bengali]]-speaking people, and ''Desh'' meaning "country", hence "Country of the Bengalis". The origin of 'Bangla' derives from ancient 'vanga' kingdom of present location of [[Bengal]]. :*[[East Pakistan]] (former name): the name used when [[Pakistan]] comprised both modern-day Pakistan, or "West Pakistan", and modern-day [[Bangladesh]] — "East Pakistan". (See Pakistan below; note that the name "Pakistan" comes from an acronym of the country's various regions/homelands in which Bangladesh and its regions do not feature.) '''{{flag|Barbados}}''': :Named by the Portuguese explorer [[Pedro A. Campos]] "Os Barbados" ("The Bearded Ones") in 1536 after the appearance of the island's [[fig]] trees, whose long roots resemble beards. <!-- {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Bassas da India]]''' (territory of [[France]]): --> '''{{flag|Belarus}}''': :''See also [[Belarus#History of the name|Belarus: History of the name]]''. :From [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]], meaning "White [[Rus']]", "White [[Ruthenia]]". Formerly known as ''Byelorussia'', a transliteration from the [[Russian language|Russian]] name meaning "White Russia". (''See Russia below.'') The name changed after the collapse of the [[Soviet Union]] to emphasize the historic and ongoing distinctness of the nations of [[Belarus]] and [[Russia]]. The exact original meaning conveyed by the term "Bela" or 'White' remains uncertain. Early cultures commonly employed the concept of "whiteness" as representing the qualities of freedom, purity, or nobility. On the other hand, it may simply have originated as a totem color of convenience. Part of the western territory of modern Belarus historically bore the name of "Chernarossija" or "[[Black Ruthenia|Black Rus]]". The term "Black" most commonly applied to landscapes featuring especially rich and productive soils. How this may reflect on the origin of the term "White Rus" remains as yet unexplored. Yet another region in present-day western Ukraine historically had the name "Red Russia" or "Red Ruthenia". Colors represented [[cardinal direction]]s in Mongol and Tatar culture. '''{{flag|Belgium}}''': :From the name of a [[Celt]]ic tribe, the ''[[Belgae]]''. :The name ''Belgae'' may derive from the [[PIE]] ''*bolg'' meaning "bag" or "womb" and indicating common descent; if so, it likely followed some unknown original adjective. :Another theory suggests that the name ''Belgae'' may come from the [[Proto-Celtic]] ''*belo'', which means "bright", and which relates to the English word ''bale'' (as in "bale-fire"), to the [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] ''bael'', to the [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] ''baltas'', meaning "white" or "shining" (from which the Baltic takes its name) and to Slavic "belo/bilo/bjelo/..." meaning "white" (as in the town names Beograd, Biograd, Bjelovar, etc, all meaning "white city") (see [[Beltane]]). Thus the [[Gaulish]] god-names ''[[Belenos]]'' ("Bright one") and ''[[Belisama]]'' (probably the same divinity, originally from ''*belo-nos'' = "our shining one") might come also from the same source. '''{{flag|Belize}}''': :Traditionally said to derive from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] pronunciation of "Wallace", the name of the pirate who set up the first settlement in [[Belize]] in [[1638]]. Another possibility relates the name to the [[Maya languages|Maya]] word ''belix'', meaning "muddy water", applied to the [[Belize River]]. :* [[British Honduras]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[United Kingdom|Britain]]). For "Honduras" see Honduras below. See also Britain, below. '''{{flag|Benin}}''': :Previously called Dahomey, the country was renamed the People's Republic of Benin in 1975 after the [[Bight of Benin]] &mdash; the body of water on which it lies. This name was picked due to its neutrality, since the current political boundaries of Benin encompass over fifty distinct linguistic groups and nearly as many individual ethnic groups. The "Benin" in "Bight of Benin" is itself the name of an old kingdom (the [[Kingdom of Benin]]) which was in the region, centred at [[Benin City]] in modern-day [[Nigeria]]. (The old kingdom was not coincident with the modern country of Benin, nor historically directly linked to it.) The name is said to derive, via ''Ubini'', from the [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] ''Ile-ibinu'', meaning a land of quarrels, referring to a historical period of dispute within the kingdom, and applied (perhaps derogatorily) by the [[Yoruba people]]. That was then corrupted by early Portuguese traders into "Benin", and the related term "[[Bini people|Bini]]", the name of the people (though the people themselves use the name "Edo"). Some accounts suggest that "Bini" is related to the Arabic ''bani'', meaning "sons". :*The name [[Dahomey]] was the name of the ancient [[Fon people|Fon]] Kingdom, and was determined to be an inappropriate name, as it was the name of the principal ethnic group of the country. '''{{flag|Bermuda}}''' ''(overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]])'': :From the name of the Spanish sea captain [[Juan de Bermúdez]] who sighted the islands in [[1503]]. '''{{flag|Bhutan}}''': :The ethnic Tibetans or ''Bhotia'' migrated from [[Tibet]] to [[Bhutan]] in the 10th century. The root ''Bod'' is an ancient name for [[Tibet]]. :*[[Bhutanese language]]: ''Druk Yul'' — "land of the thunder dragon", "land of thunder", or "land of the dragon", from the violent thunder storms that come from the [[Himalayas]]. '''{{flag|Bolivia}}''': :Named after [[Simón Bolívar]] (1783–1830), an anti-Spanish militant and first president of Bolivia after the country gained its independence in 1825. His surname comes from [[Bolibar|La Puebla de Bolibar]], a village in [[Biscay]], [[Spain]]. The etymology of Bolibar may be ''bolu''- ("mill") + -''ibar'' ("river"). Thus, it might mean a mill on a river. '''{{flag|Bosnia and Herzegovina}}''': :The country consists of two distinct regions. The larger northern section, [[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]], takes its name from the [[Bosna river]]. The smaller, southern, territory, [[Herzegovina]], takes its name from the [[German language|German]] noble title ''Herzog'', meaning "Duke". [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick IV]], King of the Romans, made the territory's ruler, the Grand Vojvoda Stjepan Vukcic, a duke in [[1448]]. '''{{flag|Botswana}}''': :Named after the country's largest ethnic group, the [[Tswana]]. :* [[Bechuanaland]] (former name): derived from Bechuana, an alternative spelling of "Botswana". '''{{flagicon|Norway}} [[Bouvet Island]]''' ''(territory of [[Norway]])'': :Named after the French explorer [[Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier]], who discovered the remote island in [[1739]]. '''{{flag|Brazil}}''': :Named after the [[brazilwood]] tree, called ''[[pau-brasil]]'' in [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] and so-named because its reddish wood resembled the color of red-hot embers (''brasa'' in Portuguese), and because it was recognized as an excellent source of red dye. In [[Old Tupi language|Tupi]] it is called "ibirapitanga", which means literally "red wood". The wood of the tree was used to color clothes and fabrics. :Another theory states that the name of the country is related to the Irish myth of [[Hy-Brazil]], a [[phantom island]] similar to [[St. Brendan's Island]], southwest of Ireland. The legend was so strong that during the 15th century many expeditions tried to find it, the most important being that of [[John Cabot]]. As the Brazilian lands were reached by [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]] in 1500 A.D., the Irish myth would have influenced the late name given to the country (after "Island of Real Cross" and "Land of Holy Cross"{{clarifyme}}). The proof that the legend was popular among Iberic people may be verified by the name of the Azorean [[Terceira Island]], registered in the 14th century in the Atlas Catalan and around 1436 on the Venetian map of [[Andrea Bianco]].{{clarifyme}} :See also [[list of Brazil state name etymologies]]. {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} '''[[Great Britain|Britain]]''': :From ''[[Pretani]]'', "painted ones"{{Fact|date=September 2007}}; perhaps a reference to the use of body-paint and tattoos by early inhabitants of the islands; may also derive from the Celtic goddess [[Brigid]] {{Fact|date=April 2007}}. The form 'Britain' (see also [[Welsh language|Welsh]] ''Prydain'') comes from Latin 'Britannia', probably via French. The former name of the island of Britain was ''Albion'', an ancient Greek adaptation of a Celtic name which may survive as the Gaelic name of [[Scotland]], ''[[Alba]]''. Traditionally, a folk etymology derived the name from "Brutus", but this is almost certainly not the case. [[Brittany]] derives from the same root. '''{{flag|British Indian Ocean Territory}}''' ''(overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]])'': :Self-descriptive. '''{{flag|British Virgin Islands}}''' ''(overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]])'': :[[Christopher Columbus]], on discovering a seemingly endless number of islands in the north-east Caribbean in [[1493]], named them after [[Saint Ursula]] and the 11,000 virgins. The word "British" distinguishes these islands from the adjacent [[US Virgin Islands]]. <!--''See also Britain above.''--> '''{{flag|Brunei}}''': :Possibly via [[Hindi]] from [[Sanskrit]] ''bhurni'', meaning "land" or "country". Alternatively, said by some to be from a Malay exclamation "barunah!" meaning "great!", or "excellent!", in reference to the suitability of the location for settlers. It was renamed "Barunai" in the 14th Century, possibly influenced by the Sanskrit word ''varunai'', meaning "seafarers", later to become "Brunei". The word "Borneo" is of the same origin. In the country's full name "Negara Brunei Darussalam", "Darussalam" means "Abode of Peace" in [[Arabic language|Arabic]], while "Negara" means "State" in Malay. "Negara" derives from the [[Sanskrit]] ''Nagara'', meaning "city." '''{{flag|Bulgaria}}''': :Named after the [[Bulgars]]. Their tribal name, ''Bulgar'', may come from ''burg'', which means "castle" in Germanic languages. A. D. Keramopoulos derives the name "Bulgars" from ''burgarii'' or ''bourgarioi'' meaning "those who maintain the forts" (''burgi, bourgoi, purgoi'') along the northern boundaries of the Balkan provinces, and elsewhere in the [[Roman Empire]], first mentioned in Greek in an inscription dated A.D. 202, found between [[Plovdiv|Philippopolis]] and Tatar [[Pazardzhik]] (and last published in Wilhelm Dittenberger's ''Sylloge inscriptionum graecarum'', 3 ed., vol. II [1917], no. 880,1. 51, p. 593). The Bulgarians, previously known as [[Moesia]]ns, inhabited [[Thrace]]. :*An alternative [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] etymology for the name of the pre-Slavicised Central-Asian Bulgars derives from ''Bulgha'' meaning ''[[sable]]'' and has a [[totemism|totemistic]] origin. :*Some associate the name ''Bulgar'' with the River [[Volga]] in present-day Russia: Bulgars lived in that region before and/or after the migration to the Balkans: see [[Volga Bulgaria]]. '''{{flag|Burkina Faso}}''': :From local languages, meaning "land of upright people", "land of honest men" or "land of the incorruptible". President [[Thomas Sankara]], who took power in a coup in 1983, changed the name from "Upper Volta" in 1984. The two parts of the name come from two of the country's main languages: [[More language|Moré]] (''Burkina'') and [[Dioula]] (''Faso''). :*[[Republic of Upper Volta|Upper Volta]] (former name): after the Volta's two main tributary rivers, both originating in [[Burkina Faso]]. '''{{flag|Burma}}''': :''see Myanmar below.'' '''{{flag|Burundi}}''': :From a local name meaning "land of the [[Kirundi]]-speakers." ==C== '''{{flag|Cambodia}}''': :The name "Cambodia" derives from that of the ancient [[Khmer people|Khmer]] [[monarchy|kingdom]] of [[Kambuja]] (Kambujadesa). The ancient [[Sanskrit]] name ''Kambuja'' or ''Kamboja'' referred to an early Indo-Iranian [[tribe]], the [[Kambojas]], named after the founder of that tribe, [[Sage Kambu Swayambhuva|Kambu Svayambhuva]], apparently a variant of [[Cambyses]], [[Kambujiya]] or [[Kamboja]]. See [[Etymology of Kamboja]]. :* [[Kampuchea]] (local name): derived in the same fashion. It also was the official English-language name from 1975 to 1989. '''{{flag|Cameroon}}''': :From [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''Rio de Camarões'' ("River of Shrimps"), the name given to the [[Wouri River]] by Portuguese explorers in the 15th century. '''{{flag|Canada}}''': :''Main article: [[Canada's name]]'' :From the word ''Kanata'' meaning "village" or "settlement" in the [[Laurentian language|Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian]] language spoken by the inhabitants of [[Stadacona]] and the neighbouring region, in the 16th century, near present-day [[Quebec City]]. See also [[Canadian provincial name etymologies]]. '''{{flag|Cape Verde}}''': :Named after [[Cap-Vert]] a [[Headlands and bays|cape]] in Western Africa. From [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''Cabo Verde'': "Green cape". '''[[Caroline Islands]]''' :Named after [[Charles II of Spain|Charles II]], king of [[Spain]] from 1665 to 1700. :''See "Micronesia" and "Palau" below'' '''''{{flag|Catalonia}}''''': :''Catalunya'' in [[Catalan language|Catalan]]. The origin is unclear and there are many hypotheses. Perhaps from the word meaning "land of castles" (see [[Castile (historical region)|Castile]] for a similar origin). According to another somewhat similar theory (Lafont 1986), ''Catalunya'' could come from [[Arabic]] ''Qalat-uniyya'' (''Qalat'' means "castle" and ''-uniyya'' is a collective suffix) because medieval Catalonha used to be a frontier country with a lot of castles in front of the Muslim and Arabized zone of the Iberic peninsula. Some texts suggest that the name Catalunya derives from "Gauta-landia": Land of the Goths, or "Goth-Alania" meaning "Land of the Goths and Alans"<ref>[http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a013.html Alans, Encyclopædia Iranica]</ref> through Arabian ''*Cotelanuyya'' [cf. Andalusia, land of the Vandals], as the Visigoths and Alans invaded and divided Iberia between themselves, agreeing to rule some parts together, with the region of Catalunya going to the Visigoths. Additionally, the Visigothic kingdom of Catalonia may have been named after the original homeland of the Visigoths, "Gotland". Coromines suggests an Iberian origin: ''Laietani'' (latinization of Iberian ''laiezken'') > ''*laketani'' > ''laketans'' > [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesized]] as ''catelans'' > ''catalans'', reforced by ''castellani'' (with an [[Epenthesis|epenthetic]] ''s'' according to Coromines). Another theory suggests ''*kaste-lan'' as the Iberian name later latinized as ''castellani'' (an Iberian tribe in northern Catalonia according to Ptolemy); then the name would have evolved into ''*catellani'' > ''*catelans'' > ''*catalans''. '''{{flag|Cayman Islands}}''' ''(overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]])'': :[[Christopher Columbus]] discovered the islands in 1503 after winds blew him off his course from [[Panama]] to [[Hispaniola]]. He called the islands ''Las Tortugas'' ("The Turtles" in Spanish) due to the many turtles there. Around 1540, the islands gained the name ''Caymanas'', from a Carib word for marine alligators or "[[caiman]]", an animal found on the islands. '''{{flag|Central African Republic}}''': :Named after its geographical position in the center of the continent of [[Africa]]; see also [[List of continent name etymologies]]. '''{{flag|Chad}}''': :Locally known in French as ''République du Tchad''. Named for [[Lake Chad]] (or Tchad) in the country's southwest. The lake in turn got its name from the [[Bornu]] word ''tsade'': "lake". '''{{flag|Chechnya}}''': :The [[Russian language|Russian]] [[ethnonym]] ''[[Chechen people|Chechen]]'' probably derives from the name of the ancient village of [[Chechana]] or [[Chechen-aul]]. The village is on the bank of the [[Argun River]], near [[Grozny]]. Another theory derives the name from ''chechenit' sya'', "to talk mincingly".<ref>Webster's third international dictionary; [[Merriam-Webster]] 1993, p.381</ref> :The native term, ''Noxçi'', is derived from ''nexça'' (sheep cheese), ''nox'' (plow) or from the prophet [[Noah]] (''Nox'' in Chechen). '''{{flag|Chile}}''': :Exact etymology unknown. Possibilities include that it comes from a native [[Mapudungun]] term meaning "the depths", a reference to the fact that the [[Andes]] mountain chain looms over the narrow coastal flatland. The [[Quechua]] or [[Mapuche]] Indian word ''chili''/''chilli'' or "where the land ends/where the land runs out/limit of the world" is a possible derivation. Another possible meaning originates with a native word ''tchili'', meaning "snow". '''{{flag|China}}''': :The English name of China comes from the [[Qin Dynasty]], possibly in a [[Sanskrit]] form; the pronunciation "China" came to the western languages through the Persian word چین "''Chin''". (see also: [[China in world languages]]) :* Chinese: ''Zhong Guo'' — "central country" :* Archaic English ''[[Cathay]]'', [[Turkish language|Turkish]] ''Xytai'' and [[Russian language|Russian]] ''Китай'' (''Kitai''), from the [[Khitan people]] who conquered north China in the 10th century. '''{{flag|Christmas Island}}''' ''(territory of [[Australia]])'': : So named because Captain [[William Mynors]] discovered the island on Christmas Day in [[1643]]. {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Clipperton Island]]''' ''(territory of [[France]]): :Named after the [[England|English]] mutineer and pirate [[John Clipperton]], who hid there in [[1705]]. '''{{flag|Cocos Islands}}''' ''(territory of [[Australia]])'': :Named after [[coconut]]s, the main local product. :*Keeling Islands (alternative name), after Captain [[William Keeling]], who discovered the islands in [[1609]]. '''{{flag|Colombia}}''': :Named after the explorer [[Christopher Columbus]], despite the fact that he never was in the country. '''{{flag|Comoros}}''': :From the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''Djazair al Qamar'': "island of the moon." '''{{flag|Congo, Republic of the}}''': :Named after the former [[Kongo Empire|Kongo]] kingdom, in turn named after the [[Bakongo]] people. '''{{flag|Congo, Democratic Republic of the}}''': :Named after the former [[Kongo Empire|Kongo]] kingdom, in turn named after the [[Bakongo]] people. :* [[Zaire]] (former name), from ''Nzere'', "river", after [[Congo River]]. '''{{flag|Cook Islands}}''' ''(territory of [[New Zealand]])'': :Named after [[Captain James Cook]], who sighted the islands in [[1770]]. '''{{flag|Costa Rica}}''': :The name, meaning "rich coast" in Spanish, was given by the Spanish explorer [[Gil González Dávila]]. '''{{flag|Côte d'Ivoire}}''': :From [[French language|French]], meaning "Ivory Coast". The [[France|French]] so named the region in reference to the [[ivory]] traded from the area — in similar fashion, nearby stretches of the African shoreline became known as the "Grain Coast", the "Gold Coast" and the "Slave Coast." '''{{flag|Croatia}}''': :Latinization of the Croatian name ''Hrvatska'', derived from ''Hrvat'' (Croat): a word of unknown origin, possibly from a [[Sarmatians|Sarmatian]] word for "herdsman" or "cowboy".{{Fact|date=June 2007}} Might be related to an aboriginal tribe of [[Alans]]. '''{{flag|Cuba}}''': :From [[Taíno]] Indian ''Cubanacan'' — "centre place". In Portugal, some believe that the name echoes that of the Portuguese town of [[Cuba, Portugal|Cuba]], speculating that [[Christopher Columbus]] provided a link. In Portuguese and Spanish, the word "cuba" refers to the barrels used to hold beverages. '''{{flag|Wales|name=Cymru}}''' :Cymru is the [[Welsh language|Welsh]] name for [[Wales]], thought to mean "Land of the Compatriots" in [[Old Welsh]]. The term "Welsh" comes from the Anglo-Saxon "Wealh", meaning foreigner or unfamiliar neighbour. '''{{flag|Cyprus}}''': :Derived from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''Κύπρος'' (''Kypros'') for "[[copper]]", in reference to the copper mined on the island in antiquity. '''''{{flag|Czechoslovakia}}''''': :Roughly "land of the Czechs and Slovaks", from the two main Slavic ethnic groups in the country, with "Slovak" deriving from the Slavic for "Slavs"; and "Czech" ultimately of unknown origin. '''{{flag|Czech Republic}}''': :From ''Čechové'' (''Češi'', i.e. Czechs), the name of one of the [[Slavic tribes]] on the country's territory, which subdued the neighboring Slavic tribes around 900. The origin of the name of the tribe itself remains unknown. According to a legend, it comes from their leader ''Čech'', who brought them to [[Bohemia]]. Most scholarly theories regard ''Čech'' as a sort of obscure derivative, i.e. from ''Četa'' (military unit). :* Bohemia (Latin and traditional English variant): after a [[Celt]]ic tribe [[Boii]]. ==D== '''{{flag|Dagestan}}''': :The word ''Daghestan'' or ''Daghistan'' ({{lang-av|Дагъистан}}; [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and {{lang-fa|داغستان}}) means "country of mountains", it is derived from the Turkic word ''dağ'', meaning mountain and the Persian suffix -''stan'' meaning "land of". The spelling ''Dagestan'' is a transliteration from [[Russian language]], which lacks the [[voiced velar fricative]]. '''{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}''': :''See Congo, Democratic Republic of, above'' '''{{flag|Denmark}}''': :From the native name ''Danmark'', meaning "march (i.e., borderland) of the [[Danes]]", the dominant people of the region since ancient times. The origin of the tribal name is unknown, but one theory derives it from [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] ''dhen'': "low" or "flat", presumably referring to the low elevation of most of the country. '''{{flag|Djibouti}}''': :Named after the bottom point of the [[Gulf of Tadjoura]]. Possibly derived from the Afar word ''gabouti'', a type of doormat made of palm fibres. Another plausible, but unproven, etymology is that "Djibouti" means "Land of Tehuti" or Land of [[Thoth]], after the [[Ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] Moon God. :*[[French Territory of the Afars and the Issas]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[France]]) and the two main ethnic groups in the country. See also France, below. :*[[French Somaliland]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[France]]). For Somaliland see Somalia below. '''{{flag|Dominica}}''': :From the [[Latin]] "Dies Dominica" meaning "Sunday": the day of the week on which [[Christopher Columbus]] first landed on the island. '''{{flag|Dominican Republic}}''': :Derived from [[Santo Domingo]], the capital city, which bears the name of the [[Spain|Spanish]] Saint [[Domingo de Guzmán]], the founder of the [[Dominican Order]]. ==E== '''{{flag|East Timor}}''': :From the [[Malay language|Malay]] word ''timur'' meaning "east". The local official [[Tetum]] language refers to East Timor as ''Timor Lorosae'' or "East Timor", or ''Timor-Leste'' in Portuguese. In neighbouring [[Indonesia]] it has the formal name ''Timor Timur'' — etymologically "eastern east". Indonesians usually shorten the name to ''Tim-Tim''. :*[[Portuguese Timor]] (former name): after the former colonial ruler ([[Portugal]]). "Timor" as above. '''{{flag|Ecuador}}''': :"[[Equator]]" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]], as the country lies on the [[Equator]]. '''{{flag|Egypt}}''': :From ancient [[Greek language|Greek]] (attested in [[Mycenaean Greek language|Mycenean]]) ''Αίγυπτος'', or ''Aígyptos'', which, according to [[Strabo]], derived from ''Αιγαίου υπτίως'' (''Aigaiou hyptios'' — "the land below the [[Aegean sea]]"). That is more apparent in the Latin form ''Aegyptus''. Alternatively, from the Egyptian name of [[Memphis, Egypt|Memphis]], ''*ħāwit kuʔ pitáħ'', meaning "house (or temple) of the soul of [[Ptah]]". :*''Mişr'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]] name, pronounced ''Maşr'' in Egyptian Arabic): a widespread [[Semitic]] word (Hebrew: ''Mitzraim''), first used to mean "Egypt" in [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]], and meaning "city" or "to settle or found" in Arabic. The [[Turkish language|Turkish]] name ''Mısır'' derives from the Arabic one. However, the Hebrew form means "straits or narrow places", referring to the shape of the country as it follows the Nile River, and takes on more symbolic weight in the Bible in reference to the [[Exodus]] story. :*''Kême'' ([[Coptic language|Coptic]] name): "black land" ([[Ancient Egyptian]] ''kmt''), referring to the mud of the Nile after the summer flood, as opposed to the desert, called "red land" (Ancient Egyptian ''dšrt''). '''{{flag|El Salvador}}''': :"The saviour" in [[Spanish language|Spanish]]: named after [[Jesus]]. '''''{{flag|England}}''''' ''([[constituent country]] of the [[United Kingdom]]): :Derived from the [[Old English language|Old English]] name ''Englaland'', literally translatable as "land of the [[Angles]]". :The indigenous languages of [[Ireland]] and [[Scotland]] refer to England as the "land of the Saxons" &mdash; for example, [[Irish language|Irish]] ''Sasana''. [[Cornish language|Cornish]] &mdash; also a [[Celtic language]] &mdash; uses ''Pow Saws'' &mdash; literally "Saxon country". '''{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}''': :"Equatorial", from the word "equator". The [[Equator]] does not pass through the country's land, though the country straddles the Equator, as its island of [[Annobon]] lies to the south, while the mainland lies to the north. "Guinea" perhaps comes from the [[Berber languages|Berber]] term ''aguinaoui'', which means "black". :*[[Spanish Guinea]] (former name): after the former colonial ruler ([[Spain]]). "Guinea" as above; See also Spain, below. '''{{flag|Eritrea}}''': :Named by [[Italy|Italian]] colonizers, from the Latin name for the [[Red Sea]], ''Mare Erythraeum'' ("[[Erythraean Sea]]"), which in turn derived from the ancient [[Greek language|Greek]] name for the Red Sea: ''Erythrea Thalassa''. '''{{flag|Estonia}}''': :From the Latin version of the Germanic word ''Estland'', which could originate from the Germanic word for "eastern (way)", or from the name [[Aesti|''Aestia'']], first mentioned in ancient Greek texts. Palaeogeographers have not located ''Aestia'' exactly: the name may have instead referred to modern [[Masuria]] in [[Poland]]. :* ''[[Chud]]'' ([[Old East Slavic]]): originally derived from the [[Gothic language|Gothic]] for "people" (see "Deutschland" under the heading "Germany"); more recent folk-etymology has also linked the name to the Slavic root for "weird". [[Lake Peipus]] still bears the name of "Chudskoe Lake" in Slavic languages. :* ''Igaunija'' ([[Latvian language|Latvian]]): from the ancient [[Ugaunian]] tribe in southeastern Estonia. :* ''Viro'' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]] variant): from the ancient [[Vironian]] tribe in northern Estonia. '''{{flag|Ethiopia}}''': :From the [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''Αἰθιοπία'' (''Æthiopia''), from ''Αἰθίοψ'' (''Æthiops'') "an Ethiopian" — sometimes parsed by Westerners as a purely Greek term meaning "of burnt (''αιθ''-) visage (''ὄψ'')". However, some (i.e., the 16–17th c. [[Book of Aksum]] [''Matshafa Aksum'']) Ethiopian sources state that the name derived from "'Ityopp'is", a son of [[Biblical Cush|Cush, son of Ham]] who, according to legend, founded the city of [[Aksum]]. :* [[Abyssinia]] (former alternate name): derives from an [[Arabic language|Arabic]] form of the [[Ge'ez language|Ge'ez]] (and other [[Ethiopian Semitic languages|Ethiosemitic languages]]) word ''[[Habesha]]'', a name referring to the collection of all tribes in ancient Ethiopia. {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Europa Island]]''' ''(territory of [[France]]): :The island was named for the British ship ''Europa'', which visited it in 1774. ==F== '''{{flag|Falkland Islands}}''' (overseas territory of the [[United Kingdom]]): :The [[England|English]] Captain [[John Strong]] named the strait between the two main islands the [[Falkland Sound]] when he landed on the islands in [[1690]], and the term eventually came to apply to the whole island group. The name honoured [[Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland]], [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], whose family name was also their residence "[[Falkland Palace]]" in [[Scotland]]. :*''Islas Malvinas'' ([[Spanish language]] name): comes from the [[France|French]] sailors who frequented the islands during the [[1690s]]. They came from [[St. Malo]] in [[Brittany]], [[France]], so others often referred to them in French as the "Malouines". :*Sebald Islands — a nearly defunct name of Dutch origin which commemorated [[Sebald de Weert]], who is usually credited with first sighting the Falkland Islands in [[1598]]. '''{{flag|Faroe Islands}}''' (territory of [[Denmark]]): :From [[Faroese language|Faroese]] (originally [[Old Norse]]) ''Føroyar'', "sheep islands". '''{{flag|Fiji}}''': :From the [[Tongan language|Tongan]] name for the islands: ''Viti''. '''{{flag|Finland}}''': :From Germanic, meaning "Land of the Finns". Originally, the Germanic term ''Finn'', deriving possibly from ''finthan'' ("wander, find"), and carried forth in the North Germanic languages, probably referred to hunter-gatherers, whose closest cultural successors in modern terms would be the [[Sami people]]. Latin ''Fennia''. :*''[[Suomi]]'' (Finnish name), Soome (Estonian name), Sum' (Old Russian name): may derive from the [[Baltic languages|Baltic]] root ''zeme'' for "land": ''zeme'' ← ''sheme'' ← ''shäme'' → ''[[Häme]]'' ← ''shaame'' → ''[[Saami]]'' ← ''Soomi'' ← ''Suomi''. :*''[[An Fhionnlainn]]'' ([[Irish language|Irish]] name) is derived from ''Finlandia'' though by coincidence ''Fionnlann'' also means "Land of the fair" in Irish. {{flagicon|Taiwan}} '''[[Taiwan|Formosa]]''': :''See Taiwan.'' '''{{flag|France}}''': {{main|Name of France}} :[[French language|French]] derivation of ''Francia'', "Land of the [[Franks]]". A frankon was a spear used by the early Franks, thus giving them their name. The term "Frank" later became associated with "free" as the Franks were the only truly freemen, since they subjugated the Romanized Gauls. :*[[Gallia]] (Latin) from the name of a [[Celt]]ic tribe. Many Celtic groups used similar names: compare [[Gaul]], [[Galatia]], and [[Galicia]]. '''{{flag|French Guiana}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :''See France above and Guyana below.'' '''{{flag|French Polynesia}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :The geographic term "Polynesia" means "many islands", formed from the [[Greek language|Greek]] roots: ''poly'' = many; and ''νῆσος'' (''nēsos'') = island. :''See also France above.'' '''{{flag|French Southern and Antarctic Lands}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :From the geographic location of the territories (in the southern [[Indian Ocean]]). :''Note: France's claims in [[Antarctic]] are in abeyance because of the [[1959]] [[Antarctic Treaty]].'' :''See also France above.'' ==G== '''{{flag|Gabon}}''': :From ''Gabão'', the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] name for the [[Komo]] river [[estuary]] ([[French language|French]]: ''Estuaire de Gabon''). The estuary took its name from its shape, which resembles that of a hooded overcoat (''gabão''). ''Gabão'' comes from [[Arabic language|Arabic]] قباء (''qabā’''). '''{{flag|Gambia, The}}''': :From the [[river Gambia]] that runs through the country. The word ''gambia'' supposedly derives from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word ''câmbio'' (meaning "trade" or "exchange"), in reference to the trade the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] carried out in the area. '''{{flag|Georgia}}''' (the west Asian country): :Derived from [[Persian language|Persian]] ''Gurj'',<ref>{{cite book |last = Curtis |first =Glenn E. |title = Georgia a Country Study |year = 2004 |publisher = Kessinger Publishing |isbn = 1419121650 |pages = 89 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last = Nasmyth |first = Peter |title = Georgia: In the Mountains of Poetry |year = 2001 |publisher = Routledge |isbn = 0700713956 |pages = 9 }}</ref> probably derived from a [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] term meaning "mountainous". In classical times Greeks referring to the region used the names of [[Colchis]] (the coastal region along the Black Sea) and [[Caucasian Iberia|Iberia]] (further inland to the east). Some also believed that Georgia was so named by the Greeks on account of its agricultural resources, since "georgia" (''γεωργία'') means "farming" in [[Greek language|Greek]]. However, the modern Greek name is now taken to be a derivation from the Persian root ''Gurj''.<ref>{{cite book |last = Wilson |first = Nigel Guy |title = Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece |year = 2006 |publisher = Routledge |isbn = 0415973341 |pages = 320 }}</ref> Both names probably derive from indigenous Caucasian languages. :* ''Gruzia'' in [[Slavic languages]] (''Грузия'' in Russian, for example) and ''Gorjestân'' (گرجستان) in [[Persian language|Persian]] derive from the same source. ''Gruzia'', probably imported from Russian, is used in [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]. :* ''Sakartvelo'' (Georgian name; in English commonly "Kartvelia"): derived from a pagan god called [[Kartlos]], once regarded as the father of all Georgians. :* ''Vrastan'' ([[Armenian language|Armenian]]: Վրաստան) '''{{flag|Germany}}''': {{main|Names for Germany}} :From [[Latin]] "[[Germania]]", of the [[3rd century BC]], of unknown origin. The [[Oxford English Dictionary]] records theories about the [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] roots ''gair'' ("neighbour") (from [[Johann Kaspar Zeuss|Zeuss]]), and ''gairm'' ("battle-cry") (from [[Johann George Wachter|Wachter]] and from [[Jacob Grimm|Grimm]]). [[Eric Partridge]] suggested ''*gar'' ("to shout"), and describes the ''gar'' ("spear") theory as "obsolete". [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], and other languages use the latinate ''Germania'' as the name for Germany. The [[Irish language]] uses ''An Ghearmáin'', also cognate. :* ''Allemagne'' ([[French language|French]]), ''Alemania'' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]), ''Alemanha'' ([[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]), ألمانيا ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]), ''Almân'' ([[Persian language|Persian]]), ''Almanya'' ([[Turkish language|Turkish]]): either "land of all the men" i.e. "our many tribes" or from the [[Alamanni]], a southern [[Germanic tribe]] (whose name may have the same sort of etymology) (Modern German: ''Alle Männer''). :* ''Deutschland'' ([[German language|German]]), ''Duitsland'' ([[Dutch language|Dutch]]): from the [[Old High German]] word ''diutisc'', meaning "of the people" (itself from ancient [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] ''thiuda'' or ''theoda'', "people") and ''land'', "land": "land of the people". Of the same root are ''Tyskland'' ([[Danish language|Danish]], [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]], [[Swedish language|Swedish]]), ''Þýskaland'' ([[Icelandic language|Icelandic]]) and ''tedesco'' ([[Italian language|Italian]] [[adjective]] form). :* ''Niemcy'' ([[Polish language|Polish]]), ''Německo'' ([[Czech language|Czech]]), ''Nemecko'' ([[Slovak language|Slovak]]), ''Nemčija'' ([[Slovene language|Slovene]]), немецкий ("nemetski") — but Германия ("Germania") for the country ([[Russian language|Russian]]), ''Németország'' ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]): Either from a Slavic root meaning "mute", "dumb", i.e., metaphorically, "those who do not speak our language" or from the Germanic [[Nemetes]] tribe. :* ''Purutia'' ([[Tahitian language|Tahitian]]): Prussia. :* ''Saksa'' ([[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]]): from the name of the Germanic tribe of [[Saxons]] (in turn, possibly from Old High German ''sahs'', "knife"). :* ''Vācija'' ([[Latvian language|Latvian]]), ''Vokietija'' ([[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]): '''{{flag|Ghana}}''': :After the ancient West [[African]] kingdom of the same name. The modern territory of [[Ghana]], however, never formed part of the previous polity. [[J. B. Danquah]] suggested the use of the name in the run-up to Ghanaian independence. His research led him to believe that modern Ghanaian peoples descended from the ancient Ghana Kingdom; others dispute his conclusions. :* [[Gold Coast (British colony)|Gold Coast]] (former name): after the large amount of [[gold]] that colonisers found in the country. Compare the names Europeans gave to nearby stretches of shore: "[[Ivory Coast]]", "Slave Coast" and "Grain Coast". '''{{flag|Gibraltar}}''' ([[Crown colony|overseas territory]] of the [[United Kingdom]]): :A corruption of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] words ''Jebel Tarik'' which means "Tarik's Mountain", named after [[Tarik-ibn-Zeyad]], a [[Berber people|Berber]] who landed at [[Gibraltar]] in [[711]] to launch the [[Islamic]] invasion of the [[Iberian Peninsula]]. {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Glorioso Islands]]''' (territory of [[France]]): :The Glorioso or Glorieuses Islands take their name, presumably, for their wonderful (glorious) looks. A Frenchman, Hippolyte Caltaux, settled in 1880 and established a coconut and maize plantation on Grande Glorieuse. (That does not explain the Spanish- or Portuguese-looking form of the name used in English.) '''{{flag|Greece}}''': {{main|Names of the Greeks}} :From the [[Latin]] ''[[Graecus|Græcus]]'' ([[Greek language|Greek]] ''Γραικοί'', claimed by [[Aristotle]] to refer to the name of the original people of [[Epirus (region)|Epirus]]) :* ''[[Hellas]]''/''Ellas''/''Ellada'' (Greek name): land of the [[Greeks|Hellenes]], descended in [[Greek mythology|mythology]] from the patriarch [[Hellen]] (not the abducted [[Helen]]); the place name has a linguistic [[cognate]] in the English verb "settle". A popular [[folk etymology]] holds the name to mean "land of light", relating to ''{{polytonic|ἥλιος}}'' (''{{unicode|hḗlios}}''), the Greek word for "[[sun]]". :* ''Hurumistan'' ([[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] variant), Urəm (Урым, [[Adyghe]]): :* ''Saberdzneṭi'' (საბერძნეთი, [[Georgian language|Georgian]]): :* ''Yunanistan'' ([[Azeri]], Kurdish variant, [[Turkish language|Turkish]]), ''al-Yūnān'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]), ''Yunān'' ([[Persian language|Persian]]), ''Yavan'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]): after Ionians, an older name for Greeks of [[Asia Minor]] '''{{flag|Greenland}}''' (territory of [[Denmark]]): :English name given by [[Eric the Red]] in [[982]] to attract settlers. :* ''Kalaallit Nunaat'' (Greenlandic name): means "lands of humans". '''{{flag|Grenada}}''': :After the southern [[Spain|Spanish]] city of Granada. From Jewish and Arabic inhabitants around 1000 AD: Gárnata (Arabic: غرناطة). Columbus originally named the island ''Concepción'' ("Conception" in English). '''{{flag|Guadeloupe}}''' territory of [[France]]): :[[Christopher Columbus]] named the island in honour of [[Santa María de Guadalupe]] in [[Extremadura]], [[Spain]], when he landed in [[1493]]. The Spanish spelling is Guadalupe. '''{{flag|Guam}}''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :From the native [[Chamorro people|Chamorro]] word ''guahan'', meaning "we have". '''{{flag|Guatemala}}''': :The country name comes from the [[Nahuatl]] ''Cuauhtēmallān'', "place of many trees", a translation of [[K'iche' language|K'iche' Mayan]] ''K’ii’chee’'', "many trees" (that is, "forest").<ref>Campbell, Lyle (1997). ''American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 378 n. 10</ref> When the [[Spain|Spanish]] arrived, they saw a decayed [[tree]] with lots of trees around it right in front of the palace. The Spanish believed this the center of the [[Maya civilization|Mayan]] Kingdom. When the Spanish asked the name of the area, the Native Amerindians told them that name. '''{{flag|Guinea}}''': :From the [[Susu language|Susu]] (Sousou) language meaning "Women". The first Europeans to arrive in the area would have heard Susu, the main language spoken by the inhabitants of coastal Guinea. The English form comes via Portuguese ''Guiné'' from a (presumed) indigenous African name. Or possibly from the [[Berber languages|Berber]] ''Akal n-Iguinawen'' meaning "land of the blacks". :*[[French Guinea]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[France]]), and "Guinea" as above. '''{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}''': :That part of the region known as "Guinea" which has as its capital the city of [[Bissau]]. Compare the usage of ''[[Congo-Brazzaville]]''. :*[[Portuguese Guinea]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[Portugal]]), and "Guinea" as above. '''{{flag|Guyana}}''': :From the indigenous peoples who called the land "Guiana", meaning "land of many waters", in reference to large number of rivers in the area. :*[[British Guiana]] (former name): after the colonial ruler ([[United Kingdom|Britain]]). "Guiana" has the same etymology as "Guyana". :''See also Britain above'' ==H== '''{{flag|Haiti}}''': :[[Taíno]]/[[Arawak]] Indian, ''Hayiti'' or ''Hayti'', meaning "mountainous land", originally ''Hayiti''. The country occupies the western half of the island of [[Hispaniola]] (roughly "little Spain"). '''{{flag|Honduras}}''': :[[Christopher Columbus]] named the country "Honduras", Spanish for "depths", referring to the deep waters off the northern coast. '''{{flag|Hong Kong}}''' ([[Special administrative region]] of {{flag|China}}): :An approximate phonetic rendering of the [[Hakka language|Hakka]] / [[Cantonese language|Cantonese]] name "香港", meaning "Fragrant Harbour" or "Incense Harbour"; more accurately "Heung1 Gong2" ([[Yale Romanization|Yale]]). The original "fragrant harbour" was a small inlet between the island of [[Ap Lei Chau]] (鴨脷洲) and the south side of Hong Kong Island, now known as [[Aberdeen Harbour]] in English, but still called "Heung Gong Tsai" (香港仔, Little Hong Kong) in Cantonese. The fragrance came from incense grown to the north of [[Kowloon]] that was stored around Aberdeen Harbour for export, before the development of [[Victoria Harbour]]. The village of Heung Gong Tsuen (香港村) on Ap Lei Chau is perhaps the earliest recorded use of the name. Another legend goes that a female pirate named Xiang Gu (香姑)often attacks the harbour. {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Howland Island]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Captain [[George E. Netcher]] named the island after the lookout who sighted it from his ship the ''Isabella'' on [[9 September]], [[1842]]. '''{{flag|Hungary}}''': :[[Turkic languages|Turkic:]] ''[[Onogur|on-ogur]]'', "(people of the) ten arrows" — in other words, "alliance of the ten tribes". [[Byzantine]] chronicles gave this name to the [[Hungarians]]; the chroniclers mistakenly assumed that the Hungarians had Turkic origins, based on their Turkic-nomadic customs and appearance, despite the [[Finno-Ugric languages|Finno-Ugric]] language of the people. The Hungarian tribes later actually formed an alliance of the seven Hungarian and three [[Khazars|Khazarian]] tribes, but the name is from before then, and first applied to the original seven Hungarian tribes. The ethnonym ''Hunni'' (referring to the [[Huns]]) has influenced the Latin (and English) spelling. :* ''Uhorshchyna'' (Угорщина, [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]]), ''Vuhorščyna'' (Вугоршчына, [[Belarusian language|Belarusian]]), ''Węgry'' ([[Polish language|Polish]]), ''Wędżierskô'' ([[Kashubian language|Kashubian]]), and ''Ugre'' ([[Old Russian language|Old Russian]]): from the Turkic "on-ogur", see above. The same root emerges in the ethnonym [[Yugra]] in [[Siberia]], inhabited by [[Khanty]] and [[Mansi]] people, the closest relatives to Hungarians in the Finno-Ugric language family. :* ''Magyarország'' (native name — "land of the [[Magyars]]"): According to a famous Hungarian chronicle ([[Simon of Kéza]]: ''[[Gesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum]]'', 1282), Magyar (Magor), the forefather of all Hungarians, had a brother named Hunor (the ancestor of the Huns); their father king Menrot, builder of the tower of [[Babel]], equates to the [[Nimrod]] of the Hebrew [[Bible]]. <!-- (Other sources call the father "Menrót" (Persian); and many ancient kings had the name "Nimrod", so any of them could serve.)--> :* The [[Turkish language]] uses ''Macaristan'', a compound derived from a Turkish spelling of ''Magyar'' and the [[Farsi|Persian]] suffix ''-stan'' meaning "country". ==I== '''{{flag|Iceland}}''': :"Land of ice" (''Ísland'' in Icelandic). Popularly (but falsely) attributed to an attempt to dissuade outsiders from attempting to settle on the land. In fact the early settler/explorer [[Flóki Vilgerðarson]] coined the name after he spotted "a [[firth]] full of drift ice" to the north. This occurred in spring after an especially harsh winter during which all his livestock had died and he started debating whether to leave. '''{{flag|India}}''': ''{{Main|Origin of India's name}}'' :Derived from ''Sindhu'', the original name of the [[Indus River]] (in present-day [[Pakistan]]), which gave its name to the land of [[Sind]]. People later applied derivations of the [[Persian language|Persian]] form of this name, ''Hind'', to all of modern Pakistan and India before they separated. :* Bharat ([[Sanskrit]] name): Popular accounts derive "Bharat" from the name of either of two ancient kings named [[Bharata]]. :* Hindustan ([[Hindi]] name): The name Hind is from a Persian pronunciation of Sind. The Persian ''-stān'' means "country" or "land" (cognate to Sanskrit ''sthāna'': "place, land"). India is ''al-Hind'' (الهند) in Arabic, and sometimes in Persian (e.g. in the 11th century Tarik Al-Hind "history of India") and ''Hind'' (هند) in Persian. It also occurs intermittently in India, as in the phrase "Jai Hind". The terms Hind and Hindustan were current in Persian and Arabic from the 11th century Islamic conquests: the rulers in the Sultanate and Mughal periods called their Indian dominion, centred around Delhi, Hindustan.<br><br>The word Hindu (हिन्दु) was lent from Persian into Sanskrit in early medieval times and is attested — in the sense of dwellers of the Indian subcontinent — in some texts, such as [[Bhavishya Purana|Bhavishya Purāna]], [[Kalika-Purana|Kālikā Purāna]], Merutantra, Rāmakosha, Hemantakavikosha and Adbhutarūpakosha.<br><br>The name Hindustan was in use synonymously with India during the [[British Raj]]. The term is from the Persian Hindustān هندوستان, as is the term Hindu itself. It entered the English language in the 17th century. In the 19th century, the term as used in English referred to the northern region of India between the [[Indus]] and [[Brahmaputra]] and between the [[Himalayas]] and the [[Vindhyas]] in particular, hence the term Hindustani for the Hindi-Urdu language. :* ''rGya.gar'' ([[Dzongkha]]), ''rGya.gar.yal'' ([[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] variant): :* ''Hodu'' ([[Hebrew language|Hebrew]]): '''{{flag|Indonesia}}''': :apparently invented in the mid-19th century to mean "Indies Islands", from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''νῆσος'' (''nēsos'', "island"), added to the country name "India". (Europeans previously referred to Indonesia as the "East Indies".) :*[[Dutch East Indies]] (Dutch: ''Nederlands Oost-Indie'') (former name): after the former colonial ruler ([[Netherlands]]). :*''Nam Dương'' ([[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]] variant): '''{{flag|Iran}}''': :"Land of the [[Aryans]]" or "land of the free". The term "Arya" is from the [[PIE]] (Proto Indo-European), generally meaning "noble" or "free", cognate with the Greek-derived word "aristocrat". :*[[Persian Empire|Persia]] (former name): from Latin, via Greek ''Persis'', from Old Persian ''Paarsa'', a place name of a central district within the region: modern [[Fars]]. A common Hellenic folk-etymology derives "Persia" from "Land of [[Perseus (mythology)|Perseus]]". :*''Uajemi'' ([[Swahili language|Swahili]] variant): from the Arabic word ''Ajam'', which means any non-Arabs, including Persians: "the ones whose language we don't understand". '''{{flag|Iraq}}''': :From the city of Erech/[[Uruk]] (also known as "Warka") near the river [[Euphrates]]. Some archaeologists regard Uruk as the first major [[Sumer]]ian city. Another theory suggests that ''Iraq'' derives from ''Irak'', which in older Iranian languages meant "the Lesser Iran". The natives of the southwestern part of today's Iran also called their land "the Persian Iraq" for many centuries (for Arabs: ''Iraq ajemi'': no-Arabic-speaker Iraq). Before the constitution of the state of Iraq, the term "Iraq arabi" referred to Baghdad-Basra country. :*[[Mesopotamia]] (ancient name and Greek variant): a loan-translation (Greek ''meso-'' (between) and ''potamos'' (river), meaning "Between the Rivers") of the ancient Semitic ''Beth-Nahrin'', "Land of two Rivers", referring to the [[Tigris]] and [[Euphrates]] rivers. '''{{flag|Ireland}}''': :After "[[Éire]]" from [[Proto-Celtic language|Proto-Celtic]] ''*Īweriū'', "the fertile place" or "Place of Éire (Eriu)", a Celtic fertility goddess. Often mistakenly derived as "Land of Iron", or from a reflex of [[Proto-Indo-European language|Proto-Indo-European]] ''*arya'', or from variations of the Irish word for "west" (modern Irish ''iar'', ''iarthar''). :*[[Hibernia]] (ancient name and Latin variant): apparently assimilated to Latin ''hibernus'' ("wintry"). :*Ireland is known as ''Eirinn'' in [[Scottish Gaelic]], from a grammatical case of ''Éire''. In the fellow Celtic languages: in [[Welsh language|Welsh]] it is ''Iwerddon''; in [[Cornish language|Cornish]] it is ''Ywerdhon'' or ''Worthen''; and in [[Breton language|Breton]] it is ''Iwerzhon''. :*In Gaelic bardic tradition Ireland is also known by the poetical names of ''Banbha'' (meaning "piglet") and ''Fódhla''. In Gaelic myth, Ériu, Banbha and Fódla were three goddesses who greeted the [[Milesians (Irish)|Milesians]] upon their arrival in Ireland, and who granted them custody of the island. '''{{flag|Israel}}''': :Israel takes its name from the biblical patriarch [[Jacob]], later known as ''Israel'', literally meaning "struggled with God/he struggles with God". According to the account in the [[Book of Genesis]], Jacob wrestled with a stranger at a river ford and won--through perseverance. God then changed his name to ''Israel'', signifying that he had deliberated with God and won, as he had wrestled and won with men. '''{{flag|Italy}}''': :''See also: [[Italy#Etymology|Italy: Etymology]], [[History of Italy#Origins of the name | History of Italy: Origins of the name]], [[:wikt:Italy#Etymology|Italy: Etymology (Wiktionary)]].'' :From [[Latin]] ''[[Italia (Roman province)|Ītalia]]'', itself from [[Greek language|Greek]] ''Ιταλία'', from the ethnic name ''Ιταλός'', plural ''Ιταλόι'', originally referring to an early population in the southern part of [[Calabria]]. That ethnic name probably directly relates to a word ''ιταλός'' (''italós'', "bull"), quoted in an [[ancient Greek]] gloss by [[Hesychius of Alexandria|Hesychius]] (from his collection of 51,000 unusual, obscure and foreign words). This "Greek" word is assumed to be a cognate of [[Latin]] ''vitulus'' ("calf"), although the different length of the ''i'' is a problem. [[Latin]] ''vitulus'' ("calf") is presumably derived from the [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] root ''*wet-'' meaning "year" (hence, a "yearling": a "one-year-old calf"), although the change of ''e'' to ''i'' is unexplained. The "Greek" word, however, is glossed as "bull", not "calf". Speakers of ancient [[Oscan language|Oscan]] called Italy ''Víteliú'', a cognate of [[Greek language|Greek]] ''Ιταλία'' and [[Latin]] ''Ītalia''. [[Marcus Terentius Varro|Varro]] wrote that the region got its name from the excellence and abundance of its cattle. Some disagree with that etymology. Compare [[Italus]]. :*''Friagi'' or ''Friaz''' ([[Old Russian language|Old Russian]]): from the [[Byzantine]] appellation for the medieval [[Franks]]. :*''Valland'' (variant in [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]]): "Land of Valer" (an Old Norse name for Celts, later also used for the Romanized tribes). :*''Włochy'' ([[Polish language|Polish]]) and ''Olaszország'' ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]): from Gothic ''walh'', the same root as in [[Valland]]. See details under "Wallachia", below. '''{{flag|Ivory Coast}}''': :''See Côte d'Ivoire, above''. ==J== '''{{flag|Jamaica}}''': :[[Taíno]]/[[Arawak]] Indian ''Xaymaca'' or ''Hamaica'', "Land of wood and water" or perhaps "Land of springs". '''{{flag|Japan}}''': {{seealso|Names of Japan}} :From ''Geppun'', [[Marco Polo]]'s Italian rendition of the islands' Chinese name 日本 ([[pinyin]]: ''rìběn'', at the time approximately ''jitpun''), or "sun-origin", i.e. "[[Land of the Rising Sun]]", indicating [[Japan]] as lying to the east of [[China]] (where the sun rises). Also formerly known as the "Empire of the Sun". :*''Nihon'' / ''Nippon'': Japanese name, from the local pronunciation of the same characters as above. {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jarvis Island]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :The island was named after the owners Edward, Thomas, and William Jarvis of the [[United Kingdom|British]] ship ''Eliza Francis'' by her commander, Captain Brown, who discovered the island. '''{{flag|Jersey}}''': :The [[Old Norse|Norse]] suffix ''-ey'' means "island" and is commonly found in the parts of [[Northern Europe]] where [[Norsemen]] established settlements. (Compare modern Nordic languages: ''øy'' in Norwegian, ''ø/ö'' in Danish and Swedish.) The meaning of the first part of the island's name is unclear. Among theories are that it derives from Norse ''jarth'' ("earth") or ''[[jarl]]'' ("earl"), or perhaps a personal name, Geirr, to give "Geirr's Island". {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Johnston Atoll]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Named after Captain [[Charles J. Johnston]], the commanding officer of the ship ''[[H.B.M.S. Cornwallis|Cornwallis]]'', who came across the atoll on [[14 December]], [[1807]]. '''{{flag|Jordan}}''': :After the [[river Jordan]], the name of which derives from the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[Canaanite language|Canaanite]] root ''yrd'' — "descend" (into the [[Dead Sea]].) The [[river Jordan]] forms part of the border between [[Jordan]] and [[Israel]]/[[West Bank]]. In classical times, the region (known as ''[[Nabataea]]'') encompassed territories on both sides of the River Jordan, infrequently also territories on the [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]] peninsula (in present-day Egypt). :* [[Transjordan]] (former name): "Trans" means "across" or "beyond", i.e. east of the [[river Jordan]]. :* ''Urdun'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]), literal translation of name Jordan, sometimes spelled ''Urdan''. {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Juan de Nova]]''' (territory of [[France]]): :Named after [[João da Nova]], a 15th century [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer-navigator. ==K== '''{{flag|Kazakhstan}}''': :Means "land of the Kazakhs". ''Kazakh'' means something like "independent-rebellious-wanderer-brave-free". The Russian term ''kazak'' (казак) is a cognate—"cossack" in English. The [[Persian language|Persian]] suffix ''[[-stan]]'' means "land". '''{{flag|Kenya}}''': :After [[Mount Kenya]], from the [[Kikuyu|Kĩkũyũ]] name ''Kere-Nyaga'' ("Mountain of Whiteness"). :* [[British East Africa]] (former name): after its geographical position on the continent of [[Africa]] and the former colonial power, ([[United Kingdom|Britain]]). :''See also Britain, above, and Africa on the [[Placename etymology|Place name etymology]] page.'' {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Kingman Reef]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Named after Captain [[W.E. Kingman]], who came across the reef while sailing the boat ''Shooting Star'' on [[29 November]], [[1853]]. '''{{flag|Kiribati}}''': :An adaptation of "Gilbert", from the former European name the "[[Gilbert Islands]]". Note the pronunciation of "Kiribati": /{{IPA|'kiribas}}/. :* [[Gilbert Islands]] (former name): named after the [[United Kingdom|British]] Captain [[Thomas Gilbert]], who sighted the islands in [[1788]]. {{flagicon|South Korea}}{{flagicon|North Korea}} '''[[Korea]]''' (South and North): :After the [[Goryeo]] Dynasty, the first Korean dynasty visited by [[Persian people|Persian]] merchants, who referred to Goryeo as Korea. The name Goryeo appears to be derived from the traditional Chinese name for the race of people who founded various ancient states and empires in the area of [[Manchuria]] and the [[Korean Peninsula]], such as [[Gojoseon]] and [[Goguryeo]]. At present, [[South Korea|South Koreans]] call Korea ''[[Hanguk]]'', while [[North Korea| North Koreans]] call it ''[[Joseon]]''. The latter probably originated as a local ethnonym's phonetic transcription. :''See also: [[Names of Korea]]''. '''{{flag|Kosovo}}''': :Kosovo is a widely used place name in Slavic countries, stemming from the word ''kos'', which means "blackbird". '''{{flag|Kuwait}}''': :From the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] diminutive form of ''Kut or Kout'' meaning "fortress built near water". '''{{flag|Kyrgyzstan}}''': :Derives from three words — ''kyrg'' meaning "forty", ''yz'' meaning "tribes" and ''[[-stan]]'' meaning "land" in Persian: "land of forty tribes". :Another version derives the name from ''kyrg'', meaning "forty", ''kyz'' meaning "girl", and ''[[-stan]]'', meaning "land" in Persian — thus, "land of forty girls". ==L== '''{{flag|Laos}}''': :Coined under [[French Indochina|French rule]], derived from [[Lao language|Lao]] ''lao'', meaning "a Laotian" or "Laotian", possibly originally from an ancient Indian word ''lava''. (''[[Lava (Ramayana)|Lava]]'' is the name of one of the twin sons of the god [[Rama]].) The name might also be from ''Ai-Lao'', the old Chinese name for the [[Tai]] ethnic groups to which the [[Lao]] people belong.<ref>[http://www.singto.co.uk/History/History.htm Singto{{ndash}} Dedicated to Thai Boxing, and all things Thai<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Formerly known as ''[[Lan Xang]]'' or "[[Land of a Million Elephants|land of a million elephants]]". '''{{flag|Latvia}}''': :Derived from the regional name ''Latgale'', the "''Lat-''" part associated with several Baltic [[hydronym|hydronyms]], and ''-gale'' meaning "land" or "boundary land", of Baltic origin. '''{{flag|Lebanon}}''': :The name Lebanon (''Lubnān'' in standard [[Arabic]]; ''Lebnan'' or ''Lebnèn'' in local dialect) is derived from the [[Semitic]] root "LBN", which is linked to several closely-related meanings in various languages, such as "white" and "milk". This is regarded as a reference to the snow-capped [[Mount Lebanon]]. Occurrences of the name have been found in three of the twelve tablets of the Epic of [[Gilgamesh]] (2900 BC), the texts of the library of [[Ebla]] (2400 BC), and the [[Bible]] (71 times in the Bible's [[Old Testament]]). '''{{flag|Lesotho}}''': :After the indigenous [[Sotho people|Sotho]] people, whose own name means "black" or "dark-skinned". '''{{flag|Liberia}}''': :From the Latin ''liber'': "free", so named because the country was established as a homeland for freed (liberated) African-American slaves. '''{{flag|Libya}}''': :After an ancient [[Berber people|Berber]] tribe called ''Libyans'' by the Greeks and ''Rbw'' by the Egyptians. Until the country's independence, the term "Libya" generally applied only to the vast desert between the Tripolitanian Lowland and the [[Fazzan]] plateau (to the west) and Egypt's [[Nile]] river valley (to the east). With "[[Tripoli]]" the name of new country's capital, and the old northeastern regional name "[[Cyrenaica]]" having passed into obsolescence, "Libya" became a convenient name for the country, despite the fact that much of the Libyan desert is Egyptian territory. '''{{flag|Liechtenstein}}''': :From the [[German language|German]] "Light stone" ("light", as in "bright"). The country took its name from the Liechtenstein dynasty, which purchased and united the counties of [[Schellenburg]] and [[Vaduz]]. The [[Holy Roman Emperor]] allowed the dynasty to re-name the new property after itself. Liechtenstein and [[Luxembourg]] are the only German-speaking former Holy Roman Empire duchies not assimilated by the countries [[Germany]], [[Austria]], and [[Switzerland]]. '''{{flag|Lithuania}}''': :Modern scholars tend to agree on a [[hydronym]]ic origin of this name, possibly from a small river ''Lietava'' in Central Lithuania. That hydronym has been associated with [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] ''lieti'' (root ''lie-''): "pour" or "spill". Compare to Old-Slavic ''liyati'': "pour", Greek ''a-lei-son'': "cup", Latin ''litus'': "seashore", [[Tocharian A]] ''lyjäm'': "lake". :Historically, attempts have been made to suggest a direct descendance from the [[Latin language|Latin]] ''litus'' (see [[littoral]]). ''Litva'' ([[Genitive case|Gen.]] ''Litvae''), an early Latin variant of the [[toponym]], appears in a 1009 chronicle describing an archbishop "struck over the head by pagans on the border of Russia/Prussia and ''Litvae''". A 16th-century scholar associated the word with the Latin word ''litus'' ("tubes")—a possible reference to wooden trumpets played by Lithuanian tribesmen. A popular belief is that the country's name in the Lithuanian language (''Lietuva'') is derived from a word ''lietus'' ("rain") and means "a rainy place". :*[[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]: ''Lietuva''. '''{{flag|Luxembourg}}''': :From Celtic ''Lucilem'' "small" (cognate to English "little") and [[German language|German]]ic ''burg'': "castle", thus ''lucilemburg'': "little castle". Luxembourg and [[Liechtenstein]] are the only German-speaking former Holy Roman Empire duchies not assimilated by the countries [[Germany]], [[Austria]], and [[Switzerland]]. ==M== '''{{flag|Republic of Macedonia}}''': :Known in the [[United Nations]] as the "''former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''". The country is named after the ancient people named [[Ancient Macedonians|Macedonian]]s. That has resulted in a [[Macedonia naming dispute|naming dispute with the people of the part of Macedonia in northern Greece]], who consider themselves the rightful heirs of the legacy of the ancient people. According to [[Hesiod]], the Macedonians were named for king [[Makednos]], the founder of the kingdom, a son of [[Heracles]] and a grandson of [[Deucalion]], the common ancestor of all Greeks. The [[Macedonia (terminology)#Etymology|etymology of the name]] is believed to be from the [[Greek Language|Greek]] root ''mak-'' ("long" or "tall"), possibly signifying the [[Pieria]]n highlands, where the Macedonians first settled. The name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", which is used by all international organizations and by a number of UN member states, means that the country occupies the Slavic (northern) part of Macedonia. '''{{flag|Madagascar}}''': :From the name of the island in [[Malagasy language]]: ''Madagasikara'', itself derived from the [[Proto Malay|proto-Malay]] "end of the Earth", a reference to the island's long distance by sea from an earlier homeland in [[Southeast Asia]]. '''{{flag|Malawi}}''': :Possibly based on a native word meaning "flaming water" or "tongues of fire," believed to have derived from the sun's dazzling reflections on [[Lake Malawi]]. But President [[Hastings Banda]], the founding President of Malawi, reported in interviews that in the 1940s he saw a "Lac Maravi" shown in "Bororo" country on an antique French map titled "La Basse Guinee Con[t]enant Les Royaumes de Loango, de Congo, d'Angola et de Benguela" and he liked the name "Malawi" better than "Nyasa" (or "Maravi"). "Lac Marawi" does not necessarily correspond to today's [[Lake Malawi]]. Banda had such influence at the time of independence in 1964 that he named the former [[Nyasaland]] "Malawi", and the name stuck. :* [[Nyasaland]] (former name): "Nyasa" literally means "lake" in the local indigenous languages. The name applied to [[Lake Malawi]] (formerly [[Lake Nyasa]], or "Niassa"). '''{{flag|Malaysia}}''': [[Image:Malaiyur_Map_003.jpg‎|thumb|right|]] :The word Malaya is a combination of two [[Tamil language|Tamil]]/[[Sanskrit]] words, Malay or Malai (hill) and Ur (town), meaning hilltown. The name came into use when several Indian Kingdoms entered Malaysia dating back to the 3rd Century (see [[Srivijaya]]). Hence, the [[Latin]]/[[Greek]] suffix -sia, makes the name Malaysia, literally meaning Land of the [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay people]]. The continental part of the country bore the name [[Peninsular Malaysia|Malaya]] (without the "-si-") until 1963, when it gained the territories of [[Sabah]] and [[Sarawak]] on the northern part of the island of [[Borneo]]. [[Singapore]] seceded in 1965. The name change indicated the expansion of the country's boundaries beyond [[Malay Peninsula]]. ''Malaysian'' refers to [[Demographics of Malaysia|Malaysians of all races]], while ''Malay'' refers to the native [[Malays (ethnic group)|Malay people]], who are about half the population. '''{{flag|Maldives}}''': :From the Arabic ''mahal'' ("palace") or ''Dhibat-al-Mahal / Dhibat Mahal'', as Arabs formerly called the country. Therefore it could mean "Palace Islands", because the main island, [[Malé]], held the palace of the islands' Sultan. Some scholars believe that the name "Maldives" derives from the [[Sanskrit]] ''maladvipa'', meaning "garland of islands". Some sources say that the [[Tamil language|Tamil]] ''malai'' or [[Malayalam]] ''mala'': "mountain(s)", and Sanskrit ''diva'': "island", thus, "Mountain Islands". :* ''Dhivehi Raajje'' (Maldivian name): "Kingdom of Maldivians". ''Dhivehi'' is a noun describing the Dhives people (Maldivians) and their language "Dhivehi" simultaneously. :* ''Maladwipa'': Sanskrit for "garland (''mala'', pronounced /maalaa/) of islands"; or, more likely, "small islands", from ''mala'' (pronounced /mala/) meaning "small". :* ''Dhibat Mahal'' (Arabic). '''{{flag|Mali}}''': :After the ancient West African kingdom of the same name, where a large part of the modern country is. The word ''mali'' means "[[hippopotamus]]" in [[Malinké]] and [[Bambara language|Bamana]]. :* [[French Sudan]] (former colonial name). In [[French language|French]] ''Soudan français''. The term Sudan (see below) stems from the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] ''bilad as-sudan'': "land of the Blacks". '''{{flag|Malta}}''': :From either [[Greek language|Greek]] or [[Phoenician languages|Phoenician]]. Of the two cultures, available evidence suggests that the Greeks had an earlier presence on the island, from as far back as [[700 BC]].<ref name="ndmh">{{cite news|url=http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/islands/dates.asp|publisher=Department of Information{{ndash}} Maltese Government|title=Notable dates in Malta's history|date=[[6 February]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The Greeks are known to have called the island ''Melita'' meaning "[[honey]]", as did the Romans; solid evidence for this is Malta's domination by the [[Byzantine Empire]] from 395 through to 870. It is still nicknamed the "land of honey".<ref name="ndmh">{{cite news|url=http://www.doi.gov.mt/EN/islands/dates.asp|publisher=Department of Information{{ndash}} Maltese Government|title=Notable dates in Malta's history|date=[[6 February]] [[2008]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/2003/06/29/l7.html|publisher=Malta Today|title=Controversy over unique Maltese bee population|date=[[6 February]] [[2008]]}}</ref> The theory for a Phoenican origin of the word is via ''Maleth'' meaning "a haven".<ref>{{cite book | last = Pickles| first = Tim | title =Malta 1565: Last Battle of the Crusades| publisher =Osprey Publishing| url =http://books.google.com/books?id=0LuvbRQ78sIC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq=Maleth+Malta+haven&source=web&ots=PGO2OF9Y9I&sig=rcodiMbexlDy5YwMXhelH7zEYyw| isbn = 978-1855326033}}</ref> The modern-day name comes from the [[Maltese language]], through an evolution of one of the earlier names. '''{{flag|Isle of Man}}''': :The island's name in both English and [[Manx language|Manx]] (''Mannin'') derives from ''[[Manannán mac Lir]]'', the [[Brythonic languages|Brythonic]] and [[Goidelic languages|Gaelic]], equivalent to the god [[Poseidon]]. '''{{flag|Marshall Islands}}''': :Named after British [[John Marshall (British captain)|Captain John Marshall]], who first documented the existence of the islands in [[1788]]. '''{{flag|Martinique}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :When [[Christopher Columbus]] landed on the island in [[1502]] he named it in honour of [[St. Martin]]. (He had sailed past it in 1493 but did not land.) '''{{flag|Mauritania}}''': :Latin for "land of the Moors". Misnamed after the classical [[Mauretania]] in northern [[Morocco]], itself named after the Berber [[Mauri]] or [[Moor]] tribe. '''{{flag|Mauritius}}''': :Named ''Prins Maurits van Nassaueiland'' in 1598 after [[Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange|Maurice of Nassau]] (1567–1625), [[Stadtholder]] of Holland and [[Prince of Orange]] (1585–1625). '''{{flag|Mayotte}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :The name is a French corruption of the native ''Maore'' or ''Mawuti'', sultanates on the island around the year 1500. '''{{flag|Mexico}}''' {{main|Etymology of Mexico}} :After the Mexica branch of the [[Aztecs]]. The origin of the term "Mexxica" is uncertain. Some take it as the old [[Nahuatl]] word for the [[sun]]. Others say it derived from the name of the leader [[Mexitli]]. Others ascribe it to a type of weed that grows in [[Lake Texcoco]]. [[Leon Portilla]] suggests that it means "navel of the moon" from Nahuatl ''metztli'' ("moon") and ''xictli'' ("navel"). Alternatively, it could mean "navel of the [[maguey]]" (Nahuatl ''metl''). See also [[Mexican state name etymologies]]. '''{{flag|Micronesia}}''' :A name coined from the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''mikros'' ("small") and ''nesos'' ("island") — "small islands". {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Midway Islands]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Named after their geographic location, perhaps from the islands' situation midway between North America and Asia, or their proximity to the [[International Date Line]] (halfway around the world from the [[Greenwich Meridian]]).<ref>[http://www.fws.gov/midway/faq.html "Frequently Asked Questions about Midway"], U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</ref> Originally named the Middlebrook Islands or the Brook Islands, after their discoverer Captain N.C. Middlebrooks. '''{{flag|Moldova}}''' {{main|Etymology of Moldova}} :From the [[Moldova River]] in Romania, possibly from Gothic ''Mulda'': "dust", "mud", via the [[Principality of Moldavia]] (''Moldova'' in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]). '''{{flag|Monaco}}''' :"Himself alone", a reference to the Greek demigod [[Hercules]], once worshipped at a shrine on the territory. Alternatively, Monaco derives its name from the nearby Greek colony Monoikos, founded in the 6th century B.C. by [[Phocis#history|Phocian]] Greeks. The Phocians built the temple of Hercules Monoikos temple there: Μόνοικος means "single house" or "single temple". <!-- ??!! something to do with monks I thought --> (The association of Monaco with monks (Italian ''monachi'') dates fron the [[Grimaldi]] conquest of 1297: see [[coat of arms of Monaco]].) '''{{flag|Mongolia}}''' :From [[Mongol]]; it probably means "brave" or "fearless". '''{{flag|Montenegro}}''' :Venetian conquerors gave Montenegro its name, ''Montenegro'' meaning "black mountain", after the appearance of Mount [[Lovćen]] or most likely its dark [[conifer]]ous forests. "Montenegro" is in the [[Venetian dialect]]), while the standard Italian would be ''monte nero'', without the "g". :*''Crna Gora'' (the local Serbian/Montenegrin name for Montenegro): literally translates as "black mountain". :*''Doclea'' (ancient name for Montenegro): ''Doclea'', the name of the region during the early period of the [[Roman Empire]], reflected the name of an early [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] tribe. In later centuries, Romans "hyper-corrected" it to "Dioclea", wrongly guessing that an "I" had disappeared due to vulgar speech corruption. :*''Zeta'' (ancient name for Montenegro): The earliest Slavic name ''Zeta'' derives from the name of a river in Montenegro which itself derives from an early root meaning "harvest" or "grain". '''{{flag|Montserrat}}''' (territory of the [[United Kingdom]]): :[[Christopher Columbus]] named the island "Santa Maria de Montserrate" while sailing past it in 1493 because it reminded him of the [[Virgin of Montserrat|Blessed Virgin of the Monastery of Montserrate]] in [[Spain]]. "Montserrat" itself literally means "jagged mountain". '''{{flag|Morocco}}''': :From ''Marruecos'', the [[Spain|Spanish]] pronunciation of the name of the city of "Marrakesh" (more precisely ''Marrakush''), believed to derive from the [[Berber languages|Berber]] words ''(ta)murt'': "land" (or ''(a)mur'' "part") + ''akush'': "God". :* ''Al Maghrib'' (Arabic name): "the farthest west". '''{{flag|Mozambique}}''': :From the name of the [[Island of Mozambique]], which in turn probably comes from the name of a previous Arab ruler, the sheik Mussa Ben Mbiki. '''{{flag|Myanmar}}''': :One explanation is that the name derives from the Burmese short-form name ''Myanma Naingngandaw''. An alternative etymology suggests that ''myan'' means "quick/fast" and ''mar'' means "hard-tough-strong". The re-naming of the country in 1989 has aroused political controversy: certain minority groups and activist communities perceive "Myanmar" to be a purely Burmese name that reflects the policy of domination of the ethnic Burman majority over the minorities. Those groups do not recognize the legitimacy of the ruling military government nor its authority to change the English name of the country. Accordingly, such groups, who have become accustomed to calling the country by its English name, continue to refer to Myanmar as "Burma". :*[[Burma]] (former name): The name ''Burma'' apparently derives from the Sanskrit name for the region: ''Brahmadesh'', land of (the deity) [[Brahma]]. ==N== '''{{flag|Namibia}}''': :From the coastal [[Namib Desert]]. "Namib" means "area where there is nothing" in the [[Nama language]]. :* [[South-West Africa]] and [[German Southwest Africa]] (former names): Self-explanatory :''See also ''Africa'' at [[List of continent name etymologies]] and ''Germany'' above.'' '''{{flag|Nauru}}''': :The name "Nauru" may derive from the [[Nauruan language|Nauruan]] word ''Anáoero'', which means "I go to the beach". The German settlers called the island ''Nawodo'' or ''Onawero''. '''{{flag|Navassa Island}}''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :In [[1504]], [[Christopher Columbus]], stranded on [[Jamaica]], sent some crew by canoe to [[Hispaniola]] for help. They ran into the island on the way, but it had no water. They called it "Navaza", ''nava-'' meaning "plain", or "field". Mariners avoided the island for the next 350 years. '''{{flag|Nepal}}''': :The toponym "Nepal" may derive from the [[Sanskrit]] ''nipalaya'', which means "at the foot of the mountains" or "abode at the foot," referring to its proximity to the [[Himalayas]]. (Compare the analogous European toponym "[[Piedmont]]".) Others suggest tbat it derives from the [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] ''niyampal'', which means "holy land". '''{{flag|Netherlands}}''': :[[Germanic languages|Germanic]] for "low lands". :*[[Holland]] (part of the Netherlands; a name often incorrectly used to refer to the country as a whole): Germanic ''holt-land'' ("wooded land") (often incorrectly regarded as meaning "hollow [i.e. marsh] land"). :*[[Batavii|Batavia]] (Latin): derived from the name of the Germanic [[Batavii]] tribe. :*''[[Nederland]]'' (Dutch) "low-land". (Neder is a Dutch cognate to the English "nether": low or lower.) :*''Alankomaat'' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]): "low lands". :*''Na hÍsiltíre'' ([[Irish language|Irish]]): "the low lands". '''{{flag|Netherlands Antilles}}''': (territory of [[Netherlands]]): :"[[Antilles]]" from a mythical land or island ([[Antillia]]), west of Europe, or a combination of two [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] words ''ante'' or ''anti'' (possibly meaning "opposite" in the sense of "on the opposite side of the world") and ''ilha'' ("island"), currently the name for these Caribbean Islands. "Netherlands" after the colonial ruler, the [[Netherlands]]. '''{{flag|New Caledonia}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :Captain [[James Cook]] named the islands in 1774 after [[Scotland]], which is "[[Caledonia]]" in [[Latin]]). The mountains he saw reminded him, he said, of those in [[Scotland]]. '''{{flag|New Zealand}}''': :After the province of [[Zeeland]] in the [[Netherlands]], which means "sea land", referring to the large number of islands it contains. [[Abel Tasman]] referred to New Zealand as ''Staten Landt'', but later Dutch cartographers used ''Nova Zeelandia'', in [[Latin]], followed by ''Nieuw Zeeland'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]], which [[Captain James Cook]] later [[English language|anglicised]] to ''New Zealand''. :* ''[[Aotearoa]]'' has become the most common name for the country in the [[Indigenous people|indigenous]] [[Maori language]], supplanting the loan-phrase ''Niu Tireni''. ''Aotearoa'' conventionally means "land of the long white cloud". :* ''[[Nua Shealtainn]]'' in both [[Irish language|Irish]] and [[Scottish Gaelic]], meaning "New [[Shetland]]" (''Sealtainn''), itself from a [[Metathesis (linguistics)|metathesised]] form of [[Scots language|Scots]] ''Shetland''. Gaelic speakers seem to have folk-etymologised ''Zeeland'' when translating New Zealand's name from English. '''{{flag|Nicaragua}}''': :A merger coined by the Spanish explorer [[Gil González Dávila]] after [[Nicarao]], a leader of an indigenous community inhabiting the shores of [[Lake Nicaragua]] and ''agua'', the Spanish word for "water"; subsequently, the ethnonym of that native community. '''{{flag|Niger}}''': :English pronunciation: nee-zhay. :Named after the [[Niger River]], from a native term ''Ni Gir'' or "River Gir". The name has often been misinterpreted, especially by Latinists, to be derived from the Latin ''niger'' ("black"), a reference to the dark complexions of the inhabitants of the region. :''See also Nigeria, below''. '''{{flag|Nigeria}}''': :After the [[Niger river]] that flows through the western areas of the country and into the ocean. :''See also Niger, above''. '''{{flag|Niue}}''' (territory of [[New Zealand]]): :''Niu'' probably means "coconut," and ''é'' means "behold." According to legend, the [[Polynesia]]n explorers who first settled the island knew that they had come close to land when they saw a coconut floating in the water. There is also a coincidental similarity with the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] words ''niew'', ''nieu'', ''niewe'', ''niue'', ''nieue'', ''niewe'', ''[[nieuw]]'', ''nieuwe'', ''niuewe'' ''niuew'', ''[[new]]'', and the [[Latin]]ic ''[[neo]]''. '''{{flag|Norfolk Island}}''' (territory of [[Australia]]): :The first European known to have sighted the island, [[Captain James Cook]], in 1774, on his second voyage to the South Pacific on [[HMS Resolution (Cook)|HMS ''Resolution'']], named it after the wife of the premier peer of [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]], [[Edward Howard, 9th Duke of Norfolk]] (1685–1777). '''{{flag|Northern Mariana Islands}}''' (commonwealth in political union with the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Portuguese explorer [[Ferdinand Magellan]] (the first European to sight the islands, in [[1521]]), named them ''Islas de los Ladrones'' ("Islands of Thieves"). In [[1668]] [[Jesuit]] [[missionary]] [[San Vitores]] changed the name to ''Las Marianas'' in honour of [[Mariana of Austria]] (1634–1696), widow of king [[Philip IV of Spain|Philip IV]] and regent of Spain (1665–1675). '''{{flag|North Korea}}''': :After the location in [[Korea]]. :''See also Korea above'' '''{{flag|Norway}}''': :From the old Norse ''norðr'' and ''vegr'', "northern way". ''Norðrvegr'' refers to long coastal passages from the western tip of Norway to its northernmost lands in the Arctic. :*Natively called ''Norge'' (''Noreg'' in [[Nynorsk]]). :*''Urmane'', or ''Murmane'' in [[Old Russian language|Old Russian]]: from the [[Old Norse language|Norse]] pronunciation of the word ''[[Normans]]'': "Northmen". (This word survives in the name of the Russian city [[Murmansk]].) :*''An Iorua'' ([[Irish language|Irish]]) seems to derive from a misinterpretation of [[Old Norse language|Old Norse]] ''Norðrvegr'' as beginning the Irish definite article ''an'', common to most country names in Irish. The rest of the word was then taken as the country name. (A similar process took place in the development of the English word "adder": originally "a nadder".) ==O== '''''{{flag|Occitania}}''''': :''Occitània'' in [[Occitan]]. From medieval Latin ''Occitania'' (approximately since 1290). The first part of the name, ''Occ-'', is from Occitan ''[lenga d']òc'' or Italian ''[lingua d']oc'' (i.e. "Language of Òc"), a name given to the Occitan language by [[Dante]] according to its way of saying "yes" (''òc''). The ending ''-itania'' is probably an imitation of the old Latin name ''[Aqu]itania''. '''{{flag|Oman}}''': :The name ''Oman'' (also ''Uman'') is ancient. In his translation of a ''History of the Imams and Seyyids of Oman'', George Badger says that the name was already in use by early Greek and Arab geographers. The book ''Oman in History'' (Arabic: ''Tarikh fi Uman'') notes that the Roman historian [[Yalainous]] (23–79 AD) mentions a city on the Arab peninsula he calls "Omana." The city (probably ancient [[Sohar]], on the Omani coast) gave its name to the region. :According to ''Tarikh fi Uman'', "various Arab scholars proposed a variety of different linguistic origins for the name 'Oman'." Ibn al-Qabi suggested it comes from the adjective ''aamen'', or ''amoun'', meaning "settled (as opposed to nomadic) man." Other scholars have suggested the city was named after any of a number of historic, legendary or biblical founding figures, including [[Oman bin Ibrahim al-Khalil]], [[Oman bin Siba' bin Yaghthan bin Ibrahim]], [[Oman bin Qahtan]], and Oman bin Loot (the Arabic name for the biblical figure [[Lot (biblical)|Lot]]). Still others have suggested the name is based on a valley in Yemen from which the city's founders came. ==P== '''{{flag|Pakistan}}''': :The [[Cambridge]] student and Muslim nationalist [[Choudhary Rahmat Ali]] coined this name. He devised the word and first published it on [[28 January]] [[1933]] in the pamphlet "Now or Never". He constructed the name as an acronym of the different states/homelands/regions, which broke down into: P=[[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]], A=[[Afghania]] (Ali's preferred name for the [[North West Frontier Province]]), K=[[Kashmir]], S=[[Sindh]] and the suffix ''-stan'' from [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]], thus forming "Pakstan". An "i" intruded later to ease pronunciation. The [[Suffix (linguistics)|suffix]] ''-stan'' in [[Persian language|Persian]] means "home of" and in [[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]] means "place". Rahmat Ali later expanded upon this in his 1947 book ''Pakistan: the Fatherland of the Pak Nation''. In that book he explains the acronym as follows: P=[[Punjab (Pakistan)|Punjab]], A=[[Afghania]], K=[[Kashmir]], I=[[Iran]], S=[[Sindh]], T=[[Turkharistan]] (roughly the modern central-Asian states), A=[[Afghanistan]] and N=BalochistaN. The [[Persian language|Persian]] word پاک ''pāk'', which means "pure", adds another shade of meaning, with the full name thus meaning "land of the pure". Many Central and South Asian states and regions end with the element -''Stan'', such as [[Afghanistan]], [[Pakistan]], [[Baluchistan]], [[Kurdistan]] and [[Turkistan|East Turkestan]]. This Stan is formed from the [[Iranian]] root *STA "to stand, stay," and means "place (where one stays), home, country." Iranian peoples have been the principal inhabitants of the geographical region occupied by these states for over thousand years. The names are compounds of -Stan and the name of the people living there. Pakistan is a bit of exception; its name was coined in 1933 using the suffix -istan from ''Baluchistan'' preceded by the initial letters. Interestingly, a word almost identical in form, etymology, and meaning to the Iranian suffix ''-stan'' is found in [[Polish language|Polish]], which has a word stan meaning "State" (in the senses of both polity and condition). It can be found in the Polish name for the "United States of America." Stany Zjednoczone Ameryki (literally "States United of America". Use of the name gradually spread during the successful campaign for the seccesion of a Muslim state from [[British India]] [[Empire]]. '''{{flag|Palau}}''': :-?- <!-- after the local name???--> :*Belau or Belaw (local names):-?- :*Pelew (alternative name): the English Captain [[Henry Wilson (Antelope)|Henry Wilson]] suffered shipwreck on a reef off Palau's Ulong Island in [[1783]]. Wilson spelt "Palau" as "Pelew". '''{{flag|Palestine}}''': :Named after the ancient [[Philistines]] of the area around [[Gaza]]. The [[Philistines]]' name is derived from the proto-semitic root PLS, which means "to invade", and which indicates the traditional view of the Philistines as "the sea peoples" who invaded the [[Canaan]]ite territory during biblical times. The [[Ancient Greece|Greeks]] adopted the name to refer to the broader area, as ''Palaistinê''. [[Herodotus]] and others considered that to be a part of [[Syria]]. The [[Roman Empire]] later adopted that concept in the form [[Syria Palaestina]] as a new name for the province formerly known as [[Judaea]], after the defeat of Judaean rebellion of [[Bar Kochba]] in AD 135. :* ''Jórsalaheimr'', ''Jórsalaland'', ''Jórsalaríki'' in [[Old Norse]]: after [[Jórsala]]: [[Jerusalem]]. {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Palmyra Atoll]]''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Named after the boat ''Palmyra'', which belonged to the American Captain Sawle. He sought shelter on the atoll on [[7 November]], [[1802]], and became the first person known to land on it. '''{{flag|Panama}}''': :After a former village near the modern capital, [[Panama City]]. From the [[Cueva]] Indian language meaning "place of abundance of fish" or "place of many fish", possibly from the Caribe "abundance of butterflies", or possibly from another native term referring to the [[Panama tree]]. '''{{flag|Papua New Guinea}}''': :The country acquired its name in the 19th century. The word "Papua" derives from [[Malay language|Malay]] ''papuah'' describing the frizzy hair of [[Melanesia]]ns. "New Guinea" comes from the [[Spain|Spanish]] explorer [[Íñigo Ortiz de Retes]], who noted the resemblance of the local people to those he had earlier seen along the [[Guinea]] coast of [[Africa]]. '''{{flag|Paraguay}}''': :The exact meaning of the word "Paraguay" is unknown, though it seems to derive from the river of the same name. One of the most common explanations is that it means "water of the [[Payagua]] (a native tribe)". Another meaning links the [[Tupi-Guarani]] words ''para'' ("river") and ''guai'' ("crown"), meaning "crowned river". A third meaning may be ''para'' ("river"), ''gua'' ("from"), ''i'' ("water") meaning "river that comes from the water", refering to the bog in the north of the country, which is actually in Brazil. '''{{flag|Peru}}''': :The exact meaning behind the word "Peru" is obscure. The most popular theory derives it from the native word ''biru'', meaning "river" (compare with the [[Biru River|River Biru]] in modern [[Ecuador]]). Another explanation claims that it comes from the name of the Indian chieftain Beru. Spanish explorers asked him the name of the land, but not understanding their language, he assumed they wanted his own name, which he gave them. Another possible origin is ''pelu'', presumptively an old native name of the region. '''{{flag|Philippines}}''': :"Lands of King Philip" ([[Philip II of Spain]], reigned 1556–1598). The suffix "-ines" functions adjectivally. A recent and romantic descriptive name, "Pearl of the Orient Seas", derives from the poem, ''[[Mi Ultimo Adios]]'', written by Philippine nationalist hero [[José Rizal]]. Other names include ''Katagalugan'' (used by the [[Katipunan]] when referring to the Philippines and meaning "land of/by the river", though that name is used more to refer to the [[Tagalog areas]]) and ''Maharlika'' (from the name of the upper class in pre-Hispanic Philippines, meaning "noble"). '''{{flag|Pitcairn Islands}}''' ([[Crown colony|overseas territory]] of the [[United Kingdom]]): :A member of the English Captain [[Philip Carteret]]'s crew in his boat ''[[HMS Swallow]]'' first sighted the remote islands in July [[1767]]. Carteret named the main island "Pitcairn's Island" after the man who first saw land: the son of Major Pitcairn of the Marines. '''{{flag|Poland}}''': :"Land of [[Polans (western)|Polans]]", the territory of the tribe of Polans (''Polanie''). When the Polans formed a united Poland in the 10th century, this name also came into use for the whole Polish country. The name "Poland" (''Polska'') expressed both meanings until, in the [[13th century|13th]]/[[14th century]], the original territory of the Polans became known as [[Greater Poland]] (''Wielkopolska'') instead. The name of the tribe comes probably from [[Polish language|Polish]] ''pole'': "field" or "open field". :* ''Lengyelország'' ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]), ''Lenkija'' ([[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]), ''Lahestân'' ([[Persian language|Persian]]) all derive from the Old Ruthenian or Old Polish ethnonym ''lęděnin'' (possibly "man ploughing virgin soil") and its [[augmentative]] ''lęch''. '''{{flag|Portugal}}''': :From medieval [[Romance languages|Romance]] ''[[Portucale]]'', from Latin ''portus'', "port" and [[Cale]], the name of the Roman [[Portus Cale]], or Port of Cale (modern [[Porto]] and [[Vila Nova de Gaia|Gaia]]). The origin of the name "Cale" is debated. It may have been related to the [[Gallaeci]], a Celtic people who lived north of the [[Douro River]] in pre-Roman times. :*[[Lusitania]] (ancient predecessor and literary variant): after the [[Lusitanians]], probably of [[Celt]]ic origin, as ''Lus'' and ''Tanus'', "tribe of Lusus". '''{{flag|Puerto Rico}}''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]] with commonwealth status): :[[Christopher Columbus]] named the island ''San Juan Bautista'' in honour of [[Saint John the Baptist]] in [[1493]]. The Spanish authorities set up a capital city called ''Puerto Rico'' (meaning "rich port"). For now unknown reasons, the island and capital city had exchanged names by the [[1520s]]. ==Q== '''{{flag|Qatar}}''': :Derives from "Qatara", believed to refer to the [[Qatari]] town of [[Zubara]], an important trading port and town in the region in ancient times. The word "Qatara" first appeared on [[Ptolemy]]'s map of the [[Arab]] world. In the early 20th century, English speakers often pronounced Qatar as "Cutter", close to the local pronunciation in Qatar. However, the traditional English pronunciation ("Kuh-tahr") has prevailed. ==R== '''{{flag|Réunion}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :The island changed names often in its distant [[Réunion#History|past]], but the name "Réunion" (French for "recombination") became associated with the island in 1793 by a decree of the French [[National Convention|Convention]]. The name commemorates the union of revolutionaries from [[Marseille]] with the [[French National Guard]] in [[Paris]], which was on [[August 10]], [[1792]]. '''{{flag|Romania}}''': {{main|Etymology of Romania}} :"Roman Realm". The [[Roman Empire]] conquered a large part of the country, and the inhabitants became Romanized ([[Romanians]]). Older variants of the name include "Rumania" and (in a French-influenced spelling) "Roumania". :*''[[Dacia]]'', older name and [[Latin]] variant: named after the ancient people the [[Dacians]]. :*''[[Wallachia]]'', Slavic name for the country, from the [[Gothic language|Gothic]] word for [[Celts]]: ''walh''. Later also used for the Romanized tribes. This Germanic form derives from the name of the Celtic tribe of [[Volcae]]. Compare with the etymologies of the names "[[Wales]]" and "[[Wallonia]]". '''{{flag|Russia}}''': :From a [[Varangian]] group known as the [[Rus' (people)|Rus']] and the state of [[Kievan Rus']] they co-founded. (Soviet scholars disliked attributing the foundation of the Old East Slavic state to Scandinavian dynasts rather than to Slavic cultural groups, and therefore often insisted that the term "Rossija" derived from the name of the [[Ros' River|river Ros]] near [[Kiev]].) :*''An Rúis'': ([[Irish language|Irish]] name) means, literally, "The Rus", though using a singular definite article (''an'') rather than the plural form ''na'' which would be grammatical. Use of ''an'' to denote a country is standard in Irish. :*''Krievija'' ([[Latvian language|Latvian]]): named after the ancient [[Krivichs]] tribe, related to modern [[Belarusians]]. :*''Vene'', ''Venemaa'' ([[Estonian language|Estonian]]), ''Venäjä'' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]): after the ancient people [[Venedes]]. :''See also [[Etymology of Rus and derivatives]] and "Ruotsi" under Sweden (below) for details.'' :*[[Russian language|Russian]]: ''Rossiya'' (Россия) '''{{flag|Rwanda}}''': :From the name of the ''Vanyaruanda'' people, a word of unknown origin, but probably cognate to the name of Rwanda. Also known fondly as "[[Land of a Thousand Hills]]" (French: ''Pays des milles collines''). ==S== '''{{flag|Saint Helena}}''' (territory of the [[United Kingdom]]): :Named after [[Helena of Constantinople|Saint Helena]] (Helena of Constantinople; mother of the Roman emperor [[Constantine I (emperor)|Constantine]]) by the Portuguese navigator [[João da Nova]] who discovered the island on Saint Helena's Day, [[21 May]] [[1502]]. '''{{flag|Saint Kitts and Nevis}}''': :[[St. Kitts]] took its name in honour of [[Saint Christopher]], the patron saint of travelling. [[Christopher Columbus]] probably named the island for Saint Christopher, though this remains uncertain. [[United Kingdom|British]] sailors later shortened the name to St. Kitts. [[Nevis]] derives from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] phrase ''Nuestra Senora de las Nieves'', which means "Our Lady of the Snows", after the permanent halo of white clouds that surrounded mountains on the island. '''{{flag|Saint Lucia}}''': :According to tradition, named after [[Saint Lucy]] by [[France|French]] sailors shipwrecked on the island on [[13 December]] [[1502]] – the feast day of Saint Lucy. '''{{flag|Saint Pierre and Miquelon}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :Originally named the "[[Eleven Thousand Virgins]]" by [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer [[João Álvares Fagundes]] in [[1521]]. The French called the islands the "Islands of [[Saint Peter|Saint-Pierre]]". [[Miquelon]] comes from the [[Basque language]] and means "Michael" (maybe after [[Michael (archangel)|Saint Michael]]). In [[1579]] [[Martin de Hoyarçabal]]'s navigational pilot published the names ''Micquetõ'' and ''Micquelle'' for the first time. The name evolved over time into ''Miclon'', ''Micklon'', and finally ''Miquelon''. '''{{flag|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}}''': :Named after the Spanish [[Vincent of Saragossa|Saint Vincent]] by [[Christopher Columbus]] on [[22 January]] [[1498]], the day of the Feast of Saint Vincent. The [[Grenadines]], like [[Grenada]], take their name from the southern Spanish city of [[Granada]]. '''{{flag|Samoa}}''': :The islands allegedly derive their name from that of a local chieftain, or from an indigenous word meaning "place of the [[moa]]". The moa, a large bird now extinct, may have served as the islanders' [[totem]]. '''{{flag|San Marino}}''': :Takes its name from [[Saint Marinus|Marinus]], a (possibly legendary) [[Christian]] [[stonemason]] who fled the island of [[Arbe]] (in modern day [[Croatia]]) to escape the anti-Christian [[Roman Empire|Romans]]. He made his refuge on [[Mount Titano]] with his [[Christian]] followers in [[301]]/[[305]] in the area that acquired the [[Italian language|Italian]] name ''San Marino'' (Saint Marinus). '''{{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}''': :[[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for: [[Thomas (apostle)|Saint Thomas]] and Prince (islands). São Tomé was so named by [[Portugal in the period of discoveries|Portuguese explorers]] because of its discovery on what was then considered St. Thomas's Day (December 21), perhaps in 1470 or 1471. Príncipe was originally called Santo Antão (Portuguese for [[Anthony the Great|Saint Anthony]]), presumably because of its discovery on Saint Anthony's feast day (January 17), perhaps in 1471 or 1472. The name was later changed to ''Ilha do Principe'' ("Prince's Island") in 1502, in reference to the Prince of Portugal to whom duties on the island's sugar crop were paid. '''{{flag|Saudi Arabia}}''': :"Saudi" after the [[House of Saud]], the [[royal family]] who founded the kingdom and who still rule it. The dynasty takes its name from its ancestor, ''Sa`ûd'', whose name in [[Arabic]] means "a group of stars/planets". The etymology of the term "Arab" or "Arabian" links closely with that of the place-name "[[Arabia]]". The root of the word has many meanings in [[Semitic languages]], including "west / sunset", "desert", "mingle", "merchant", "raven" and "comprehensible", all of which appear to have some relevance to the emergence of the name. Remarkably, in Ancient Egyptian the area was already known as ''Ar Rabi''.<!-- Source: Budge, ''An Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Dictionary, Vol. II'' --> '''''{{flag|Scotland}}''''' ''([[constituent country]] of the [[United Kingdom]]): {{main|Etymology of Scotland}} :Land of the Scots, from [[Old English]] ''Scottas'', "inhabitants of [[Ireland]]." Old English borrowed the word from late [[Latin]] ''Scotti'', of unknown origin. It may possibly have come from an Irish term of scorn, ''scuit''. After the departure of the Romans from [[Roman Britain|Britain]] in 423, an Irish tribe invaded Scotland, and the name came with them. It later extended to other Irish who settled in the northern regions of Britain. :*[[Alba]] ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]] name): The Scots- and Irish-Gaelic name for [[Scotland]] derives from the same [[Celtic languages|Celtic]] root as the name [[Albion]], which designates sometimes the entire island of [[Great Britain]] and sometimes the country of [[England]], Scotland's southern neighbour. The term arguably derives from an early Indo-European word meaning 'white', generally held to refer to the cliffs of white [[chalk]] around the English town of [[Dover]], ironically located at the furthest end of Great Britain from Scotland itself. Others take it to come from the same root as "[[Alps|the Alps]]", possibly being an ancient word for mountain. :*[[Caledonia]], an old Latin name for Scotland, deriving from the [[Caledonii]] tribe. Caledonia in Greek also means "good waters". '''{{flag|Senegal}}''': :From the Senegal river. After a Portuguese variant of the name of the Berber [[Zenaga]] (Arabic [[Senhaja]]) tribe, which dominated much of the area to the north of modern Senegal, i.e. present-day [[Mauritania]]. :*[[Daradia]] (Latin variant): -?- '''{{flag|Serbia}}''' :The exact origin of the name is uncertain (see [[Serbs#Name|name of Serbs]]). The name of the [[Sorbs]] in present-day [[Germany]] has the same origin. '''{{flag|Seychelles}}''': :Named after [[Jean Moreau de Séchelles]], [[Minister of Finance|Finance Minister]] to King [[Louis XV of France]] from 1754 to 1756. '''{{flag|Sierra Leone}}''': :Adapted from ''Sierra Leona'', the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] version of the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] ''Serra Leoa'' ("Lion Mountains"). The [[Portugal|Portuguese]] explorer [[Pedro de Sintra]] named the country after the striking mountains that he saw in 1462 while sailing the West [[African]] coast. It remains unclear what exactly made the mountains look like lions. Three main explanations exist: that the mountains resembled the [[teeth]] of a [[lion]], that they looked like sleeping lions, or that thunder which broke out around the mountains sounded like a lion's roar. :* [[Deorum Currus]] (Latin variant): -?- '''{{flag|Singapore}}''': :''Singapura'' (in [[Malay language|Malay]]) derives from [[Sanskrit]] ''Simhapura'' (or ''Singhapura'') which means "Lion City". Earlier the island was known as ''Temasik'' from Malay or [[Javanese language|Javanese]] root ''tasik'' meaning ''lake''. ''Singapore'' is the [[English language|anglicized]] form of the Malay name which is still in use today along with variants in Chinese and [[Tamil language|Tamil]], the four official languages of Singapore. '''{{flag|Slovakia}}''': :From the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] "Slavs". The origin of the word ''[[Wiktionary:Slav|Slav]]'' itself remains controversial. :''See also: [[Slavic peoples#Origin of the term Slav|origin of the term Slav]]'' '''{{flag|Slovenia}}''': :From the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] "Slavs". The origin of the word ''[[Wiktionary:Slav|Slav]]'' itself remains controversial. :''See also: [[Slavic peoples#Origin of the term Slav|origin of the term Slav]]'' '''{{flag|Solomon Islands}}''': :The [[Spain|Spanish]] explorer [[Alvaro de Mendaña y Neyra]] named the islands in 1567/8. Expecting to find a lot of [[gold]] there, he named them after the [[Biblical]] [[King Solomon]] of [[Israel]], renowned for his great wisdom, wealth, and power. '''{{flag|Somalia}}''': :Takes its name from the ''[[Somali people|Somalis]]'', its indigenous people. The eytmology of their name remains uncertain, but various sources have proposed the following: :*From a Cushitic word meaning "dark," or "black," a reference to the color of their own skin. :*From a local phrase ''soo maal'' which means "go and milk," implying a friendly people who offered milk to their guests. :*From the name of an ancient and mythical figure-patriarch, whom almost all Somalis directly link to, known ''Samaale''. '''{{flag|South Africa}}''': :Takes its name from its geographical location on the continent of [[Africa]]. :*''[[Suid-Afrika]]'' ([[Afrikaans]]): "South[ern] Africa" :*''Aifric Theas'' ([[Irish language|Irish]]): "South[ern] Africa" :*''[[Azania]]'' (alternative name): some opponents of the [[white (people)|white]]-minority rule of the country used the name ''Azania'' in place of "[[South Africa]]" . The origin of this name remains uncertain, but the name has referred to various parts of sub-Saharan East-[[Africa]]. Recently, two suggestions for the origin of the word have emerged. The first cites the Arabic ''`ajam'' ("foreigner, non-Arab"). The second references the Greek verb ''azainein'' ("to dry, parch"), which fits the identification of Azania with arid sub-Saharan [[Africa]]. :*''Mzansi'' (alternative name): a popular, widespread nickname among locals, used often in parlance but never officially adopted. (''uMzantsi'' in [[isiXhosa]] means "south".) :''See also Africa on the [[List of continent name etymologies]] page.'' '''{{flag|South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands}}''' (territory of the [[United Kingdom]]): :On [[17 January]] [[1775]] the British Captain [[James Cook]] landed on the main island and named it the "Isle of Georgia" in honour of [[George III of the United Kingdom|King George III of the United Kingdom]]. He named the South Sandwich Islands after [[John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich|John Montagu]], the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who served as the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time and who had helped fund Cook's explorations. The word "South" was added to distinguish these islands from the [[Sandwich Islands]], now known as [[Hawaii]]. '''{{flag|South Korea}}''': :After the location in [[Korea]]. :''See also Korea above'' '''''{{flag|Soviet Union}}''''': :Shortening of [[Union of Soviet Socialist Republics]] (USSR). The word ''[[Soviet (council)|soviet]]'' ({{lang-ru|совет}}), a [[Russian language|Russian]] [[abstract noun]], means "advice", "counsel", or "council", and comes from Slavic roots connoting "shared or common" and "knowledge". :*Most languages, like English, have adopted the Russian loanword ''soviet'' as the national denominator of the Soviet Union. Examples are اتحاد سوفييتي, ''Itihad sofieti'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]), ''Union soviétique'' ([[French language|French]]), ''Szovjetunió'' ([[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]), ''Unión Soviética'' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]) and ''Umoja wa Kisovyeti'' ([[Swahili]]). However, in some languages the term ''soviet'', literally meaning "council", was translated into a corresponding term. Examples are ''Nõukogude Liit'' ([[Estonian language|Estonian]]), ''Neuvostoliitto'' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]), ''Padomju Savienība'' ([[Latvian language|Latvian]]), ''Tarybų Sąjunga'' ([[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]) and Союз Радянських ([[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]], see ''[[rada]]''). In [[Polish language|Polish]], both ''Związek Radziecki'' and ''Związek Sowiecki'' have been used. In [[Persian language|Persian]] the name is اتحاد شوروی, ''itehad shuravi'' (in [[Tajik language|Tajik]] 'Иттиҳоди Шӯравӣ'), ''shuravi'' stemming from the [[Arabic languages|Arabic]] word ''[[shura]]''. '''{{flag|Spain}}''': :[[Phoenician languages|Phoenician/Punic]] אי שפנים ''ʾÎ-šəpānîm'' "isle of [[hyrax]]es". The [[Phoenicia]]n settlers found [[hare]]s in abundance, and mistook them for hyraxes of [[Africa]]; thus they named the land in their [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite dialect]]. The [[Latin]]-speaking [[Rome|Romans]] adapted the name as ''[[Hispania]]''. The Latin name was altered among the [[Romance languages]], and entered [[English language|English]] from [[Norman language|Norman French]] ''Spagne''. '''{{flag|Sri Lanka}}''': :"Resplendent Lanka" in Sanskrit. The name "Lanka" sometimes appears translated as "island" — "magnificent island". :*''Serendip'' (ancient name): derived from the Sanskrit ''sharan-dweepa'', meaning "island of salvation". :*''Ceylon'' (English), ''Ceilão'' (Portuguese), ''Seilan'' (former names): from the [[Pāli|Pali]] ''Sinhalana'' meaning "land of the lions". '''{{flag|Sudan}}''': :From the Arabic ''Bilad as-Sudan'', "Land of the blacks". Originally referred to most of the [[Sahel]] region. '''{{flag|Suriname}}''': :After the [[Surinen]] people, the earliest known native American inhabitants of the region. '''{{flag|Svalbard}}''' (territory of [[Norway]]): :From Norse roots meaning "cold edge". '''{{flag|Swaziland}}''': :Named after the [[Swazi]] people, the dominant ethnic group in the country. The word "Swazi" derives from [[Mswati I]], a former king of [[Swaziland]]. '''{{flag|Sweden}}''': :An old English plural form of [[Swede]]. The exact development of the ethnonym remains uncertain, but it certainly derives from the [[Old English language|Old English]] ''Sweoðeod'', in [[Old Norse]]: ''[[Svitjod|Sviþjoð]]''. The etymology of the first element, ''Svi'', links to the [[Proto-Indo-European language|PIE]] ''*suos'' ("one's own", "of one's own kin"). The last element, ''þjoð'', means "people", cognate with ''deut'' in [[Deutsch]] and ''teut'' in [[Teutons]]. :*''Sverige'' (native name): derives from the phrase ''Svia Rike'', meaning "the realm of the Swedes". ''Rike'' has the same meaning as German ''reich'', Norwegian ''rike'', or Danish ''rige'' meaning "realm/empire/kingdom". See Austria (Öster''reich''), Germany (older name Deutsches ''Reich''). :*''An tSualainn'' ([[Irish language|Irish]] name): means (literally) ''Swedeland'' and is formed from an ethnonym ''Sua'', evidently derived from ''Svia'' (see above) and ''-lann'', a common suffix denoting abstract nouns in Irish. The inclusion of ''an'', the singular definite article, as well as the elipsis ''t'' is necessary for grammatical purposes. :*''Ruotsi'' ([[Finnish language|Finnish]]), ''Rootsi'' ([[Estonian language|Estonian]]), ''Rūotšmō'' ([[Livonian]]), ''Ruoŧŧa'' ([[Sami languages|Sami]]): probably from a Varangian [[Rus' (people)|people called the Rus']], originating from [[Roslagen]] in [[Svealand]]. Scholars debate the meaning of ''rus'', but it probably originates from the element ''roþs-'' ("relating to rowing") which has the same origin as ''row''. :''See also [[Etymology of Rus and derivatives]] and Russia above'' '''{{flag|Switzerland}}''': :From the toponym [[Schwyz]] (see there) first attested AD 972 as ''Suittes'', derived from an [[Alemannic German|Alemannic]] proper name Suito. :* ''[[Helvetia]]'' (ancient [[Latin]] name), after the Celtic [[Helvetii]] people. '''{{flag|Syria}}''': :From the ancient [[Greek language|Greek]] name of the country, ''Συρία'' ("Syria"). Probably related to the name of the ancient state of [[Assyria]], although the original heartland of ancient Assyria actually lay in modern [[Iraq]]. Before the Greeks, the area of the modern state of Syria had the name ''[[Aram (Biblical region)|Aram]]'', after which the [[Aramaic language]], a former ''[[lingua franca]]'' of the [[Middle East]] still spoken in a few villages there today, takes its name. ==T== {{flagicon|Taiwan}} '''[[Taiwan]]''' ([[Republic of China]]): :The [[Han characters]] used today mean "Terraced Bay" in Chinese (terraced rice fields typify the Taiwanese landscape). However, older characters (e.g. 台員) have entirely different meanings. Moreover, some scholars believe the characters serve merely as convenient phonetic vehicles for writing down an older [[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]] name. In the early 17th century, when the [[Dutch East India Company]] came to build a commercial post at [[Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)|Fort Zeelandia]] (today's [[Tainan]]), they allegedly adopted the name of an aboriginal tribe transliterated as "Tayouan" or "Teyowan" in their records. Chinese merchants (and, later, Chinese officials) also adopted this same name, although different transliteration into [[Han characters]] tended to obscure the real etymology by sound, and often evoked varying myths and imaginings. An old-fashioned story traced "Taiwan" to a Hokkien ([[Minnan]]) phrase (埋冤) with the same pronunciation, meaning "burying the unjustly dead," suggesting the riskiness of the sea journey to Taiwan. But this kind of story has given way to more persuasive evidence from ethnological and colonial sources. :* [[Taiwan|Formosa]] (former name): [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] for "beautiful", presumably because of the beauty of the island. '''{{flag|Tajikistan}}''': {{main|Tajiks}} :"Tajikistan" or "Tojikiston" (alternative name) means "land of the Tajiks", with "Tajiks" being an alternative name of the [[Persian people|Persians]]. Tajikistan is the only country in the Soviet Union Commonwealth which is Persian-speaking and its history goes back to the Persian Empire. The suffix ''[[-stan]]'', from [[Persian language|Persian]], means "land". : The root word ''toj'' is derived from the Persian word for "crown". Because of the influence of the Russians during the Soviet period, the root word ''toj'' changed slightly and in time became ''tojik''. The literal meaning of "Tajikistan" is "place where people have crowns." : Another possible root is the Tibetan ''Tag Dzig'' (pronounced "Tajik") by which they call all Persians, but in Tibetan this also means "tiger-leopard".{{Fact|date=February 2007}} This could explain why so many [[Tibet]]an legends about their western neighbours feature [[tiger]]/[[leopard]] combinations. '''{{flag|Tanzania}}''': :A combination of the names of two states that merged to form this country, [[Tanganyika]], and [[Zanzibar]]. Tanganyika takes its name from the lake in the area, first visited by a European in 1858 in the person of Sir [[Richard Burton]]. Burton explained the meaning from local language as ''tou tanganyka'' meaning "to join", giving the sense "where waters met". In 1871, however, [[Henry Stanley]] said the word came from ''tonga'', "island" and ''hika'', "flat". Both theories remain uncertain. Zanzibar derives its name from the ''Zengi'' or ''Zengj'', a local people whose own name means "black". This root joined to the Arabic ''barr'', which means "coast" or "shore". '''{{flag|Thailand}}''': :The word Thai (ไทย) is not, as is commonly believed, derived from the word ''thai'' (ไท) meaning "freedom" in the Thai language; it is, however, the name of an ethnic group from the central plains. With that in mind the locals seemed to have also accepted the alternative meaning and will verbally state that it means "Land of the free". This might be due to language barriers and the avoidance of long difficult explanations. :*Siam (former name): The Thai people called their land by this name from the [[Sukhothai]] period. It became the name of the country from the reign of [[King Rama VI]] or [[King Chulalongkorn]]. The name was changed to "Thailand" in the reign of [[Rama VII|King Rama VII]] (1925&ndash;1935) by the government of Siam at that time. The word "Siam" is probably derived from the [[Pāli]] toponym ''Suvarnabhumi'' "Land of Gold", the ultimate root being the Pāli root ''sama'' which variously denoted different shades of color, most often brown or yellow, but sometimes green or black. '''{{flag|Togo}}''': :From the settlement Togo, currently Togoville. In [[Ewe language|Ewe]], ''to'' means "water" and ''go'', "shore". :* French Togoland (former name): See Togo (above) and France (above). '''{{flag|Tokelau}}''' (territory of [[New Zealand]]): :From the [[Tokelauan language|Tokelauan]] "North" or "Northern", describing the islands' location relative to [[Samoa]]. The Tokelauan people traditionally originated as settlers from Samoa. '''{{flag|Tonga}}''': :From the [[Tongan language|Tongan]] "South" or "Southern", describing the islands' location relative to [[Samoa]]. :*[[Friendly Islands]] (former name): named by Captain [[James Cook]] in 1773 after the friendliness and hospitality of the people he met on the islands. '''{{flag|Trinidad and Tobago}}''': :[[Christopher Columbus]] encountered the island of Trinidad on [[July 31]], [[1498]] and named it after the [[Trinity|Holy Trinity]]. Columbus reported seeing Tobago, which he named ''Bella Forma'', but did not land on the island. The name ''Tobago'' probably derives from the [[tobacco]] grown and smoked by the natives. :*''Kairi'' or ''Iere'' (old [[Amerindian]] name for Trinidad): Usually translated as "The Land of the [[Hummingbird]]", although others have reported that it simply meant "island". {{flagicon|France}} '''[[Tromelin Island]]''' (territory of [[France]]): :From the Chevalier de Tromelin (Knight of Tromelin), a [[French Navy|French Royal Navy]] officer, captain of the French corvette ''[[La Dauphine]]'', who visited the island in 1776.<ref>[http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=26887&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO in action cultureThe shipwrecked memory of the L'Utile slaves: UNESCO<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> '''{{flag|Tunisia}}''': :After its capital [[Tunis]], whose name possibly derives from a [[Berber language|Berber]] word signifying a small cape.<ref>[http://www.mondeberbere.com/culture/chafik/maghreb/substratberbere.htm] in French</ref> '''{{flag|Turkey}}''': :The Turkish name ''Türkiye'' consists of two parts: ''[[Turk (disambiguation)|Türk]]'', which means "strong" in Turkish and usually refers to the inhabitants of [[Turkey]] or a member of Turkish nation; and the Arabic suffix ''iye'' which means "owner" or "related to". The root appears commonly among early [[Altaic peoples|Altaic]] tribal ethnonyms, and also appears in the name of the modern inhabitants of [[Turkmenistan]]. :* ''[[Rum]]'' (Р'ом, ڕۆم [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]] variant): after the [[Sultanate of Rûm]]. When the [[Persians]] met the [[Byzantines]], these called themselves ''Rhomaioi'' ("Romans"), which gave the name ''[[Rûm]]'' to the region where the [[Turkic peoples|Turks]] would settle. '''{{flag|Turkmenistan}}''': :From ''Turkmen'' and ''-stan''. ''[[-stan]]'' as a [[Persian language|Persian]] suffix means "land". Thus: "land of the [[Turkmen people]]. :''See also Turkey, above'' '''{{flag|Turks and Caicos Islands}}''' (territory of the [[United Kingdom]]): :"Turks" after the indigenous Turk's Head "fez" cactus; and "Caicos" from the indigenous [[Lucayan]] term ''caya hico'', meaning "string of islands". '''{{flag|Tuvalu}}''': :From the native "eight islands" or "eight standing with each other" (Tuvalu actually consists of nine islands — only eight of them traditionally inhabited). An earlier name, ''Niulakita'', the name of the first atoll settled in [[1949]], became suppressed. :* [[Ellice Islands]] (former name): named after [[Edward Ellice (merchant)|Edward Ellice]], a British politician and merchant, by Captain [[Arent de Peyster]], who sighted the islands in 1819 sailing on the ship ''Rebecca''. Ellice owned the cargo of the ship. The Ellice Islands received the name ''Tuvalu'' following a vote for secession from the Gilbert Islands (now [[Kiribati]]) in 1975/1976. ==U== '''{{flag|Uganda}}''': :From the Swahili version of [[Buganda]], the kingdom of the 52 clans of the Baganda people, the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda. British officials adopted the name Uganda in [[1894]]. '''{{flag|Ukraine}}''': {{Main|Name of Ukraine}} :From the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] words ''[[krai]]'' (''[[kraj]]'') and its derivative ''[[krajina]]'', both originally meaning "borderland", "marches", or from a later, more generic use of the same word ''[[krajina]]'' or ''[[ukrajina]]'' with the meaning "land", "region", "principality". '''''{{flag|USSR|name=Union of Soviet Socialist Republics}}''''': :Also called the ''[[Soviet Union]]'' for short. The word ''[[soviet]]'' ({{lang-ru|совет}}), a [[Russian language|Russian]] [[abstract noun]], meant "council" or "board", in English became an adjective denoting persons from the country. '''{{flag|United Arab Emirates}}''': :The etymology of the term "Arab" or "Arabian" links with that of the place name "Arabia". The root of the word has many meanings in [[Semitic languages]], including "west / sunset", "desert", "mingle", "merchant", "raven" and "comprehensible", all of which appear to have some relevance to the emergence of the name. ''[[Emirate]]'' refers to a territory ruled by an [[emir]]. :* [[Trucial States]], [[Trucial Oman]] (former names): Before 1971 English-speakers knew the area as the "Trucial States" or "Trucial Oman", in reference of a nineteenth-century truce between the [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Arab]] [[sheikh]]s. It borders [[Oman]] and [[Saudi Arabia]]. '''{{flag|United Kingdom}}''': :Shortened form of the full name: "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland". Originally (from 1801) called "The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland", referring to the union between the [[Kingdom of Great Britain]] and the [[Kingdom of Ireland]]. The name was officially changed to its present style in 1927 following the separation from the Union of the then [[Irish Free State]] (now the [[Republic of Ireland]]). '''{{flag|United States of America}}''': :The term "United States" comes from the end of the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]: ''"We, therefore, the representatives of the'' '''''united States''''' ''of America, in general congress, assembled..."''. The [[preamble]] to the [[United States Constitution|U.S. Constitution]] reiterated the phrase: ''"We the People of the United States...".'' The authors of these two documents probably used the phrase "united States" in place of a list of colonies/states because they remained uncertain (at the time of drafting) which colonies/states would sign off on the sentiments therein. The geographic term "America" specifies the states' home on the American continent, and is believed to derive from the [[Latin]]ized version of the explorer [[Amerigo Vespucci]]'s name, ''Americus Vespucius'', in its feminine form, ''America''. The feminine was chosen to match the ending of all other known continents at the time: Asia, Africa, and (as known in Latin) Europa. :See also: [[List of U.S. state name etymologies]], [[Lists of U.S. county name etymologies]] and [[List of continent name etymologies]]. '''{{flag|Uruguay}}''': :The name comes from the [[Uruguay River]] (indeed its official name "Republica Oriental del [[Uruguay]]" — "oriental" meaning "east" — references its position east of the river). The word "Uruguay" itself may derive from the [[Guaraní]] words ''urugua'' ("[[shellfish]]") and ''i'' ("water"), meaning "river of shellfish". Another possible explanation holds that the name "Uruguay" divides into three component Guaraní words: ''uru'' (a kind of bird that lived near the river); ''gua'' ("to proceed from"); and ''i'' ("water"). '''{{flag|U.S. Virgin Islands}}''' (territory of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :[[Christopher Columbus]] named the islands in 1493 after [[St. Ursula]] and her 11,000 virgins, as he gained the impression of a seemingly endless number of islands. The term "U.S.", applied after the U.S. acquisition of the islands from Denmark in 1917, serves to distinguish this territory from the adjacent [[British Virgin Islands]]. :*Danish West Indies (former name): after the former [[Colony|colonial]] ruler ([[Denmark]]). :''See also United States of America above.'' '''{{flag|Uzbekistan}}''': : Comes from three words: ''uz'', meaning "self" in Turkic; ''bek'' meaning "master" in the [[Sogdiana|Sogdian]] language, and "stan" meaning "land" in Persian. Thus, "Uzbekistan" = "Land of the Self Masters." ==V== '''{{flag|Vanuatu}}''': :Derived from a phrase found in some of the languages of Vanuatu meaning "Our Land" :* [[New Hebrides]] (former name): named after the [[Hebrides]] islands in [[Scotland]] by Captain [[James Cook]] in 1774. '''{{flag|Vatican City}}''': :"Vatican" from the [[Latin]] ''vaticinari'', "to prophesy", by way of the name of the hill "Mons Vaticanus" of which the Vatican City forms a part. Fortune-tellers and sooth-sayers used the streets beneath in [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times. '''{{flag|Venezuela}}''': {{main|Venezuela#Etymology}} :"Little [[Venice]]", from the diminutive form of "Venezia". The native stilt-houses built on [[Lake Maracaibo]] impressed the [[Europe]]an explorers [[Alonso de Ojeda]] and [[Amerigo Vespucci]] and reminded them of buildings in [[Venice]]. '''{{flag|Vietnam}}''': :(Cognate of the Chinese: 越南), "Beyond the southern border", as referred to by the ancient Chinese, or "South Yue", after the [[Yue (peoples)|Yue peoples]] of ancient southeast China. ==W== '''{{flag|Wake Island}}''' ([[Incorporated territory|territory]] of the [[United States|United States of America]]): :Named after the [[United Kingdom|British]] Captain [[William Wake]], who sighted the island in 1796 in his boat the ''Prince William Henry'' (though the [[Spain|Spanish]] explorer [[Álvaro de Mendaña de Neyra|Mendaña]] may have sighted it [[1568]]). '''''{{flag|Wales}}''' ([[constituent country]] of the [[United Kingdom]]):'' :From [[Old English]] ''Waelisc'', ''Walh'', meaning "Celtic" or more generally "foreign" ([[Old English]] ''Waelisc'' also provides the source of English word ''Welsh''). Anglo-Saxons used their version of an Old Teutonic term to apply to speakers of [[Celtic languages]] as well as to speakers of [[Latin]]. The same etymology applies to walnuts as well as to [[Cornwall]] in [[Great Britain|Britain]] and to [[Wallonia]] in Belgium. [[Old Church Slavonic]] also borrowed the term from the Germanic, and it served as the origin of the name of the Romanian region of [[Wallachia]]. [[Gaul]] or Gallia, as well as Gael and [[Gaels|Gaelic]] share the same etymology, as G and W are often interchangeable between English and French (wasp/guêpe, ward/garde, etc.). In fact, the French word for Wales is "Pays de Galles", and Welsh is translated as "Gallois". '''{{flag|Wallis and Futuna}}''' (territory of [[France]]): :The "Wallis" comes from the English explorer [[Samuel Wallis]], who sailed there in [[1797]]. '''{{flag|Western Sahara}}''' (claimed by [[Morocco]] and the [[Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic]]): :After its geographic position in the west of the [[Sahara]] desert. "Sahara" is an English pronunciation of the word for ''desert'' in [[Arabic language|Arabic]]. The local [[nationalism|nationalist group]] the [[Polisario Front]] have named their [[government in exile]] the "[[Sahrawi]] [[Arab]] Democratic Republic" after its people, the Sahrawis (or Saharawis). :* [[Spanish Sahara]] (former name): after its geographic position in the [[Sahara]] desert and the former colonial power ([[Spain]]). :''See also Spain above.'' ==Y== '''{{flag|Yemen}}''': :Previously named "Semen", the "Semen Tribe" leader died and they had to rename the tribe as a tradition, thus naming the country "Yemen". '''''{{flag|Yugoslavia}}''''' (former name): :From ''Jugoslavija'', which means "Land of the South Slavs" ([[South Slavic languages|South Slavic]] ''jug'' means "south"). ==Z== '''{{flag|Zambia}}''': :After the River [[Zambezi]], which flows through the east of the country and also forms the border with [[Zimbabwe]]. :* [[Northern Rhodesia]] (former name): named after [[Cecil Rhodes]], a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[South Africa]]n minister and [[business]]man who helped found the colony. "Northern" to differentiate it from [[Southern Rhodesia]] (modern [[Zimbabwe]]). '''{{flag|Zimbabwe}}''': :Alteration of [[Shona language|Shona]] ''Dzimba-dze-mabwe'', translated as "houses of stone" (''dzimba'' = plural of ''imba'', "house"; ''mabwe'' = plural of ''bwe'', "stone"), referring to the stone-built capital city of the ancient trading empire of [[Great Zimbabwe]]. Alternatively, the element ''zi'' means "big" — thus "big houses of stone". :* [[Southern Rhodesia]]/[[Rhodesia]] (former names): named after [[Cecil Rhodes]], a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[South Africa]]n minister and [[business]]man who helped found the colony. "Southern" differentiated it from [[Northern Rhodesia]] (modern [[Zambia]]). The "Southern" adjective disappeared upon [[Zambia]] achieving independence in [[1964]], and the area became known as [[Rhodesia]]. ==See also== * [[List of etymologies of country subdivision names]] * [[List of continent name etymologies]] * [[List of political entities named after people]] * [[Lists of etymologies]] * [[List of double placenames]] * [[Toponymy]] * [[Etymology]] == References == <references/> * Room, Adrian. ''Brewer's Names: People. Places. Things''. Cassell, 1992. ISBN 0-304-34077-4 * Room, Adrian. ''Placenames of the World, Origins and Meanings''. McFarland and Company, Inc, Publishers, 1997. ISBN 0-7864-0172-9 {{Lists by country}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:Country name etymology| ]] [[Category:Lists of placename etymologies|Country name]] <!--Other languages--> [[de:Etymologische Liste der Ländernamen]] [[fa:فهرست معنی نام کشورها]] [[pl:Lista etymologii nazw państw]] [[pt:Etimologia dos nomes dos países]] [[ru:Этимология названий стран]]