How did foreign place names get translated into English and vice versa?

Question

For example, Deutschland became "Germany" in our language, but how did we translate?
Also, a lot of little towns abroad won't have an English translation whereas big ones do (e.g. Venezia = Venice)

Answer 1

We call places names for several reasons:
After the first people who went there and gave it a name (New Zealand)
A name from the locals (Brazil)
From someone else who went there first (America)
After a saint perhaps (Saint Lucia)
After someone famous (Bolivia)
After a geographical feature (Equador)
In fact there are almost as many reasons as there are names of places. However, in other languages they have different reasons for naming places and so the place names are not really translated as such, but just named for different reasons.
Where places have been known for some time, the likelihood is that the names will be similar, but adapted to make it easier for speakers of that language. The exception to this is Germany, which is known by several different names in countries surrounding it. This is because there was no such country until the 19th century and everyone had their own names for some of the constituent parts of what is now called Germany which were adopted when Germany came into being.

Answer 2

We anglicized (English-ized) the names to make them easier for English-speakers to pronounce. In many cases, we actually misheard or misunderstood what they were saying. Sometimes we called them by their Latin names.

The Ancient Romans called the land of the tribes from the northern area of Europe "Germania." The tribes had individual names: Alamanni, Franks, Saxons, etc. The French actually call Germany "Allemagne" (after the Alamanni tribe). Incidentally, the Franks went to France and the Saxons joined the Anglos (Anglo-Saxons) in England (Angland/Angloland - or as the French call it: "Angleterre").

The French have been called Franks, Gauls, Normans, etc.

And don't get me started on how the European Royalty are all really members of the same family.

To Japanese, Japan is Nippon.

We call ourselves Americans, but to many Spanish speakers, we're "Estado-Unidenses" or "United Statesians." North and South America were named after map-maker Amerigo Vespucci - so why isn't it called the United States of Ameriga?

Answer 3

That is so cool! I have never met anyone from Greenland before, and I have no idea what Greenlandic sound like! :) It must be very interesting to learn about her culture and to hear about her experiences. Unfortunately, I could not find a website that offers free Greenlandic translations. Perhaps you should just ask her to teach you some Greenlandic expressions :D

Answer 4

A good question. I've always wondered why too.

My best guess is that the "Anglicized" or "Americanized" pronunviations are easier to say. That's all. But is it so hard to say "Roma" instead of "Rome?" Or even "Paree" instead of Paris?

True, "Moscow" is easier than "Muuszkva." And most far east names would be difficult for the American tongue. Is it "Peking," or "Beyzhing," or what? In the end, it's just custom, that stuck.

Answer 5

Well, for Germany in particular, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_for_Germany

Place names usually aren't translated. They are more typically transliterated and then modified to simplify pronunciation in that language. As webpage cited above shows, different names derive from different sources.

Answer 6

Yes, it's odd isn't it?

The one I really don't understand is why the French city Lyon becomes Lyons in English, but still pronounced the same. What's all that about?

Answer 7

The exact reason I don't know, but I can give more examples of this happening:

Germany
Deutschland (german)
Alemanha (portuguese)
Doitsu (japanese)

China (Most western languages)
Chuugoku (japanese)
Zhonghuo (mandarim)

Japan (Most western languages)
Nihon (japanese)

England
Angleterre (french)
Inglaterra (portuguese)

I guess it's because those places were named by many different people from different places.

Answer 8

Many places now want to lose their English name and revert to their local name. We no longer see a test match in Bombay, it is Mumbai, Calcutta is now Kolkata.

Answer 9

international names are usually written on the maps or in the tourist guide books, and the local names you read from the sings, or read from the local maps, or hear local people pronounce.

Answer 10

My name is french for unlucky. I hate that, it also used to be a guys name. I think they came here from the immigrants from other countries.