Any language/history experts on here? Can you explain why...

In our language we change the name of a country to something completely different to how they pronounce it in their own country? e.g why don't we just call the following countries by their own given name?</p>

Deutschland, Osterreich, Suomi, Norvege, etc?</p>

Is it a throwback to our colonialism and superiority complex days or is it just a matter of them being easier to pronounce in our language? </p>

Thanks in advance,</p>

Foz</p>

 

I can't answer that

but kind of adding to it. The French do the same don't they? I've always wondered why.

Angleterre = England

le Pays de Galles = Wales

I'm interested to know the answer too.

 

All (or at least most) languages do it nt

 

Norvege?

We in Norway say NORGE

 

You've prompted me a bit there... there may have been some development down history due to changes in the way individuals in differenet countries speak e.g I think we may have started out as Angle land and this has slowly changed over time. Perhaps it is the same with individual languages eh? If you think about tarn, we started out as Berns Leigh and this has transformed into Barnsley over a period of time. Could be just the way things are said and change with how different races language has progressed. Interesting one to think about. Ty

 

Sorry, am I thinkning of French for Norvege?

Been watching too much Eurovision eh? lol

 

Holland or Netherlands always gets me? nt

 

RE: Sorry, am I thinkning of French for Norvege?

Eurovision?? only gay people watch that

 

Netherlands

Or Nederland, in their native language, translates roughly as "The Low Country". It also used to be applied to Belgium too. Holland is simply one district of The Netherlands in pretty much the same way that Yorkshire is a county of England. Having said that, I was told by a Dutch friend that they don't mind being referred to as Holland when they play football. He never explained why!

 

Same reason as

the French call our country Englaterre and the Spanish call our language Ingles I suppose.

 

Banal answer, but I guess

Because our ancestors found it hard tosay names of towns and countries abroad with the apporpriate pronunciation, because certain sounds and spellings just don't exist or cause difficulites, so changedthe names tosomething more in keeping with their own culture and language.</p>

My Dad still can't say Firenze, but he canspell and pronounceFlorence.</p>

</p>

 

Norvege ? It's Norge yer daft git! nt

 

brush, do you mean Angleterre???????????????

 

Capital Cities too

Roma / Rome etc...

 

RE: Norvege ? It's Norge yer daft git! nt

or Noreg