Evolution of place-names

[ulvesang]

Even though nations and peoples may disappear and transition with time, oftentimes their names remain-- if even in an archaic, etymological reference. However, we sometimes take this for granted. Could these areas now so-labelled be legitimately referred to using the "old" name?

• The place-name "Vietnam" is derived from the Viet peoples, who

Comments

[kroki_refur]

Hmmm, there is some confusion here between national boundaries and languages/cultures. For example, what is now Latvia used to be called Livonia, and was occupied in large part by people speaking Livonian, or Liivi. That doesn't mean that people who identify as present-day ethnic Latvians are in any sense Livonian, although present-day ethnic Livonians may have modern Latvian citizenship. Similarly, Iranian citizens may not all consider themselves to be culturally Iranian, and may prefer to call themselves Persian, although there is no longer a nation-state with this name. In contrast, the island of Britain has kept the name of the people who once made up the majority of the population, but that doesn't mean that the people and cultures who now live there speak "British" (although one could make an argument for Welsh speakers

[sollersuk]

that doesn't mean that the people and cultures who now live there speak "British" (although one could make an argument for Welsh speakers).

Absolutely!

(mind you, I prefer either "Cambrian" or "Cymric", if people can't manage "Cymro/Cymres")

[kjell_bjarne]

sorry to sound utterly stupid, but I've never seen the word "Cymric" before. How would that be pronounced? thanks in advance.

[sollersuk]

"Kumrik", strictly speaking, but "kimrik" is acceptable ("c" in Welsh always sounds "k" and in words derived from "Cymru" "y" represents a sort of schwa sound.

[spin_the_blade]

If you wish to study a granfalloon, just remove the skin of a toy balloon.

[sparkofcreation]

Thank you. I really needed a laugh.

[venkovan]

I dunno if this is still the case, but at least fairly recently someone from Northern Ireland had the right to choose British or Irish citizenship. I think this agreement may have lapsed now because of the whole free-movement-within-the-EU thing...so the special links between the Republic of Ireland and the UK have become rather irrelevant.

I'm from England and I would defo refer to someone for N.I. as Irish, because of the accent more than anything. I find that British is rarely used. It just sounds kinda official to me.

[thewhiteowl]

Actually most of the NI accents are more like Scottish than southern Irish accents.

[pancreas_guy]

You reprimanded someone for saying he was Latin...when in fact he truly is? Latin America covers most of the continental Americas south of the Mexican-American border. He had every right to say he is Latin.

[ulvesang]

He certainly didn't understand any Latin.

[pancreas_guy]

That's not the point. Latin America was named because it was primarily colonized by Romance-speaking settlers. Latino/Latina/Latin is usually used as a name for people coming from this area or with this ethnicity.

[ulvesang]

Yes, it is the point. Latin America doesn't exist because no part of America speaks Latin, nor ever did.

[sollersuk]

because the Goths did occupy much of what is now Sweden

This is a bit iffy. The claim came from Jordanes in the 6th century, who though of Gothic ancestry only used Roman sources, and he puts the Goths in "the island of Scandia" during what works out as the Bronze Age.