A challenging question.

[Viktorkrum77]

I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do we pronounce and spell country names and language names different in English and other languages?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example, we say German in English, the Spanish say Alemania, but the German call it Deutschland. Why is it so different between languages? Another example, the Czech call it ÃÆââ¬Å¾Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬â¢eskÃÆÃâÃâá, but in English we say Czech. But cz isn't English, so wouldn't we say Check or Chek?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is repeatedly seen in several country names and language names. Like Sweden, Sverige, and a really weird one is Finnish, which is Suomi? Netherlands is Nederlands, but the language is called Dutch in English, when it's called Nederlands in Dutch (Nederlands)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does this make any sense? I'm wondering why there is such a difference between names (besides words with special characters that can be replaced, like ÃÆââ¬Å¾Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬â¢eskÃÆÃâÃâá). Why don't we just call each country by it's normal name?

[Aznhuskarl]

I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do we pronounce and spell country names and language names different in English and other languages?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example, we say German in English, the Spanish say Alemania, but the German call it Deutschland. Why is it so different between languages? Another example, the Czech call it ÃÆââ¬Å¾Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬â¢eskÃÆÃâÃâá, but in English we say Czech. But cz isn't English, so wouldn't we say Check or Chek?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is repeatedly seen in several country names and language names. Like Sweden, Svarje, and a really weird one is Finnish, which is Suomi? Netherlands is Nederlands, but the language is called Dutch in English, when it's called Nederlands in Dutch (Nederlands)?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does this make any sense? I'm wondering why there is such a difference between names (besides words with special characters that can be replaced, like ÃÆââ¬Å¾Ãâ¦Ã¢â¬â¢eskÃÆÃâÃâá). Why don't we just call each country by it's normal name?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a matter of pronociation and langauges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For example: Beijing. You cannot prononce it in French. There are no syllabes nor lettsr to match the right word. So, it has to be tanslated to another dialect that can be written in French such as : P̮̩̉̉kin.

 

 

 

P̮̩̉̉kin is the Cantonese dialect of Beijing and you can say it and write in French.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's the same rule for other cities unless there's a specific name that was historically and internationnally knnown for {such as London and Londres, Gaza Bank, and many other cities that has a very different name.}

[BlueLancer]

That's just how the local populations learned those place names over the centuries. The romans called the northern lands 'Germania' while centuries later the native 'germans' would call their newly-formed nation state 'Deutschland'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm all for the idea of standardising countries and cities' names, we don't live in the dark ages with whole countries consisting mostly of illiterate peasants anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if something is hard to pronounce, at least uniformalize the writing form. I don't see how that's a problem. Call England England, Ireland ÃÆÃâÃâ¹Ã¢â¬Â ire, Germany Deutschland, Sweden Sverige, Finland Suomi, Italy Italia, USA Hillbillia and so on.

[darkmage099]

That's just how the local populations learned those place names over the centuries. The romans called the northern lands 'Germania' while centuries later the native 'germans' would call their newly-formed nation state 'Deutschland'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm all for the idea of standardising countries and cities' names, we don't live in the dark ages with whole countries consisting mostly of illiterate peasants anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if something is hard to pronounce, at least uniformalize the writing form. I don't see how that's a problem. Call England England, Ireland ÃÆÃâÃâ¹Ã¢â¬Â ire, Germany Deutschland, Sweden Sverige, Finland Suomi, Italy Italia, USA Hillbillia and so on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROFL!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, it should be standardized. Or at least somewhat

[Giordano]

Thats just the languages, we all dont say "cake" the same dont we?

[Dragonwizerd]

no, the french say (i actually forget but i'll edit it in when i remember)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but yea, it's all just pronounciation...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but you say paris pare-is in english but pare-ee in french... :-k

[katha610]

hmm.. maybe because of different tribes that originated or ruled over that region some time ago?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Germanen and a part of them, the Allemannen originated north of the alps... thats where it might come from)

 

 

 

(and when the germans started calling themselves deutsche....maybe around the german empire?)

[Fadfdfd]

Why is Hello, Hola in Spanish?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But I see what you are getting at. France: Proper Noun. So it gets prounounced just as it was...written originally?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just like Michael (Mi-Kuhl), when I go to France, my name stays Michael, not Michel (Mee-Shell)

[BlueLancer]

Why is Hello, Hola in Spanish?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alteration of hallo, alteration of obsolete holla, stop!, perhaps from Old French hola : ho,+ la, there (from Latin illc, that way).]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because the English language actually leeched it off the spaniards, who leeched it off the french, who leeched it off latin speaking people, who made it up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

<----------BTW, my post count is truly ph34rsome.

[Waffle_Man_J]

Thats just the languages, we all dont say "cake" the same dont we?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's not just the languages, they're proper nouns; names, and should really be the same throughout every language since there can be no literal translation for them. I guess maybe people just try to make a translation dependent on similar words/rules of that language?

[katha610]

ot they just can say it right

[issy2]

At least we all smile in the same language. :3> :

[MyPurpleCrayon]

I don't see how that's a problem. Call England Arrogant [puncture]land, Ireland ÃÆÃâÃâ¹Ã¢â¬Â ire, Germany Deutschland, Sweden Sverige, Finland Suomi, Italy Italia, USA Hillbillia and so on.

 

 

 

Fixed.