Why not just Deutschland.
2006-09-04 09:53:25 · 6 answers · asked by matbro64 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
The English world started calling the language "German" (after Latin) long before there was any one country that used that language. Germany/Deutschland has been changing its borders quite regularly since its inception so it's not necessarily worth it at this point to say "OK good--now you're settled, we'll call you by your name."
I don't know what Germany is called in Italian, but the language is called Tedesco. And in French the country is Allemagne and the language is Allemende. Same reasons as English.
2006-09-04 10:49:21 · answer #1 · answered by Goddess of Grammar 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Latin term "Germanus" referred to a group of related peoples of central and Northern Europe, and the name was perhaps given by Celts to their neighbors (cf. Old Irish "gair", which means "neighbor").
Besides, the modern German term "Deutsch" is a cognate for English "Dutch". This came about partly as a result of German, English and Dutch being related languages.
2006-09-04 21:47:22 · answer #2 · answered by ichliebekira 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dating back to the Roman era, Germania was the Latin name for a geographical area that stretched from the west bank of the Rhine to a vaguely-defined eastern frontier with the forest and steppe regions of modern Russia and Ukraine (Sarmatia).
2006-09-04 16:57:26 · answer #3 · answered by prometheus_unbound 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Same reason French people call it "Allemagne", and Spanish people "Alemania".
Why do English people call Japan Japan, and not whatever symbol it would be in Japanese? Same reason. Deutschland is in German, Germany is in English.
2006-09-04 19:58:03 · answer #4 · answered by nellierslmm 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ummmm... it sounds nicer in our language... pronounce Deutschland slowly and then thing what it sounds like in English...
2006-09-04 20:11:20 · answer #5 · answered by MotherBear1975 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's from the Latin - Germani is Germans in Latin.
2006-09-04 16:55:34 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋