Have you ever thought about how names came into being? But why just stop at names? The origins of words themselves and how they are the way they are today is an exciting thought and a broad subject. You’ll notice that most of the words we speak today have gradually evolved as accents changed and the population increased. Nonetheless, when we go back to the roots of words while studying etymology (the origin of words), they are often affiliated with the subject in some way. But today we aren’t here to talk simply words. Instead, we have brought you the background and origins of the names of different countries.
1. Japan
The etymology of this country’s name can be traced around the 7th or 8th century when the county decided to change its name from Wakoku to Nihon. Now we know that Nihon is nowhere close to sounding like Japan, but the evolution of the country’s name started from Nihon. It was also pronounced as Nippon by the natives. The linguistic meaning of Nihon is the rise/origin of the sun. Known to be the place where the sun goddess Amaterasu rose, the land’s name was decided due to the fact that a bright star rises from there. The word Nippon then went onto evolving into what we now know today as Japan. Some people from other countries often have the question of “Why is Japan called the land of the rising sun?” Perhaps this will answer the questions of these people.
2. France
The etymology of the country name, France comes from the Latin word, Francia. The word, Frantica means Land of the Franks. The franks were a group of people who originated from around Eastern Germany and conquered the land known today as France. Before it was called France, this area was known as Gaul. After the reign of the French Kings commenced, people began referring to this land as Francia, i.e., the land/kingdom of Franks. History records do not tell us the exact years of this change, but the name France has evolved from Francia in about a millennium or more.
3. Spain
Spain is known to be home to the mightiest civilizations to have ever existed on this planet. Known for its rich history consisting of rule from Romans to Muslims, the land is considered the heart of Europe. However, when we look into the etymology of the word Spain, we find that it was first known as Iberia. The roots trace back to around 6000 B.C when a North African tribe settled in this land. The word Iber is derived from the word river. Soon after, when the Greeks resided in this area, they started referring to it as Hesperia, which literally translates into the land of the setting sun. Fast forward to the time of Carthaginians who came in around 300 B.C, and the name of the country changed into Ispania, which means land of the rabbits. It took 2600 years for the rabbit to win over the sun and river!
4. Palestine
Also known to be the holy land in the world’s top 3 religions, the land of Palestine also has a rich history and culture. Now, most territories being a part of modern-day Israel, the country Palestine goes back a long way. However, the name evolved from the word Philistia, which was given to the Greek Rulers of this land around the 12th century BCE. The name went on to evolve further in the different rules of different eras until finally, it became Palestine.
5. Turkey
This land used to be the heart of the Roman Empire. The word “Turkey”’s etymology goes back to the 8th century AD. The word Turkey was derived from the Turks. While both the Romans and ottomans have ruled this land, the Turks were mostly the reason behind the name Turkey. These people were later a part of the ottoman empire, but the name of the land Turkey came from them. It was not until around the 15th century after the conquest of Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul) that the name Turkey came into existence.
6. China
Why is it called China? The etymology of the country name “China” is the ancient dynasty called “Qin” which existed from B.C.221 to B.C. 206. Qin is pronounced “Chin” in English, therefor it would make perfect sense that the English word, ”China has its origin in the word “Qin”. Qin is also known for the Great Wall of China and also for the First Emperor.
