Japan

> Tok Pisin: Siapan (inherited)

→ Bengali: জাপান (japan)

→ Burmese: ဂျပန် (gya.pan)

→ Gujarati: જાપાન (jāpān)

→ Hindustani:

desctree

Hindi: जापान (jāpān)
→ Dhivehi: ޖާފާނު (jāfānu)

Urdu: جاپان (jāpān)

→ Irish: Seapáin

→ Japanese: ジャパン

→ Marathi: जपान (japān)

→ Marshallese: Jepaan

→ Persian:

Dari: جَاپَان (jāpān)

⇒ Samoan: Iapani

→ Tamil: ஜப்பான் (jappāṉ)

→ Telugu: జపాను (japānu)

→ Welsh: Japan

→ Welsh: Siapan

→ Yoruba: Jèpáànì

Etymology tree
Hokkien 日本 /Ji̍t-púnbor.
Malay Jepangbor.
Portuguese Japãobor.
Malay Jepangbor.
Dutch Japanbor.
English Japan
First attested in English as Giapan in Richard Willes's 1577 The History of Travayle in the West and East Indies (cited in Peter C. Mancall's Travel Narratives from the Age of Discovery, pp. 156–57), translating a 19 February 1565 letter of the Portuguese Jesuit missionary Luís Fróis as "Of the Ilande of Giapan".
Borrowed from Portuguese Japão / Japam with possible influence from Dutch Japan, both from Malay Jepang, from Hokkien 日本 (Ji̍t-pún), from Middle Chinese 日本 (nyit pwon^X, “sun origin”).
With /j/ readings, such as Iaponia / Japonia or Japon / Iapon from possibly Cantonese 日本 (jat⁶ bun²), also from Middle Chinese 日本 (nyit pwon^X, “sun origin”).
Compare also modern Mandarin 日本 (Rìběn), Japanese 日本(にっぽん) (Nippon) / 日本(にほん) (Nihon) (whence English doublets Nippon and Nihon), Korean 일본 (Ilbon) (日本), Vietnamese Nhật Bản (日本).
The earliest form of Japan in Europe was Marco Polo's Cipangu, from some form of synonymous Sinitic 日本國 /日本国 (“Japan state”).

der

Giapan (alternative obsolete)
Japonia (alternative obsolete)
Japon (alternative obsolete)

Vivian: If you set a picture by Hokusai, or Hokkei, or any of the great native painters, beside a real Japanese gentleman or lady, you will see that there is not the slightest resemblance between them. The actual people who live in Japan are not unlike the general run of English people; that is to say, they are extremely commonplace, and have nothing curious or extraordinary about them. In fact the whole of Japan is a pure invention. There is no such country, there are no such people... if you desire to see a Japanese effect, you will not behave like a tourist and go to Tokio. On the contrary, you will stay at home and steep yourself in the work of certain Japanese artists, and then, when you have absorbed the spirit of their style, and caught their imaginative manner of vision, you will go some afternoon and sit in the Park or stroll down Piccadilly, and if you cannot see an absolutely Japanese effect there, you will not see it anywhere.

1889 Jan., Oscar Wilde, The Decay of Lying: An Observation", The Nineteenth Century

Japan’s very interesting. Some people think it copies things. I don’t think that anymore. I think what they do is reinvent things. They will get something that’s already been invented and study it until they thoroughly understand it. In some cases, they understand it better than the original inventor... That strategy works only when what they’re working with isn’t changing very much—the stereo industry and the automobile industry are two examples. When the target is moving quickly, they find it very difficult...

1985 February, Steve Jobs, interview with David Sheff, Playboy

Nolan: You do know Japan have expressed concern?
Douglas: What, the whole country?
Nolan: No, not the whole... Mr Yamamoto.
Douglas: He's important, isn't he?
Nolan: He's the major shareholder.

2008 November 21, Graham Linehan, The IT Crowd, Season 3, Episode 1

In particular, Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan is quickly becoming a hotbed for tech investment from companies including TSMC and Fujifilm Holdings Corp (FUJIF).

2023 May 18, Reuters, “Chipmakers look to Japan as worries about China grow”, in CNN Business:


Netherlands

en-proper noun

the Netherlands (usually uncountable, plural the Netherlands)

the Netherlands (canonical)
the Netherlands (plural)
The Netherlands (alternative)

From nether (“lower”) + lands, the country being very low-lying, with a great part below sea level. Either a calque or a parallel formation to Dutch Nederland.

constituent countries
constituent country

A country in Western Europe, consisting of four constituent countries: the Netherlands per se, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten.

Ҳоландиа

country in northwestern Europe — see also Holland


Belgium

en-prop

Belgium (usually uncountable, plural Belgiums)

Borrowed from Latin Belgium, from the name of the tribe of Belgae.

The higher levels of chlorate were discovered during routine testing at the company's production facility in Ghent, Belgium, according to an unnamed company spokesperson quoted by the AFP news agency.

2025 January 29, Lucy Hooker, “Coca-Cola recalls drinks in UK due to chemical levels”, in BBC News:

Kingdom of Belgium
Kingdom of Belgium#English

A country in Western Europe that has borders with the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Official name: Kingdom of Belgium. Capital and largest city: Brussels.


Greece

→ Korean: 그리스 (Geuriseu)

→ Thai: กรีซ (grìis)

→ Iban: Gerika

From Middle English Grece, from Old French Grece, from Latin Graecia, from Ancient Greek Γραικός (Graikós). Replaced Old English Grēcland, also from the same Latin source.

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

Hellenic Republic
Hellenic Republic#English

A country in Southeast Europe. Official name: Hellenic Republic. Capital and largest city: Athens.


Germany

Germany (countable and uncountable, plural Germanys or Germanies)

From Middle English Germanie, from Old English Germanie & Germania, from Latin Germānia (“land of the Germans”), from Germānī, a people living around and east of the Rhine first attested in the 1st century B.C.E. works of Julius Caesar and of uncertain etymology. The exonym was said by Strabo to derive from germānus (“close kin; genuine”), making it cognate with germane and german, but this seems unsupported. Attempts to derive it from Germanic or Celtic roots since the 18th century are all problematic, although it is perhaps cognate with the Old Irish gair (“neighbour”). Doublet of Germania.
In reference to a medieval kingdom, English Germany is usually an anachronism using the Roman name to describe the area or calquing various Latin terms like rex Teutonicorum ("king of the Teutons"), which were often derogatory exonyms rather than formal titles.

nowrap

1st century <small class='ce-date'>B.C.E.</small>

There had been a long bloody war in the empire of Germany for twelve years, between the Emperor, the Duke of Bavaria, the King of Spain, and the Popiſh Princes and Electors, on the one side; and the Proteſtant Princes on the other; and both ſides having been exhauſted by the war, and even the Catholicks themſelves beginning to diſlike the growing power of the houſe of Auſtria, it was thought that all parties were willing to make peace.

1759, A Military History of Germany; and of England. From the Year 1631 to the Year 1648. Being the Memoirs of an English Gentleman, who served in the army of Gustavus Adolphus; and afterwards in the Royal Army of King Charles I (1759), page 33:

I had frequently been told, that the Bohemians were the moſt muſical people of Germany, or, perhaps, of all Europe...

1775, Charles Burney, The Present State of Music in Germany, the Netherlands, and United Provinces, volume II, page 3:

When the race of Charlemagne ceaſed to govern in Germany, the princes and ſtates aſſociated to continue the empire; and that its majeſty might be viſible, and its laws enforced, they agreed to chooſe an emperor. From this emperor, all electors and princes, except thoſe before 1582, receive inveſtiture of their dominions; counts and free cities from the Aulic council. But this inveſtiture is no more than a ſign of ſubmiſſion to the majeſty of the empire, which is depoſited in the emperor. For as the conſtituted members of the empire are dependent on that collective union from which they derive protection, they therefore ſhew this dependence on the emperor, becauſe he repreſents the majeſty of that union, or of the empire; but in all other reſpects they are independent and free.

1790, Thomas B. Clarke, A Statistical View of Germany, in respect to the Imperial and Territorial Constitutions, Forms of Government, Legislation, Administration of Justice, and Ecclesiastical State, page 13:

There are few cities in Germany beſides Vienna which contain ſo rich and numerous a nobility as this does: there are fome houſes here which have eſtates of 100,000 guilders, or 10,000l. a-year.

1797, Colin MacFarquhar, George Gleig, editors, Encyclopædia Britannica, 3rd edition, A. Bell & C. MacFarquhar, "Mentz", page 396:

The principal state in this country, including

(historical) A nominal medieval kingdom forming part of the Carolingian and Holy Roman Empires; (metonymic, now uncommon) the Holy Roman Empire in its entirety; (metonymic, obsolete) the Austrian Habsburg empire in its entirety.

(historical, uncommon) The socialist republic formed in 1949 with its capital at Berlin, more often known in English as East Germany.

A township in Adams County, Pennsylvania, United States.

unincorporated community
unincorporated community

An unincorporated community in Clark County, Indiana, United States.

An unincorporated community in Houston County, Texas, United States.


Estonia

Estonias (plural)
Esthonia (alternative dated)

→ Japanese: エストニア (Esutonia)

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Estonia. Other early Latin forms were Estia and Hestia, possibly derived from the tribal name Aestiī described by the Roman historian Tacitus in his Germania (ca. 98 AD). Displaced Middle English Ēstland, from Old English Ēstland. Compare also Old Norse Æistland, Icelandic Eistland, German Estland (“Estonia”).

“In the late 1930s, the Western democracies hesitated in the face of danger,” Prime Minister Siim Kallas of Estonia, a former Soviet republic, told me. “As a consequence, we fell under dictatorships and many people lost their lives. Action is sometimes necessary.”

2010, George W. Bush, Decision Points, New York: Crown Publishers, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 233:

Republic of Estonia
Republic of Estonia#English

A country in northeastern Europe, on the southeastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Official name: Republic of Estonia.


Latvia

⇒? Japanese: ラトビア (Ratobia)

In early July, I returned to Europe for the G-7 summit in Naples. On the way, I stopped in Riga, Latvia, to meet with the leaders of the Baltic states and celebrate the withdrawal of Russian troops from Lithuania and Latvia, a move we had helped to speed up by providing a large number of housing vouchers for Russian officers who wanted to go home.

2005, Bill Clinton, My Life, volume II, New York: Vintage Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 185:

Republic of Latvia
Republic of Latvia#English

A country in northeastern Europe. Official name: Republic of Latvia.


Lithuania

From Medieval Latin Līthuānia f, from Proto-Slavic *Litъva f, from Old Lithuanian Lietuva f; compare the Early Modern synonym Lettow (from Middle English Lettowe).
It has been speculated that the name comes from the rivulet Lietauka, although archeological evidence does not corroborate this hypothesis.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry on Saturday condemned the sanctions, saying they amounted to "irrational retaliation" by China.
"Taiwan vows to continue to do its best to assist Lithuania to counter the unreasonable and arbitrary suppression of the Chinese government," the ministry said in a statement.

2022 August 13, Yew Lun Tian, Augustas Stankevicius, Ben Blanchard, “China sanctions Lithuanian deputy minister for Taiwan visit”, in Mark Heinrich, Paul Simao, William Mallard, editors, Reuters, archived from the original on 2022-08-13, World:

Republic of Lithuania
Republic of Lithuania#English

A country in northeastern Europe. Official name: Republic of Lithuania.


Norway

→ Japanese: ノルウェー (Noruwē)

From Middle English Norwey, Norweye, Northwey, Norweȝe, Norewæiȝ, Norwæge, from Old English Norþweġ, a calque of Old Norse Norðvegr (“north way”), from norðr (“north”) + vegr (“way”), contrasted with suðrvegr (“south way”), i.e. Germany, and austrvegr (“east way”), the Baltic lands. Norwegian (1607) is from Medieval Latin Norvegia, with the -w- from Norway. Equivalent to North + way.

Norroway (alternative archaic)
Norwey (alternative obsolete)

An unincorporated community in LaSalle County, Illinois.

A rural unincorporated community in Republic County, Kansas.

A small town in Herkimer County, New York.

Orangeburg County
Orangeburg County#English

A small town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina.


Sweden

→ Bengali: সুইডেন (śuiḍen)

→ Cantonese: 瑞典 (seoi⁶ din²)

→ Mandarin: 瑞典 (Ruìdiǎn)

→ Hakka: 瑞典 (Shuì-tién)

→ Korean: 서전 (Seojeon)

→ Vietnamese: Thụy Điển

→ Cornish: Sweden

→ Hindi: स्वीडन (svīḍan)

→ Hokkien: 瑞典 (Sūi-tián)

→ Mandarin: 瑞典 (Ruìdiǎn)

→ Japanese: スウェーデン (Suwēden)

→ Korean: 스웨덴 (Seuweden)

→ Marathi: स्वीडन (svīḍan)

→ Telugu: స్వీడన్ (svīḍan)

→ Welsh: Sweden

Borrowed from Scots Swethin, Swadne (also Swaden), from Middle Dutch Sweden, dative of Swede. Originally used to refer to the people before the late 1600s, later displaced native Old English Swēoland (literally “Swede land”), Swēoþēod (literally “Swede nation”), and Swēorīċe (literally “Swede kingdom”) to refer to the country.

ncog

People often mix up Sweden and Switzerland

Kingdom of Sweden
Kingdom of Sweden#English

A country in Scandinavia in Northern Europe. Official name: Kingdom of Sweden.


Finland

en-prop

Finland (usually uncountable, plural Finlands)

→ Japanese: フィンランド (Finrando)

Ultimately, from Old Norse Finnland, equivalent to Finn + -land. Compare Old English Finna land (“Lapland”, literally “land of the Sami”).

cog

And so far just two member states, Malta and Finland, are on track to meet their resettling obligations.

2017 March 2, Eliza Mackintosh, “No more excuses on resettling refugees, European Commission warns”, in CNN:

Republic of Finland
Republic of Finland#English

A Nordic country having borders with Sweden, Norway and Russia in Europe. Official name: Republic of Finland.


Morocco

→ Japanese: モロッコ (Morokko)

Earlier spelling Marocco, from Portuguese Marrocos and/or Spanish Marruecos, from Arabic مُرَّاكُش (murrākuš), from Berber ⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⴰⴽⵓⵛ (amur n akuc, literally “Land of God”). The word originally referred to the capital city of Marrakech (founded late 11th c.), but came to be used as a pars pro toto for the westernmost region of the Islamic world. Compare older Arabic مُرَّاكُش (murrākuš) (now اَلْمَغْرِب (al-maḡrib)), Persian مراکش (marâkeš), Medieval Latin Marrochium. Turkish refers to the country as Fas from Fez, another former capital. Doublet of Marrakech.

Jonathan Hill, professor of international relations in the School of Security Studies at King’s College London, points to ongoing social unrest among rural youths in Morocco as another key reason why the law was passed. He cites the 2011 Arab Spring as an indicator of where such behaviour might lead if left unchecked.

2018 October 26, Chris Fitch, “Reintroduction of military conscription in Morocco”, in Geographical, archived from the original on 2021-02-27:

Kingdom of Morocco
Kingdom of Morocco#English

A country in North Africa. Official name: Kingdom of Morocco. Capital: Rabat.

Eʼeʼaahjí Ghą́ą́ʼaskʼidii Biłikahii Bikéyah


Algeria

→ Japanese: アルジェリア (Arujeria)

/ælˈdʒɪəɹiə/

From Alger + -ia, modified based on French Algérie, from the French Alger (“Algiers”) + -ie, from Algerian Arabic الدزَاير (ed-dzayer), from Arabic اَلْجَزَائِر (al-jazāʔir, “the islands”) (with elision of the first vowel), plural of جَزِيرَة (jazīra, “island”), referring to the several small islands that once existed in the Bay of Algiers. Doublet of Algiers and Algeciras.

der

اَلْجَزَائِر

People's Democratic Republic of Algeria#English

A country in North Africa. Official name: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Capital and largest city: Algiers.

(historical) Ottoman Algeria, also the regency of Algiers or al-Jazā’ir in Arabic, from 1515 to 1830

(historical) French or Colonial Algeria, from 1830 to 1962

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria
People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, since 1962


Egypt

→ Burmese: အီဂျစ် (igyac)

→ Chinese: 埃及 (Āijí)

→ Korean: 애굽 (Aegup)

→ Vietnamese: Ai Cập

→ Cornish: Ejyp

→ Gujarati: ઇજિપ્ત (ijipt)

→ Hindi: इजिप्ट (ijipṭ), इजिप्त (ijipt)

→ Iban: Ejip

→ Japanese: エジプト (Ejiputo)

→ Kannada: ಈಜಿಪ್ಟ್ (ījipṭ)

→ Korean: 이집트 (Ijipteu)

→ Malayalam: ഈജിപ്റ്റ് (ījipṟṟ)

→ Maori: Īhipa

→ Marathi: इजिप्त (ijipta)

→ Navajo: Ííjip

→ Nepali: इजिप्ट (ijipṭa)

→ Odia: ଇଜିପ୍ଟ (ijipṭa)

→ Paiwan: Idjiputu

→ Thai: อียิปต์ (ii-yìp)

From Middle English Egipt, from Middle French Egypte, from Latin Aegyptus, from Ancient Greek Αἴγυπτος (Aíguptos) (see also the Mycenaean Greek ethnonym 𐁁𐀓𐀠𐀴𐀍 (a3-ku-pi-ti-jo, “Egyptian”)), from Egyptian ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ (“Egypt; Memphis; the temple of Ptah in Memphis”, literally “The temple of the ka of Ptah”), whose Late Egyptian pronunciation is reflected by Akkadian 𒄭𒆪𒌒𒋫𒀪 (ḫikuptaḫ).

Ægypt (alternative archaic)
Ægipt (alternative obsolete)
Aegipt (alternative obsolete)
Egipt (alternative obsolete)
Egipte (alternative obsolete)

Craighead County
Craighead County#English

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Jackson Township, Auglaize County, Ohio.

An extinct town in Belmont County, Ohio.

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

An unincorporated community in Wharton County, Texas.

A former settlement in Summers County, West Virginia.


Poland

→ Japanese: ポーランド (Pōrando)

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-der.
Proto-Slavic *poľe
Proto-Slavic *-janъ
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos
Proto-Slavic *-inъ
Proto-Slavic *-janinъ
Proto-Slavic *poľaninъder.
German Polebor.
English Pole
Proto-Indo-European *lendʰ-
Proto-Indo-European *-om
Proto-Germanic *landą
Proto-West Germanic *land
Old English land
Middle English lond
English land
English Poland
1560s. From Pole + land, a phono-semantic matching of German Polen (“Poland”), from Old Polish Polanie (“Poles”, literally “field dwellers”), from Proto-Slavic *poľane, plural of *poľaninъ (“field dweller”), from *poľe (“field”) + *-ěninъ, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat, wide”).

der

An unincorporated community in Cass Township, Clay County, Indiana.

Androscoggin County
Androscoggin County#English

Chautauqua County
Chautauqua County#English

A village and township in Mahoning County, Ohio.

An unincorporated community in Eaton, Brown County, Wisconsin.


Austria

→ Japanese: オーストリア (Ōsutoria)

From Latin Austria, a Latinization of Old High German Ōstarrīhhi, the first element of which means "east" and stems from Proto-Germanic *austraz (“eastern”), and the second element of which is rīhhi (“realm”). See east, eastern for more.
Distantly cognate to Australia: it derives from the same Proto-Indo-European root, but via Latin, where it came to mean “south” rather than “east”. Compare also Austrasia.

Hungary, Austria and Poland are still refusing to participate in the resettlement plan, due to end in September. Other Eastern European countries, such as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovakia, are only doing so on a limited basis, the commission said.

Republic of Austria
Republic of Austria#English

A country in Central Europe. Official name: Republic of Austria. Capital and largest city: Vienna.


Iceland

→ Japanese: アイスランド (Aisurando)

From Middle English Iseland, Island, Islond, Yslond, a calque of Old Norse Ísland, equivalent to ice + land.

North Atlantic Ocean
North Atlantic Ocean#English

An island and country in the North Atlantic Ocean in Europe.


Philippines

See Name of the Philippines in Wikipedia for a complete etymology.
Borrowed from French Philippines, originally from Spanish Filipinas, which was from Felipe (the name of a king of Spain). By surface analysis, Philip + -ine + -s.

Among the frontrunners before the conclave began were Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state; Luis Antonio Tagle, a reformer from the Philippines; Péter Erdő, a traditionalist from Hungary; Robert Sarah, a cardinal from Guinea who criticised Francis’s papacy; and the moderate US cardinal Robert Prevost.

2025 May 8, Angela Giuffrida and Harriet Sherwood, “White smoke from Sistine Chapel chimney signals election of new pope”, in The Guardian:

Republic of the Philippines
Republic of the Philippines#English

A country in Southeast Asia. Official name: Republic of the Philippines. Capital: Manila.


Greenland

From green + land, calque of Old Norse Grǿnland, from grǿnn (“green”) + land (“land”).

unincorporated community
unincorporated community

An unincorporated community in West Virginia.


Albania

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Albānia, from Byzantine Greek Ἀλβανία (Albanía).

However, word-final unstressed schwa is deleted even by the speakers from South Albania, though to different degrees and dependant on the speech style[…]

2006 April 27, Sylvia Moosmüller, Theodor Granser, “The spread of Standard Albanian: An illustration based on an analysis of vowels”, in Language Variation and Change, volume 18, number 2, Cambridge University Press, →DOI:

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

Republic of Albania
Republic of Albania#English

A country in Southeast Europe. Official name: Republic of Albania. Capital and largest city: Tirana.


Armenia

From Latin Armenia, from Ancient Greek Ἀρμενία (Armenía) (early 5th century BC), from Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎷𐎡𐎴 (a-r-mi-i-n /Armina/) (late 6th century BC); see it for more. The Old Persian name is an exonym: see հայ (hay) for the native name. Attested in English since late 14th century.

A barangay of Tarlac City, Tarlac, Philippines.


Azerbaijan

Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish آذربایجان (Azerbaycan), from Classical Persian آذَرْبَایْجَان (āḏarbāyjān, āzarbāyjān), Arabized form of Early Classical Persian آذَرْبَایْگَان (āḏarbāygān, āzarbāygān) / آذَرْبَادْگَان (āḏarbādgān, āzarbādgān), from Middle Persian [script needed] (ʾtwrpʾtkʾn) / [script needed] (ʾtwrpʾtkn /Āturpātakān, Ādurbādagān/), from [script needed] (ʾtwrpʾt' /Āturpāt, Ādurbād/, “Atropates (the Persian nobleman who founded the kingdom of Atropatene)”) [whose name descends from Old Persian *Ātr̥pātah (literally “protected by fire”)] + -kʾn' (whence Classical Persian ـگَان (-gān)).
Compare Old Armenian Ատրպատական (Atrpatakan), Ատրապատական (Atrapatakan), Ատրպայական (Atrpayakan), Armenian Ադրբեջան (Adrbeǰan), Byzantine Greek Ἀδαρβιγάνων (Adarbigánōn), Classical Syriac ܐܕܘܪܒܝܓܐܢ (ʾĀḏōrbêḡān), Coptic ⲁⲇⲟⲩⲣⲃⲁⲇⲁⲅⲁⲛ (adourbadagan).

der

آذَرْبَایْجَان

m+

آذَرْبَایْگَان

cog

ⲁⲇⲟⲩⲣⲃⲁⲇⲁⲅⲁⲛ

Azarbaijan (alternative)
Azarbayjan (alternative)
Adharbaijan (alternative)
Adharbayjan (alternative)
Azerbaidzhan (alternative)
Azerbaydzhan (alternative)
Adherbeijan (alternative obsolete)
Adherbijan (alternative obsolete)
Azerbeijan (alternative obsolete)
Azerbeyjan (alternative obsolete)
Azerbijan (alternative obsolete)

Tahmâsb Coli Khân went to Azerbâïjân, and having liberated its capital, Tabriz, […]

1830, The life of Sheikh Mohammad Ali Hazin, page 206:

Among these were Azerbaijan and Shirvan, where disorders had freshly broken out, […]

1886, Works Issued by the Hakluyt Society, page clxi:

(original sense) A region in northwestern Iran, where ancient Atropatene was located, encompassing the modern provinces of Ardabil, East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan.

Republic of Azerbaijan
Republic of Azerbaijan#English

[from 20th c.] A country in the South Caucasus in Asia and Europe. Official name: Republic of Azerbaijan. Capital: Baku.


Brazil

From Portuguese Brazil, older spelling of Brasil, from brasil (“brazilwood”), originally ‘red like an ember’, from brasa (“ember”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brasō (“gleed, crackling coal”), and -il (“-ile, -like, -y”) from Latin -īlis (“adjective suffix”).

der

A city, the county seat of Clay County, Indiana, United States.


Bhutan

→ Albanian: Bhutan

→ Arabic: بُوتَان (būtān)

desc

→ Assyrian Neo-Aramaic: ܒܗܘܼܛܵܢ (bhūṭān)

→ Burmese: ဘူတန် (bhutan)

→ Chinese:

Cantonese: 不丹 (bat1 daan1)

Mandarin: 不丹 (Bùdān)

→ Danish: Bhutan

→ Dhivehi: ބޫޓާން (būṭān̊)

→ Dutch: Bhutan

→ Esperanto: Butano

→ Estonian: Bhutan

→ Faroese: Butan

→ Finnish: Bhutan

→ German: Bhutan

→ Greek: Μπουτάν (Boután)

→ Gujarati: ભૂતાન (bhūtān)

→ Hausa: Butan, Bhutan

→ Hebrew: בְּהוּטָן

→ Hebrew: בְּהוּטָן

→ Interlingua: Bhutan

→ Irish: An Bhútáin

→ Icelandic: Bútan

→ Italian: Bhutan

→ Japanese: ブータン (Būtan)

→ Kalenjin: Butani

→ Kamba: Butani

→ Kannada: ಭೂತಾನ್ (bhūtān)

→ Kikuyu: Butan

→ Korean: 부탄 (Butan)

→ Northern Kurdish: Bûtan

→ Lao: ພູຖານ (phū thān)

→ Luhya: Butani

→ Malay: Bhutan

→ Malayalam: ഭൂട്ടാൻ (bhūṭṭāṉ)

→ Maltese: il-Butan

→ Manx: Yn Vootaan

→ Maori: Putāna, Purutāna

→ Meru: Butan

→ Mongolian:

Cyrillic script: Бутан (Butan)

→ Norman: Bhutan

→ Norwegian:

Norwegian Bokmål: Bhutan

Norwegian Nynorsk: Bhutan

→ Pashto: بوټان (buṭān)

→ Persian: بوتان (butân)

→ Polish: Bhutan

→ Portuguese: Butão

→ Romanian: Bhutan

→ Punjabi: ਭੂਟਾਨ (bhūṭān)

→ Polish: Bhutan

→ Russian: Бута́н (Bután)

→ Bashkir: Бутан (Butan)

→ Belarusian: Бута́н (Bután)

→ Bulgarian: Бута́н (Bután)

→ Crimean Tatar: Butan

→ Georgian: ბჰუტანი (bhuṭani)

→ Kazakh: Бутан (Butan)

→ Kyrgyz: Бутан (Butan)

→ Latvian: Butāna

→ Lithuanian: Butanas

→ Macedonian: Бутан (Butan)

→ Tajik: Бутан (Butan)

→ Turkmen: Butan

→ Tatar: Бутан (Butan)

→ Ukrainian: Бута́н (Bután)

→ Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic script: Бу̀та̄н

Latin script: Bùtān

→ Sindhi: ڀوٽان

→ Sinhalese: භූතානය (bhūtānaya)

→ Slovak: Bhután

→ Spanish: Bután

→ Galician: Bután

→ Swahili: Butani

→ Swedish: Bhutan

→ Tamil: பூட்டான் (pūṭṭāṉ)

→ Tamil: பூட்டான் (pūṭṭāṉ)

→ Telugu: భూటాన్ (bhūṭān)

→ Thai: ภูฏาน (puu-dtaan)

→ Urdu: بھوٹان (bhūṭān)

→ Urdu: بھوٹان (bhūṭān)

→ Uyghur: بۇتان (butan)

→ Uzbek: Butan

→ Vietnamese: Bu-tan

→ Volapük: Butän

→ Swedish: Bhutan

→ Turkish: Bhutan

→ Welsh: Bhwtan

→ Yiddish: בוטאַן (butan)

→ Yoruba: Bútánì

Borrowed from French Bhoutan, from Nepali भुटान (bhuṭān), from Prakrit 𑀪𑁄𑀝𑁆𑀝𑀁𑀢 (bhŏṭṭaṃta, “Tibet”, literally “end of Tibet”); probably ultimately from Tibetan བོད (bod, “Tibet”) + Sanskrit अन्त (anta, “end”). Traditionally considered to be derived via Sanskrit भोटान्त (bhoṭānta), but that word is probably a Prakritism.

der

Most foreigners who have heard of Bhutan know two things: the country charges international visitors a $100/day sustainable development fee (aka tourist tax), and that it is the birthplace of the Gross National Happiness Index, a system intended to look after the well-being of citizens and the environment.

2024 July 4, Lilit Marcus, “This country has a national happiness index. But what is it really like to live there?”, in CNN:

Kingdom of Bhutan
Kingdom of Bhutan#English

A country in South Asia, in the Himalayas. Official name: Kingdom of Bhutan. Capital: Thimphu.


Switzerland

Compound of Switzer + -land, adopted in the 16th century from Early Modern German Schwytzerland (“land of the Swiss”). Noun sense refers to the state’s political neutrality in both World Wars.

I’m not getting involved in this argument. I’m Switzerland.

(figurative) A neutral party in a dispute; one who does not take sides.


China

en-prop

China (usually uncountable, plural Chinas)

Chinas (plural)
Chin (alternative obsolete)
Chyna (alternative)

→ Amharic: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Chinese: 猜拿 (Cāiná)

→ Hindi: चाइना (cāinā)

→ Maori: Haina

→ Telugu: చైనా (cainā)

→ Tigre: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Tigrinya: ቻይና (čayna)

→ Tokelauan: Haina

→ Welsh: Tsieina

→ Yoruba: Ṣáínà

[ˈt͡ʃ(ʰ)aɪ̯nə]

China (disambiguation)
Colóquios dos simples e drogas da India
Duarte Barbosa
Garcia de Orta
Marco Polo
The Travels of Marco Polo
states of ancient China

From Portuguese China, from possibly Venetan Cina probably under influence from Old French Chin, from Classical Persian چین (čīn) under influence from Medieval Latin Sina (“China”), from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (Čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “the Chinese; China”) of uncertain etymology. It is usually thought to be derived from Chinese 秦 (Qín) (sm Qín, mc d͡ziɪn, oc *zin, "Qin"), the westernmost ancient Chinese state, but other theories have been proposed, including derivation from 晉 /晋 (jìn) (sm Jìn, mc t͡siɪn, oc *ʔsins, "Jin"), another important ancient state; 荊 /荆 (jīng) (sm Jīng, mc kˠiæŋ, oc *keŋ, "Chu"), the southernmost ancient Chinese state; or Zina, the endonym of the people of the Yelang kingdom. See "Names of China" and "Chinas" at Wikipedia. As a female name, usually derived via china (“porcelain”) and china doll, ultimately from the same source.

der

A town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States.

An unincorporated community in Howell County, Missouri, United States.


Cyprus

From Latin Cyprus, from Ancient Greek Κύπρος (Kúpros).

Republic of Cyprus
Republic of Cyprus#English

An island and country in the Mediterranean Sea, normally considered politically part of Southeast Europe but geographically part of Western Asia. Official name: Republic of Cyprus. Capital: Nicosia.


Denmark

→ Japanese: デンマーク (Denmāku)

→ Korean: 덴마크 (Denmakeu)

→ Malay: Denmark

Indonesian: Denmark

From Middle English Denmark, from Danish Danmark, from dansk (“Danish”) + Old Norse merki (“boundary”) or mǫrk (“borderland”). Cognate with (and perhaps influenced by) Old English Denemearc.

something is rotten in the state of Denmark

A community in Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Colchester County
Colchester County#English

An unincorporated community in Bulloch County, Georgia.

A number of places in other countries:
A place in the United States:
A township in Tuscola County, Michigan.

A number of places in other countries:
A place in the United States:
A township in Ashtabula County, Ohio.

Ashtabula County
Ashtabula County#English

A city in Bamberg County, South Carolina.


Spain

→ Burmese: စပိန် (ca.pin)

→ Hindustani:

Hindi: स्पेन (spen)

→ Japanese: スペイン (Supein)

→ Korean: 스페인 (seupein)

→ Marathi: स्पेन (spen)

→ Thai: สเปน (sà-bpeen)

Etymology tree
Latin Hispānia
Old French Espaignebor.
Middle English Spayne
English Spain
From Middle English Spayne, from Anglo-Norman Espayne, from Late Latin Spania, from earlier Latin Hispānia. Displaced Old English Ispania, which was borrowed directly from Latin. Doublet of Hispania.

etymon

An English ethnic surname transferred from the nickname for someone with Spanish ancestry.


Hungary

→ Japanese: ハンガリー (Hangarī)

/ˈhʌŋ.ɡəɹ.i/

From Middle English Hungary, Hungrye, Hungry, from Old English Hungerie from Medieval Latin Hungaria. Doublet of Hungaria.

A country in Central Europe. Capital and largest city: Budapest.

Мадя́рщина

mostly by Rusyns; proscribed in official use


India

→ Gujarati: ઈન્ડિયા (īnḍiyā)

→ Hawaiian: ʻĪnia, ʻInia

→ Hindi: इंडिया (iṇḍiyā)

→ Bengali: ইন্ডিয়া (inḍiẏa)

→ Japanese: インディア

→ Kannada: ಇಂಡಿಯಾ (iṇḍiyā)

→ Kashmiri: इंडिया (iṃḍiyā)

→ Korean: 인디아 (india)

desc

→ Malayalam: ഇന്ത്യ (intya), ഇന്റ്യ (inṟya), ഇന്ദ്യ (indya)

→ Marathi: इंडिया (iṇḍiyā)

→ Tamil: இந்தியா (intiyā)

→ Telugu: ఇండియా (iṇḍiyā)

→ Yoruba: Íńdíà

Inherited from Old English India, Indea, from Latin India, from Ancient Greek Ἰνδία (Indía), from Ancient Greek Ἰνδός (Indós, “Indus river”), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (hiⁿdūš), from Sanskrit सिन्धु (sindhu), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš (“river”).
Compare Middle English Inde and Ynde from Old French Ynde (original form started to prevail in the 16th century), Classical Persian هند (hind, “India”), Sanskrit सिन्धु (síndhu, “a river, stream”).

cog

(chiefly historical, proscribed in modern use) A region of South Asia, traditionally delimited by the Himalayas and the Indus river; the Indian subcontinent.


Italy

→ Japanese: イタリー (Itarī) (dated)

→ Thai: อิตาลี (ì-dtaa-lîi)

→ Yoruba: Ítálì

Etymology tree
Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú)bor.?
Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ (Ītalíā)der.
Latin Italiabor.
Old English Italia
English Italy
From Old English Italia, borrowed from Latin Italia, from Ancient Greek Ῑ̓ταλίᾱ (Ītalíā), possibly borrowed from Oscan 𐌅𐌝𐌕𐌄𐌋𐌉𐌞 (víteliú). Usually explained as a cognate of vitulus (“calf”), thus meaning "land of young bulls" in Oscan. In that case, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wet- (“year”). According to some ancient Greek authors, named after a king Italus or Italos, whose kingdom was on the peninsula.

etymon

Apennine Peninsula
Apennine Peninsula#English


Cambodia

→ Japanese: カンボジア (Kanbojia)

→ Korean: 캄보디아 (Kambodia)

From French Cambodge and Portuguese Camboja. Both words are derived from Middle Khmer Kambuja (Modern Khmer កម្ពុជា (kampuciə)). Ultimately from Sanskrit काम्बोज (kāmboja, the name of a tribe mentioned in Hindu scripture). Doublet of Kampuchea and gamboge.

der

Kingdom of Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia#English

A country in Southeast Asia. Official name: Kingdom of Cambodia. Capital: Phnom Penh. Former name: Kampuchea.


Laos

Borrowed from French Laos, plural of Lao, from Lao ລາວ (lāo, “Lao”). More at Lao.

Lao People’s Democratic Republic#English

A country in Southeast Asia. Official name: Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Capital: Vientiane.


Lebanon

en-proper noun

Lebanon (usually uncountable, plural Lebanons)

→ Japanese: レバノン (Rebanon)

The country's name comes from the name of the mountain range, which in turn comes from Biblical Hebrew לְבָנוֹן (ləḇānôn), from Proto-West Semitic *laban- (“white”) (compare Hebrew לָבָן (lāḇān, “white”), Arabic لَبَن (laban, “milk”)).

Various places in the United States of America:

A small unincorporated community in Montezuma County, Colorado.

Montezuma County
Montezuma County#English

A town in New London County, Connecticut.

New London County
New London County#English

A small village in Red Willow County, Nebraska.

Red Willow County
Red Willow County#English

A city in Grafton County, New Hampshire.

A borough of Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County#English


Mongolia

/mɒŋˈɡəʊli.ə/

(chiefly historical) A Mongolian-speaking geographic region in East Asia, including the country of Mongolia (Outer Mongolia), the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia in China, and sometimes also Buryatia, Tuva and the Altai Republic in Russia.


Maldives

⇒ Japanese: モルディブ (Morudibu)

Based on Malé Islands; from Malé, the name of the main island (from Dhivehi މާލެ (māle)) + Prakrit 𑀤𑀻𑀯 (dīva, “island”), from Sanskrit द्वीप (dvīpá).

Republic of Maldives
Republic of Maldives#English

An archipelago and country in South Asia, located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of India. Official name: Republic of Maldives. Capital: Malé.


Oman

Sultanate of Oman
Sultanate of Oman#English

A country in Western Asia, in the Middle East. Official name: Sultanate of Oman. Capital: Muscat.


Slovenia

Slovene (from German, from Slovene) + -ia.

Balkan Peninsula
Balkan Peninsula#English

Republic of Slovenia
Republic of Slovenia#English

A country on the Balkan Peninsula in Central Europe. Official name: Republic of Slovenia. Capital and largest city: Ljubljana. Part of Yugoslavia until 1991.


Slovakia

→ Japanese: スロバキア (Surobakia)

First attested to in German in 1586, itself apparently derived from Slovak Slováky, equivalent to English Slovak + -ia.

A country in Central Europe. Official name: Slovak Republic. Capital and largest city: Bratislava.


Syria

From Middle English Sirie, from Latin Sȳria, from Ancient Greek Σῠρῐ́ᾱ (Sŭrĭ́ā), ultimately from Akkadian 𒀸𒋩 (Aššur, “Assur”) and hence originally synonymous to Assyria.

(historical) Syria (an ancient region in the Levant in Western Asia, roughly coextensive with the modern country of Syria).


Thailand

→ Thai: ไทยแลนด์ (tai-lɛɛn)

From Thai + -land, from Thai ไทย (tai), from ไท (tai, “Tai, or 'free' via folk etymology”).

Are you from Thailand? I got you soup from Thailand!

2011 November 2, 00:07:14 from the start, in Conan Delivers Chinese Food in NYC (Conan), Conan O'Brien (actor), Team Coco:

Bangkok typically sees temperatures between 73 and 91 degrees Fahrenheit (23 to 33 degrees Celsius) during January, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand – one reason why it’s a paradise for many tourists looking to escape winter in the northern hemisphere.

2025 January 14, Jay Ganglani and Kocha Olarn, “59 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound that chilly. In Thailand’s capital, it’s a shock to the system”, in CNN:

Kingdom of Thailand
Kingdom of Thailand#English

A country in Southeast Asia. Official name: Kingdom of Thailand. Capital: Bangkok. Former name: Siam.


Ukraine

Ukraine (canonical)
the Ukraine (canonical)
Ucrania (alternative obsolete)
Ukrain (alternative obsolete)
Ukrainia (alternative obsolete)
Ukrania (alternative obsolete)
Ukraina (alternative rare)

→ Assamese: ইউক্ৰেইন (iukrein)

→ Bengali: ইউক্রেন (iukren)

desc

→ Cherokee: ᏯᎧᏪᏂ (yakaweni), ᏳᎬᎳᎢᏅ (yugvlainv)

→ Chinese: 烏克蘭 /乌克兰 (Wūkèlán)

→ Vietnamese: Ô Khắc Lan

→ Dhivehi: ޔުކްރެއިން (yuk̊rein̊)

→ Gujarati: યૂક્રેઇન (yūkreina)

→ Hawaiian: ʻUkelena

→ Hindi: यूक्रेन (yūkren)

→ Kannada: ಯುಕ್ರೇನ್ (yukrēn)

→ Malay: Ukraine

→ Malayalam: യുക്രെയിൻ (yukreyiṉ)

→ Maori: Ūkareinga

→ Marathi: युक्रेन (yukren)

→ Nepali: युक्रेन (yukrena)

→ Odia: ୟୁକ୍ରେନ (yukrena)

→ Punjabi: ਯੂਕ੍ਰੇਨ (yūkren)

→ Samoan: 'Iukureini

→ Sinhalese: යුක්රේන් (yukrēn)

→ Telugu: ఉక్రెయిన్ (ukreyin)

→ Thai: ยูเครน (yuu-kreen)

→ Tigrinya: ዩክረይን (yukräyn)

→ Tongan: ʻIukuleini

→ Ukrainian: Юкре́йн (Jukréjn)

→ Urdu: یُوکْرین (yūkren)

→ Yoruba: Yukíréènì

Borrowed from Polish Ukraina or Russian Украи́на (Ukraína), from Old East Slavic оукраина (ukraina), which is most commonly taken to have meant "borderland, marches" in this context, though for about a century now Ukrainian scholars have articulated an alternative theory that it meant "region, country, the land around (a given center)" in this context instead. See Name of Ukraine for more.

An IAF representative told an Indian parliamentary committee that due to the Ukraine war a “major delivery” from Moscow “is not going to take place.”

2023 March 24, Rhea Mogul, “Russia can’t meet India arms deliveries due to Ukraine war, Indian Air Force says”, in CNN:

A country in Eastern Europe, bordering on the north shore of the Black Sea. Capital and largest city: Kyiv.


Bosnia and Herzegovina

bŏz′·nē·ə and hûrts′·ə·gōv′·ĭn·ə

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Soundguys-Bosnia and Herzegovina.wav

BiH (alternative)
Bosnia-Herzegovina (alternative)
Bosnia (alternative)
Bosnia and Hercegovina (alternative)
Bosnia-Hercegovina (alternative)
Herzeg-Bosnia (alternative)

Mr. Parenti is the leader of a campaign to defend Slobodan Milosovic, who was charged and tried with war crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina but died before his victims were able to justice achieved.

2015, Various Authors, “Responses to David N. Gibbs Article by John Theis, Scott Laderman, Jean Bricmont, Latha V Laderman, Jean Bricmont, Latha Varadarajan, K ajan, Kees van der Pijl, an der Pijl, and John Feffer”, in Class, Race and Corporate Power, volume 3, number 2, page 14:

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina#English

A country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Official name: Bosnia and Herzegovina. Capital and largest city: Sarajevo. Part of Yugoslavia until 1992.

မိူင်းပေႃးသၼီးယႃး လႄႈ ႁႃႇၸီႇၵူဝ်းဝီးၼႃး

móeng páu sǎ níi yáa lāae hàa tsìi kó wíi náa


Turkmenistan

From Turkmen Türkmenistan, from Türkmen (“Turk-like; Turkmen”) + Classical Persian ـستان (-istān, “-stan”).

der

A country in Central Asia. Capital: Ashgabat.


Saudi Arabia

I’ve been visiting Saudi Arabia for close to two decades and in that time I’ve experienced some incredible things.

2020 December 5, Nic Robertson, “Saudi Arabia has changed beyond recognition. But will tourists want to visit?”, in CNN:

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia#English

A country in Western Asia, in the Middle East. Official name: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Capital: Riyadh.

الْمَمْلَكَة الْعَرَبِيَّة السُّعُودِيَّة

Саӏудийн ӏаьрбийчоь

Saˀwdiı̇n ˀärbiı̇čö

沙烏地阿拉伯 /沙乌地阿拉伯

Shāwūdì Ālābó

ອາຣາບີຊາອູດີ

ʼā rā bī sā ʼū dī


Russia

en-prop

Russia (countable and uncountable, plural Russias)

→ Bengali: রাশিয়া (raśiẏa)

→ Burmese: ရုရှား (ru.hra:)

→ Dhivehi: ރަށިއާ (raṣiā)

→ Hausa: Rasha

→ Hawaiian: Lūkia, Rūsia

→ Hindi: रशिया (raśiyā)

→ Korean: 러시아 (reosia)

desc

→ Lao: ລັດເຊັຽ (lat sīa), ຣັດເຊັຽ (rat sīa)

→ Malay: Rusia

→ Malayalam: റഷ്യ (ṟaṣya)

→ Maori: Rūhia

→ Marathi: रशिया (raśiyā)

→ Rarotongan: Rūtia

→ Russian: Ра́ша (Ráša)

→ Swazi: iRashiya

→ Tamil: ரஷ்யா (raṣyā)

→ Thai: รัสเซีย (rát-siia)

→ Ukrainian: Ра́ша (Ráša)

→ Xhosa: IRashiya

→ Yoruba: Rọ́ṣíà

→ Zulu: iRashiya

1390s, from Medieval Latin Russia, from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ) (whence Arabic رُوس (rūs) and Byzantine Greek Ῥῶς (Rhôs)), which originally referred to a group of Varangians who established themselves near Kiev in the 9th century and ruled Kievan Rus; probably from Proto-Finnic *roocci, from Old East Norse *roþs- (“related to rowing”); related to Old Norse Roþrslandi (“the land of rowing”), an older name of Roslagen, where the Finns first encountered the Swedes. Ultimately from Old Norse róðr (“steering oar”), from Proto-Germanic *rōþrą (“rudder”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁reh₁- (“to row”).

der

“Revoking PNTR for Russia is going to make it harder for Russia to do business with the United States and doing it in unison with other nations that make up half of the global economy will be another crushing blow to the Russian economy that’s already suffering very badly from our sanctions,” Biden said.

2022 March 10, Kaitlan Collins, Manu Raju, Kate Sullivan, MJ Lee and John Harwood, “Biden calls for suspending normal trade relations with Russia and will ban imports of vodka and seafood”, in CNN:

Russia is unable to honor its arms delivery commitments to India because of the war in Ukraine, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said, placing a potential strain on New Delhi’s relationship with its largest defense supplier as Moscow attempts to ramp up weapons production.

Russian Federation
Russian Federation#English

A transcontinental country in Eastern Europe and North Asia. Official name: Russian Federation. Capital and largest city: Moscow. It borders the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and the Baltic, Black, and Caspian Seas. Part of the Soviet Union from 1917 through 1991.

俄羅斯 /俄罗斯

Ngò̤-lò̤-sṳ̆

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

(historical, loosely) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (a very common name, although more formally Russia, the RSFSR, was one of several constituent republics of the USSR).


Russia

Dull Russias will prove a good selling line for women according to the predictions of certain manufacturers.

1914, Shoe and Leather Journal, volume 27, page 36:


Croatia

/ˌkɹəʊˈeɪ.ʃə/

/ˌkɹoʊˈeɪ.ʃə/

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Croātia, equivalent to modern Croat + -ia.

The violence began when Serbian troops went into Croatia ostensibly to aid armed ethnic Serbians trying to create their own autonomous states there.

2015 February 3, Greg Botelho, “U.N. court: Serbs’ actions in Croatia not considered genocide”, in CNN:

Republic of Croatia
Republic of Croatia#English

A country on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Official name: Republic of Croatia. Capital and largest city: Zagreb. Part of Yugoslavia until 1991.


Georgia

From George (male given name) + -ia (place-name suffix).

af

/ˈd͡ʒɔː.d͡ʒə/

/ˈd͡ʒɔɹ.d͡ʒə/

/ˈd͡ʒɔʊ.d͡ʒə/

Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming

American Samoa · Guam · Northern Mariana Islands · Puerto Rico · United States minor outlying islands · United States Virgin Islands

I said, Georgia, oh, Georgia
 No peace I find
 Just an old, sweet song
 Keeps Georgia on my mind

1930, “Georgia on My Mind”, Stuart Gorrell (lyrics), Hoagy Carmichael (music):

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has released an update on its investigation into the September 29 BioLab fire in Conyers, Georgia, that shrouded neighborhoods in chemical smoke for days and forced thousands of residents to shelter in place or evacuate.

2024 November 24, Chris Boyette, “Investigators release update on BioLab chemical plant fire probe”, in CNN:

A state in the Southern United States. Capital: Atlanta. It is named for George II of Great Britain (1683–1760).

unincorporated community
unincorporated community

Several smaller places in the United States.

An unincorporated community in Cherry County, Nebraska, named for George A. Frost, a local carpenter.

An unincorporated community in Monmouth County, New Jersey.


Jordan

en-proper noun

Jordan (countable and uncountable, plural Jordans)

From Latin Iordanēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs), from Biblical Hebrew יַרְדֵּן (yardén, “Jordan (river)”). Doublet of Yarden.

der

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Hickory County, Missouri.


Macedonia

From Ancient Greek Μακεδονία (Makedonía, “Macedonia”), from μακεδονία (makedonía, “highland”), from μακεδνός (makednós, “high, tall”). Doublet of macedoine.

bor

Macedonia
Macedonia (terminology)
Macedonia naming dispute

A geographic region in Southeast Europe in the Balkans which includes the Republic of North Macedonia, the region of Macedonia in Greece, the Pirin region of Bulgaria, and small parts of Albania and Serbia.

Makèdonia

Republic of North Macedonia — see also Republic of North Macedonia

próin Giougkoslavikí Dimokratía tis Makedonías

πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας

(Forna Jugoslaviska Republiken) Makedonien

(historical) An ancient Greek kingdom in Southeast Europe in the Balkans, located to the north of Thessaly, comprising the Greek city of Thessaloniki and its surroundings.

Former name of North Macedonia: a country in Southeast Europe in the Balkans.

administrative region
administrative region

East Macedonia and Thrace
East Macedonia and Thrace

A geographic region and former administrative region of Greece, comprising the regions of West Macedonia, Central Macedonia and the East Macedonia part of the region of East Macedonia and Thrace.

Bulgarian Macedonia
Bulgarian Macedonia#English

A geographic region in southwestern Bulgaria; in full, Pirin Macedonia or Bulgarian Macedonia.


Vatican City

Calque of Italian Città del Vaticano, from Latin Cīvitās Vāticāna (“Vatican City”), referring to the Vatican hill, further etymology unknown.

Vatican City State
Vatican City State#English

A city-state in Southern Europe, an enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. Official name: Vatican City State.


Catalonia

/ˌkætəˈləʊniə/

The Catalan Countries: A cultural area in northeast Spain, southern France and Andorra where Catalan is or historically was spoken, including the autonomous communities of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, part of the autonomous community of Valencia, the Aragon Strip, the Carche in Murcia and the region of Northern Catalonia in France.


Korea

en-proper noun

Korea (countable and uncountable, plural Koreas)

Koreas (plural)
Corea (alternative archaic)

→ Welsh: Corea

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-Korea.wav

First attested as Core in the 1598 English translation of the 1596 Itinerario of Jan Huyghen van Linschoten, from the original Dutch Core, itself from Portuguese according to van Linschoten's account. The spelling Corea was more common in Early Modern English, likely through Core + -ia.
Ultimately a sixteenth-century borrowing by Europeans from some variety of Chinese. Compare Mandarin 高麗 /高丽 (Gāolí) but especially Hokkien 高麗 /高丽 (Ko-lê), which matches the Dutch-Portuguese vowels exactly.
These are Chinese pronunciations of Sino-Korean 고려(高麗) (Goryeo), Korea's official name between 918 and 1394 and still used by Chinese people to refer to the country for centuries thereafter; this itself being a shortening of 高句麗 (“Goguryeo”), an ancient Korean kingdom in the first millennium. Doublet of Goryeo, directly from Korean.
Some Korean authors claim an Arabic intermediary instead, but this is impossible because the actual medieval Arabic word for Korea was a variant of السيلى (al-sīlā, see also Silla).

Кореа

ancient country or both Koreas as a whole

Korean Peninsula
Korean Peninsula#English

A peninsula in East Asia, containing the countries of North Korea and South Korea; in full, Korean Peninsula.


Flanders

en-prop

Flanders (countable and uncountable, plural Flanderses)

From Middle English Flaunders, Flaundress, flawndirs, from Old French Flandres, from Middle Dutch Vlâendren pl, from Vlander, from Old Frisian, from Proto-Germanic *flaumdrą (“waterlogged land”), from *flaumaz (“flowing, current (water)”) (compare Old High German weraltfloum (“transitoriness of life”), Old Norse flaumr (“eddy”)), from Proto-Indo-European *plow-m- (“flow”) (compare Ancient Greek πλῠ́μα (plŭ́ma, “dishwater, washing water”)). More at flow. "Waterlogged" refers to the mudflats and salt marshes common to coastal Flanders.

Ֆլանդրիա

former province and region of northern France

But Wallonian legislators are blocking the changes, fearing that their power is eroding, that the Flemish are doing some legal ethnic cleansing and that a divided Belgium will end the subsidies that flow south from richer Flanders.

2008 May 14, Steven Erlanger, “Seams of Belgium’s Quilt Threaten to Burst”, in The New York Times:

A historical region and modern administrative region in the north of Belgium, consisting of the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium.

فْلَانْدِر

community and region in the north of federal Belgium

When you went / Ambassador to the Emperor, you made bold / To carry into Flanders the great seal.

1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

A historical county and cultural region of Western Europe, at its maximum covering most of Belgium, parts of northeast France, and a corner of the Netherlands; in full, County of Flanders.

Two provinces in Belgian Flanders, West Flanders and East Flanders.

An unincorporated community in Mount Olive, Morris County, New Jersey, United States.


Brussels

From Dutch Brussel and French Bruxelles, from Proto-Germanic, composed of the words *brōk (“marsh”) + *sali (“building, room”). The metonymic meaning of Brussels as the European Union stems from the fact that the EU headquarters is based in Brussels.

Buying bread from a man in Brussels / He was 6'4", and full of muscle

1981, Men At Work, “Down Under”, in Business as Usual:


Brussels

If the same design be produced in a Brussels and in a Tapestry it will be found that the Brussels shows sharp, clean-cut outlines, where the Tapestry gives ragged, uneven effects, […]

1911, Dry Goods Economist, volume 65, number 3, page 51:

We cooked a big Christmas dinner with turkey, stuffing, Brussels, and parsnips.


Genoa

/ˈdʒɛn.əʊ.ə/

/d͡ʒɛnˈoʊ.ə/

From Latin Genua (influenced by Italian Genova), as the city was known by the ancient Ligurians. Probably from the Ancient Ligurian word for “knee”, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a thematic derivative of Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu; in this sense “angle”, from its geographical position, thus akin to Geneva.

An unincorporated community in Olmsted County, Minnesota.


Czechia

“Kłodzko Land,” as the basin is also called, forms a rectangular jut into Czechia that is sealed at its southwestern back by a fifty-kilometer-long ridge known as the Orlické (Eagle) Mountains […]

2020, Alan E. Sparks, Into the Carpathians:

A country in Central Europe. Official name: Czech Republic. Capital and largest city: Prague.


Athens

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Athens.wav

From Middle English Athens, from Old French Athenes, Atenes, from Latin Athēnae pl (acc. Athēnās), from Ancient Greek Ἀθῆναι pl (Athênai), the plural form of Ἀθήνη (Athḗnē, “Athena”) (q.v.), the goddess. More at Athena. Doublet of Athina.

Claiborne Parish
Claiborne Parish#English

A village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana.

A village in Marathon County, Wisconsin.


Moscow

Ultimately from Old East Slavic Москов- (Moskov-), originally referring to the Moskva River, probably from Proto-Slavic *mosky (“swamp, dampness, moisture”). Perhaps related to Czech moskva (“raw bread”), Slovak mozga (“puddle”), Polish Mozgawa, and more distantly Latvian mazgāt (“to wash, rinse”), Sanskrit मज्जति (májjati, “to sink”), Latin mergō (“to dive”), all from Proto-Indo-European *mesg- (“to plunge, dip”). Cognate with Russian промозглый (promozglyj, “dank”). Doublet of Moskva.

der

A large number of places in the United States:

A city, the county seat of Latah County, Idaho; probably named after the Russian city.

Lackawanna County
Lackawanna County#English

A borough of Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania.

A village in Clermont County, Ohio; said to be named by French veterans of Napoleon's siege of Moscow.

An unincorporated community in Marengo County, Alabama.

Muscatine County
Muscatine County#English

An unincorporated community in Muscatine County, Iowa.

Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County#English

An unincorporated community in Hillsdale County, Michigan.

An unincorporated community in Freeborn County, Minnesota.

An unincorporated community in Kemper County, Mississippi.


Naples

From French Naples, from Latin Neāpolis, from Ancient Greek Νεᾱ́πολῐς (Neā́polĭs), from νέᾱ (néā, “new”) + πόλῐς (pólĭs, “city”) after the relocation of the original Greek settlement in the area. Doublet of Nabeul, Nablus, Napoli, Neapoli, and Neapolis. Compare Newton.

doublet

A city in Collier County, Florida, United States.


Scandinavia

Borrowed from Latin Scandināvia, from Proto-Germanic *Skadinawjō (“Scadia island”) (compare Old English Sċedeniġ, Old Norse Skáney > Swedish Skåne (“southern tip of Sweden, Scania”)), with the suffix *awjō (“island”) (compare Old English īġ, īeġ (“island”), whence dialectal modern English ey; Old Norse ey (“island”)). Doublet of Scania.

cog

The Faroes are an obscure corner of Scandinavia and, apart from Lapland, Scandinavia is perhaps the most obscure corner of the world, ethnographically speaking.

1987, Jonathan Wylie, The Faroe Islands: Interpretations of History:

Internet banking has become popular in Finland and other parts of Scandinavia, for a variety of reasons.

2002, Kenneth R. Evans, Lisa K. Scheer, editors, 2002 AMA Winter Educators’ Conference: Marketing Theory and Applications, volume 13, page 423:

And within Scandinavia, Iceland faces an epidemic of sexual violence, with twice as many reported rapes per capita as other Nordic countries.

2023, Matt Thornton, The Gift of Violence: Practical Knowledge for Surviving and Thriving in a Dangerous World, →ISBN, page 103:

A geographic region of Northern Europe, consisting of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden collectively and sometimes Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.

Scandinavian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula#English

A peninsula in Northern Europe, consisting of Norway, Sweden and most of northern Finland; in full, Scandinavian Peninsula.


Attica

A number of places in the United States:

census-designated place
census-designated place

An unincorporated community, census-designated place, and township in Lapeer County, Michigan.


Tuscany

Late 14c., from Middle English Tuscan, Tuscane, from Old French Toscane or Italian Toscana, from Late Latin Tuscānus (“belonging to the Tusci”), a people of ancient Italy, from Tuscus, earlier *Truscus, shortened form of Etruscus (“Etruscan”).

der

An administrative region of Italy, located north of Lazio and south of Emilia-Romagna.


Lombardy

From Latin Langobardia, named after Langobards, a Germanic tribe that invaded the region along with much of northern Apennine Peninsula in 6th century.

An administrative region in northern Italy, where its capital and the largest city Milan is founded in the Po Valley.


Rhine

From Middle English Rine, Ryne, from Old English Rīn (“the Rhine”), from Middle High German and Old High German Rīn, from Proto-West Germanic *Rīn, from Proto-Germanic *Rīnaz, from Gaulish Rēnos, from a Pre-Celtic or Proto-Celtic *reinos; one of a class of river names built from Proto-Indo-European *h₃reyH- (“to move, flow, run”).
Cognate with Old High German Rīn ("the Rhine"; > German Rhein), Old Norse Rín (“the Rhine”), Dutch Rijn (“the Rhine”). Related also to Latin rivus ("river"), in Celtic with an -n- suffix as in Old Irish rīan (“run”) (more at run).
The spelling with Rh- is due to the influence of Ancient Greek Ῥῆνος (Rhênos) (via French Rhin).

gloss

"the Rhine"; > German <i class="Latn mention" lang="de">Rhein</i>

A major river in western Europe, which flows through Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein, Germany, France and the Netherlands, before emptying into the North Sea.


Brittany

Inherited from Middle English Bretany, Brytany, itself borrowed from Medieval Latin Britannia, applied to Brittany from at least the 6th century, and reinforced by Middle French Bretagne. See Britannia for more. Doublet of Britain and Britannia.

Britney (alternative)
Brittney (alternative)
Britanny (alternative obsolete)

- - - No one has family names. These girls with rooster hair I see on the streets. They pick the names. They're the mothers." "I have a granddaughter named Brittany," Hazel said. " And I have heard of a little girl called Cappuccino." "Cappuccino! Is that true? Why don't they call one Cassaulet? Fettuccini? Alsace-Lorraine?"

1990, Alice Munro, Friend of My Youth, →ISBN, page 102:

Names of the times. Borrowed from soap opera characters of prominence fifteen years ago, who have since been replaced by spiffy new models: the social-climbing Brittany now an unscrupulous Burke, the generous Pamela a refitted, urbanized Parker.

1999, Andrew Pyper, chapter 10, in Lost Girls:

The leading voices of the womanosphere are using a similar strategy. As Brittany Hugoboom put it in an op–ed for the rightwing outlet Quillette: “Conservatives will never win if they imagine themselves as combatants atop defensive battlements, hurling abuse on the mass media. We need to involve ourselves in the creation of pop culture.”

2025 April 24, Anna Silman, “Now comes the ‘womanosphere’: the anti-feminist media telling women to be thin, fertile and Republican”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

A female given name transferred from the place name, of 1980s and 1990s American usage.


Algiers

From French Algiers, from Arabic اَلْجَزَائِر (al-jazāʔir, “the islands”), plural of جَزِيرَة (jazīra, “island”), referring to the several small islands that once existed in the Bay of Algiers. Doublet of Algeria and Algeciras.

der

اَلْجَزَائِر

The capital and largest city of Algeria.


Bangkok

Bankok (alternative archaic)
Bancock (alternative obsolete)
Bangkock (alternative obsolete)

The Bangkok government indicated real concern over the developments in Communist China’s Yunnan province. Thai officials were afraid that Sibsongpanna would be a center where pro-Communist Thai in Southeast Asia would go and where subversive agitation could be directed against outside legitimate governments.

1958, Russell H. Fifield, The Diplomacy of Southeast Asia: 1945-1958, New York: Harper & Brothers, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 263:

Temperatures in Bangkok fell as low as 59.3 degrees Fahrenheit (15.2 degrees Celsius) on Monday, the lowest the capital has seen in years, as the country’s weather agency warned cool conditions could persist through mid-February.

2025 January 14, Jay Ganglani and Kocha Olarn, “59 degrees Fahrenheit might not sound that chilly. In Thailand’s capital, it’s a shock to the system”, in CNN:


Cairo

Borrowed from Italian Il Cairo, from Arabic الْقَاهِرَة (al-qāhira)

Caherah (alternative)
Al-Caherah (alternative)

Tippecanoe County
Tippecanoe County#English

An unincorporated community in Tippecanoe Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana.

An unincorporated community in Pratt County, Kansas.

A small unincorporated community in Coal County, Oklahoma.

An unincorporated community in Malheur County, Oregon.

A town in Ritchie County, West Virginia.


Cologne

From Middle English Coloyne, from Old French Cologne, from Latin Colōnia Agrippīna (“Agrippine Colony”), a settlement named after Agrippina, the mother of Roman Emperor Nero; colōnia (“colony”) comes from colōnus (“farmer; colonist”), from verb colo, colere (“till, cultivate, worship”). Doublet of Colonia, colony, and Köln, from German.

Collen (alternative obsolete)
Cologn (alternative obsolete)
Köln (alternative rare)

North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia#English

The largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany, on the Rhine River.

A city and town in Minnesota, United States.


Copenhagen

Norwegian Bokmål: Copenhagen

/ˌkəʊpənˈheɪɡən/

/ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːɡən/

From Low German Kopenhagen, a calque (perhaps modified by folk etymology) of Danish København. Compare Hague).

Copenhagen (disambiguation)
Copenhagen County
Copenhagen, Louisiana

An unincorporated community in Caldwell Parish, Louisiana, United States.


Crete

An island in the Mediterranean, and the largest in Greece.

One of the thirteen regions (peripheries) of Greece, consisting of Chania, Iraklion, Lasithi and Rethymno.


Florence

Florence (disambiguation)
Florence Nightingale

Borrowed from French Florence, from Latin Flōrentia (as a given name, a feminine form of Flōrentius), from flōrens (“flowering, flourishing”), from flōs (“flower”), connected with English bloom and blossom. Doublet of Firenze.
The female given name gained popularity from Florence Nightingale who was born in the Tuscan city.

Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County#English

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Los Angeles County, California.

Stephenson County
Stephenson County#English

An unincorporated community in Stephenson County, Illinois.

Switzerland County
Switzerland County#English

A census-designated place in York Township, Switzerland County, Indiana.

A census-designated place in Ravalli County, Montana.

Codington County
Codington County#English

A town in Codington County, South Dakota.

unincorporated community
unincorporated community

Snohomish County
Snohomish County#English

An unincorporated community in Snohomish County, Washington.


The Hague

From the French translation (confused with La Hague) of Dutch Den Haag, short form of 's-Gravenhage, from Middle Dutch des Graven hage (1400s), literally, "the Count's hedge[-enclosed hunting grounds]",

A city, the capital of South Holland, Netherlands; the administrative capital of the Netherlands.

A municipality of South Holland, Netherlands.

International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice

(metonymic) The International Criminal Court or International Court of Justice.


The Hague

Those men deserve The Hague for what they did.

crimes against humanity
crimes against humanity

A conviction and/or punishment for crimes against humanity or war crimes delivered by the International Criminal Court.


Havana

Cacique
Habaguanex
Havana
Havana (disambiguation)

From Spanish La Habana, from Habaguanex, the native American chief (Cacique) who controlled the area, from Taíno sabana ("savanna"), with the h perhaps being an anthroponymic inflection.

Havanna (alternative dated)
Havannah (alternative dated)

A city, the county seat of Mason County, Illinois, United States.


Jerusalem

en-proper noun

Jerusalem (countable and uncountable, plural Jerusalems)

→ Maori: Hiruharama

/d͡ʒəˈɹuːsələm/

/d͡ʒəˈɹuːzələm/

From Old English Hierusalem or Old French Jherusalem or Late Latin Ierusalem, Hierusalem, from Latin Hierosolyma, from Ancient Greek Ἰερουσαλήμ (Ierousalḗm), from Biblical Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yərūšālayim).

der

יְרוּשָׁלַיִם

A number of places elsewhere, usually named after the city in the Holy Land:

A census-designated place in Conway County, Arkansas.

An unincorporated community in Harford County, Maryland.

An unincorporated community in Lima Township, Washtenaw County, Michigan.

Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County#English

Former name of Courtland, Southampton County, Virginia.


Kiev

en-noun

Kiev (countable and uncountable, plural Kievs)

From Russian Ки́ев (Kíjev), from Old East Slavic Кꙑевъ (Kyjevŭ), which folk-etymology derives from the name of city's legendary founder Kyi. Other proposals derive it from Proto-Slavic *kyjь (“stick, club, hammer”) (compare to Russian кий (kij)). See also at the article about Old East Slavic Кꙑевъ (Kyjevŭ).

der

For quotations using this term, see Citations:chicken Kiev.


Lisbon

As the capital of Portugal, from French Lisbonne, from Arabic لِشْبُونَة (lišbūna), from Latin Olisīpō, the origin of which is uncertain. Older spellings include Ulixbona and Ulixbuna (in the Visigothic era); Ὀλισσιπών (Olissipṓn) or Ὀλισσιπόνα (Olissipóna) (by Greek writers), Olisippo (by Pliny the Elder), and Ulyssippo (by Pomponius Mela of Hispania), the last of which relates to the first-century Roman folk etymology that it was founded by and named after Ulysses; another common folk etymology is the Phoenician 𐤏𐤋𐤉𐤑 𐤏𐤁𐤀 (ʿlyṣ ʿbʾ /ʿaliṣ-ʿuboʾ/, “safe harbour”), but there is not much evidence for such words. Another possibility, based on hydronymy of the area, derives the name from Paleo-Hispanic's appellation for the Tagus, Lisso or Lucio.
In other senses, with reference to the Portuguese city.
More at Lisbon.

noncog

Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula#English

A port city on the Iberian Peninsula, at the mouth of the Tagus River on the Atlantic Ocean; the capital city of Portugal.

A city, the county seat of Ransom County, North Dakota, United States.

Columbiana County
Columbiana County#English

A village, the county seat of Columbiana County, Ohio, United States.


Majorca

/məˈd͡ʒɔɹ.kə/

/məˈd͡ʒɔː.kə/

From Latin īnsula maior (“larger island”); the intermediate form was *Maiōrica.

Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands#English

Alternative form of Mallorca: An island in the Mediterranean; largest of the Balearic Islands.


Milan

Inherited from Middle English Milane, Melan, etc., from Old English Mæġelan, Megelan, Mediolanaburg, etc. under influence from early forms of French Milan, from Medieval Latin Mediolāna etc., from Latin Mediolānum, q.v. As American settlements, typically after the Italian city. Doublet of Milano.

A number of places in the United States:

A city in Dodge County and Telfair County, Georgia.

Rock Island County
Rock Island County#English

A village in Rock Island County, Illinois.

An unincorporated community in Spokane County, Washington.


Nicosia

/ˌnɪkəˈsiːə/

From Medieval Latin and Old French Nicosia, from Byzantine Greek Λευκωσία (Leukōsía), variant of Λευκουσία (Leukousía), equivalent to λευκός (leukós, “white”) or λεύκη (leúkē, “poplar”) + οὐσία (ousía, “property, estate”), but deriving from various Ancient Greek forms including Λευτεῶν (Leuteôn), Λευκοθέον (Leukothéon), and Λευκούπολις (Leukoúpolis) adapting an early or pre-Greek name variously recorded as Λέδραι (Lédrai), Λῆδρον (Lêdron), Λεδρῶν (Ledrôn), Λήδρα (Lḗdra), etc. Doublet of Lefkosia.

The capital city of Cyprus and Northern Cyprus.


Normandy

From Middle English Normandie, Normandye, from Old English Normandiġ, from Old French Normendie, from normant + -ie. Compare Old Norse Norðmanndi (“Normandy”). Normant refers to the Germanic words for 'north' and 'man', as the original Normans were of Scandinavian origin. More at Norman.

administrative region
administrative region

An administrative region, historical province, and medieval kingdom in northwest France, on the English Channel. The modern region was created in 2016 with the merger of Upper Normandy and Lower Normandy.

A village and civil parish in Guildford borough, Surrey, England (OS grid ref SU9251).

An unincorporated community in Bureau County, Illinois, named after the Norman family.

A number of other places:
In the United States:
A city in Saint Louis County, Missouri.

Saint Louis County
Saint Louis County#English

A neighbourhood in north-east Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

A number of other places:
In the United States:
A town in Bedford County, Tennessee.

A census-designated place in Maverick County, Texas.

census-designated place
census-designated place


Padua

From Medieval Latin Padua, from Venetan Padoa, from Latin Patavium.


Piedmont

Derived from Italian Piemonte (“mountain foot”), from Medieval Latin Pedemontium, Pedemontis, from Latin ad pedem montium.

der+

A city in Alameda County, California, United States.

Kingfisher County
Kingfisher County#English

A city in Canadian County and Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, United States.

Greenville County
Greenville County#English

A census-designated place in Anderson County and Greenville County, South Carolina, United States.


Rhodes

en-proper noun

Rhodes (countable and uncountable, plural Rhodeses)

Rhodeses (plural)
Rhoades (alternative)
Rhoads (alternative)
Rodes (alternative)
Roades (alternative)
Royds (alternative)
Rhode (alternative)

From rodes, the plural form of Middle English rode, from Old English rod, rodu.
The Rh- form—a 16th century spelling modification—was created by analogy with the unrelated Rhodes, Greece.

Vermillion County
Vermillion County#English

An unincorporated community in Clinton Township, Vermillion County, Indiana.

An unincorporated community in Bentley Township, Gladwin County, Michigan; named for Murry Bentley Rhodes.

A number of places in the United States:

A census-designated place in Flathead County, Montana.


Rome

→ Hindi: रोम (rom)

→ Thai: โรม (room)

From Middle English Rome, from Old English Rōm, from Proto-West Germanic *Rūmu, from Proto-Germanic *Rūmō and influenced by Late Latin Rōma (“Rome, Constantinople”), from Classical Latin Rōma (“Rome”). In Roman mythology, the name was said to derive from Romulus, one of the founders of the city and its first king.
The name appears in a wide range of forms in Middle English, including Rom, Room, Roome, and Rombe as well as Rome; by early modern English, it appeared as Rome, Room, and Roome, with the spelling Rome occurring in Shakespeare and common from the early 18th century on. The final spelling was influenced by Norman, Middle French, Anglo-Norman, and Old French Rome. Doublet of Roma and Rum.

der

Rom (alternative archaic)
Roome (alternative archaic)
Room (alternative archaic)
Rhoome (alternative archaic)
Romme (alternative archaic)
Rowme (alternative archaic)
Roym (alternative archaic)
Rum (alternative archaic)
Roma (alternative uncommon)

do not sit in Rome and strive with the Pope

A census-designated place in Peoria County, Illinois.

Sunflower County
Sunflower County#English

An unincorporated community in Sunflower County, Mississippi.

An unincorporated community in Malheur County, Oregon.


Saint Petersburg

Peter the Great
Saint Peter
Saint Petersburg

Calque of Russian Санкт-Петербу́рг (Sankt-Peterbúrg) equivalent to Saint Peter + -s- + -burg, from German Sankt Petersburg (“Saint Peter's City”), referring to Saint Peter the Apostle and alluding to its founder Tsar Peter the Great. Doublet of Peterborough.

calque

Санкт-Петербу́рг

der

St. Petersburg (alternative)
St.-Petersburg (alternative)
St Petersburg (alternative)
St-Petersburg (alternative)
Saint-Petersburg (alternative)
St. Petersburgh (alternative)

Leningrad

still the name of the surrounding oblast

An unincorporated community in Logan County, Colorado, United States.


Sardinia

Nora, Italy
Sea People
Sherden
en:Sardinia

Borrowing from Latin Sardinia and Ancient Greek Σαρδώ (Sardṓ), which in turn derive from a pre-Roman substrate language, *sard, *shard. It is connected by some scholars to the name of the Sherden or Shardana, an ethnic group amongst the Sea Peoples. A Phoenician inscription found in Nora and dated to the 9th century B.C.E. identifies the island as Shardan.

An island and autonomous region of Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea.


Seville

From (possibly through a Middle French form) Spanish Sevilla, from Arabic إِشْبِيلِيَة (ʔišbīliya), from Latin Hispalis, ultimately from Phoenician 𐤔𐤐𐤋𐤄 (šplh /sefela/, “plain, valley”). Compare Hebrew שפלה (shfela, “lowland”), Arabic سافل (safil, “lowly”).

إِشْبِيلِيَة

Arabic إِشْبِيلِيَة (ʔišbīliya)

A census-designated place in Tulare County, California.

A census-designated place in Volusia County, Florida.

A census-designated place in Wilcox County, Georgia.

A place in the United States:
A township in Gratiot County, Michigan.

A place in the United States:
A village in Medina County, Ohio.


Sicily

From Middle English Sicilie, Sicilye, from Old English Sicilia, from Latin Sicilia, from Ancient Greek Σικελία (Sikelía), from Σίκελος (Síkelos, “Sicel”). Doublet of Sicilia.

The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, an autonomous region of Italy, close to Africa and separated from Tunisia and Libya by the Strait of Sicily.

Kingdom of Sicily
Kingdom of Sicily#English

(historical) Synonym of Kingdom of Sicily, a former kingdom controlling the island and some of southern Italy in the medieval and early modern period

Kingdom of Sicily

Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples#English

(historical) Synonym of Kingdom of Naples, a former kingdom controlling southern Italy and claiming sovereignty over the island in the early modern period

Kingdom of Naples

Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
Kingdom of the Two Sicilies#English

(historical) Synonym of Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, a former kingdom controlling the island and most of southern Italy in the 19th century


Silesia

Uncertain. Two theories are prominent: a relation to the Germanic Silingi tribe, whose name is attested in Ancient Greek Σιλίγγαι (Silíngai). Or, from Old Polish ślęg, śląg meaning "dampness, humidity, moisture." More at Ślęża and Silesia.

A cultural region of Central Europe, now chiefly in Poland, with small portions in the Czech Republic and Germany, from early modernity until 1945 predominantly German-speaking with Slavic-speaking minorities (and local majorities).


Syracuse

en-proper noun

Syracuse (countable and uncountable, plural Syracuses)

→ Italian: Syracuse

→ Japanese: シラキュース (Shirakyūsu)

desc

→ Mandarin: 錫拉丘茲 /锡拉丘兹 (Xīlāqiūzī, Xílāqiūzī)

→ Portuguese: Syracuse

From French Syracuse, from Latin Syrācūsae, from Ancient Greek Συρᾱ́κουσαι (Surā́kousai) attested from 8th century BC, from a Pre-Greek name, possibly Phoenician 𐤔𐤄𐤓𐤀𐤇 (šhrʾḥ, “to feel ill”) in reference to the ancient port's proximity to a swamp. As a surname, an anglicized form of Italian Siracusa. Doublet of Siragusa. Compare Sicilian Saragusa.

Kosciusko County
Kosciusko County#English

A number of places in the United States:

A town in Turkey Creek Township, Kosciusko County, Indiana.

A city, the county seat of Onondaga County, New York.


Munich

Ultimately from German München or Münichen (the earliest attested form, common in the late Middle Ages), probably via French Munich, like many other city names (Cologne, etc). First attested in the early 1600s; compare the slightly earlier English form Miniken (whence minikin) which is attested prior to 1566 and derives directly from the German name.

München (alternative)
Münich (alternative uncommon)

The capital and largest city of Bavaria, Germany.


Bavaria

/bəˈvɛəɹi.ə/

From New Latin Bavaria, from Medieval Latin Baioarii (“Bavarians”), from Latin Boiuvarii (literally “Boii settlers”), a compound of a Gaulish word meaning “cattle owner” (from Proto-Celtic *bāus (“cow”)) + Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“settler”). Alternatively, Pokorny proposes that the first element is a word meaning “warrior”, derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, beat”). This name was adopted by the Marcomanni after defeating the Boii and settling Bohemia and parts of Bavaria.

der

A historic region, former duchy, former kingdom, and modern state of Germany; the modern state includes parts of historical Swabia and Franconia as well as historical Bavaria.

Baden-Württemberg · Bavaria · Brandenburg · Hesse · Lower Saxony · Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania · North Rhine-Westphalia · Rhineland-Palatinate · Saarland · Saxony · Saxony-Anhalt · Schleswig-Holstein · Thuringia


Transylvania

Borrowed from Medieval Latin Trānsylvānia, alternative spelling of Trānssilvānia, from trāns (“across”) + silvānus (“forest”, relational adjective) + -ia (abstract noun suffix), i.e. “region across the forest”, a calque of Hungarian Erdély, from erdő (“forest”) + elü (“region beyond”). By surface analysis, trans- + sylvan + -ia.


Tripoli

From Italian Tripoli, from Latin Tripolis, from Ancient Greek Τρίπολις (Trípolis), from τρι- (tri-, “three”) + πολις (polis, “city, city-state”). In reference to American cities, after US actions off Tripoli in Libya during the First Barbary War. Doublet of Tripolis, Tirebolu, and Tripura.

doublet

Tripoly (alternative obsolete)
Tripolis (alternative obsolete)

A city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States.


Turin

en-proper noun

Turin (countable and uncountable, plural Turins)

From Piedmontese Turin, from the Roman name, Latin Augusta Taurinōrum, ultimately from the name of the Taurini tribe. Connections to Latin taurus (“bull”) are folk etymology. Doublet of Torino, the Italian name.

A hamlet in Lethbridge County, Alberta, Canada.

Lethbridge County
Lethbridge County#English


Venice

Venice (countable and uncountable, plural Venices)

→ Japanese: ベニス (Benisu), ヴェニス (Venisu)

→ Korean: 베니스 (Beniseu)

→ Mandarin: 威尼斯 (Wēinísī)

→ Cantonese: 威尼斯 (wai1 nei4 si1)

→ Welsh: Fenis

→ Malay: Venis

Adriatic Veneti
Trojan War
Venice
Venice (disambiguation)

From Middle English Venyse, from Old French Venise or Old Italian, from Medieval Latin Venetia, from Latin Venetī + -ia (suffix forming place names), a local tribe in antiquity whose own little-attested language is now known as Venetic. Initial scholarly agreement that they were Illyrian was based on arguments since refuted. They worshipped Belenus and were possibly Celtic or heavily influenced by Celtic culture, despite repeatedly supporting the Romans against the Gauls. Compare the identical ethnonym Venetī used for Celts of Armorica (ancient Britanny) from Gaulish Uenetoi (“friendly ones, kinsmen”), from Proto-Celtic *wenet, a modified form of *wenyā (“kindred”). Widely but mistakenly derived by the ancient Greeks and Romans from the Eneti of Pamphylia, supposed to have fled to the Adriatic and become the Veneti after supporting the losing side of the Trojan War. As American places, named after the Italian city. Doublet of Venetia and Venezia.

A neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States.


Warsaw

Warsaw (countable and uncountable, plural Warsaws)

A city, the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States.


Apulia

A peninsula and administrative region in southern Italy.


Cuneo

Cuneo (countable and uncountable, plural Cuneos)

Borrowed from Italian Cuneo, from Latin cuneus (“wedge”), after the shape of the city, which is at the confluence of two rivers. Doublet of coin.

A city, the capital of the province of Cuneo, Piedmont.


Peloponnese

From Ancient Greek Πελοπόννησος (Pelopónnēsos) directly and via Latin Peloponnesus, from Πέλοψ (Pélops, “Pelops”) + νῆσος (nêsos, “island”).

der

Πελοπόννησος

A peninsula in Greece, separated from mainland Europe by the Gulf of Corinth and connected to it by the Isthmus of Corinth.


Thessaly

From Ancient Greek Θεσσαλία (Thessalía).

A historical region and administrative region in north-central Greece; one of its 13 peripheries. It contains the prefectures of Karditsa, Larissa, Magnesia and Trikala.


Epirus

From Latin Ēpīrus, from Ancient Greek Ἤπειρος (Ḗpeiros, “mainland”).

伊庇魯斯大區 /伊庇鲁斯大区

Yībìlǔsī Dàqū

伊庇鲁斯大区

Yībìlǔsī Dàqū

Southeast Europe
Southeast Europe#English

A historical region and ancient kingdom in Southeast Europe, today split politically between northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania.


Thrace

From Latin Thrācia, from Ancient Greek Θρᾴκη (Thrā́ikē), from Θρᾷξ (Thrâix, “Thracian”), from base of θράσσω (thrássō, “to trouble, stir”) and -ιξ (-ix) (compare Φοῖνιξ (Phoînix, “Phoenician”) and Κίλιξ (Kílix, “Cilician”)).

A historical region of Southeast Europe, now divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.

Թրակիա

historical and geographic area in southeast Europe


Cyclades

From Ancient Greek Κυκλάδες (Kukládes), plural of Κυκλάς (Kuklás), from κύκλος (kúklos, “circle, ring”).

An Aegean island chain in southeast-central Greece, surrounding the main island Delos, further including the islands of Andros, Naxos, Paros, Santorini, Syra, Tinos and Zea.


Dodecanese

From Greek Δωδεκάνησα (Dodekánisa, “twelve islands”), from δώδεκα (dṓdeka, “twelve”) + νῆσος (nêsos, “island”).

bor

An island chain consisting of twelve main islands including Rhodes, its capital.

Dodekanes

an island chain consisting of twelve main islands


Wallachia

From Romanian Valahia. Related to Vlach.

Moravian Wallachia
Moravian Wallachia#English

A cultural region in northeast Moravia, in the Czech Republic; in full, Moravian Wallachia.


Wallonia

A federal region of southern Belgium where French and German are the official languages, and where Lorrain, Luxembourgish, Picard, Franconian and Walloon languages are also spoken.


Antwerp

A large city and municipality, the capital of the province of Antwerp, Belgium; the second-largest city in Belgium.


Prague

From German Prag, from Slavic. See Czech Praha for further origin.

I said, I've always wanted to visit Prague.

1998 June 3, “Conjoined Fetus Lady”, in South Park, season 2, episode 5:

Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia#English

The capital city of the Czech Republic; the former capital of Czechoslovakia; the former capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia.


Lower Saxony

A state of Germany, in existence since 1946.


North Rhine-Westphalia

From North Rhine + Westphalia. The Allied occupation authorities created the state in 1947 by joining the northern half of the Prussian Rhine Province to the province of Westphalia (as well as the small Free State of Lippe).

The most populous of the 16 component states of Germany, located in the west of the country.

Free State of Lippe
North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhine Province


Saxony

en-noun

Saxony (countable and uncountable, plural Saxonies)

From Middle English Saxonie, from Latin Saxōnia, from Saxō (stem Saxōn-) + -ia.

Saxony yarn, or flannel made from this or similar yarn.


Thuringia

/θəˈɹɪnd͡ʒiə/

From Latin Thuringia, from German Thüringen.

(historical) A German-speaking former duchy and later former landgraviate in Central Europe.


Corfu

Borrowed from Italian Corfù, from Ancient Greek Κορυφώ (Koruphṓ), from κορυφή (koruphḗ) ("summit", "mountain peak"). Named after the twin peaks of the Old Fortress of Corfu.

Magazines kept aristocrats on the payroll to facilitate access to jet-set playgrounds like Corfu and Mustique.

2025 June 27, Michael M. Grynbaum, “The Concorde-and-Caviar Era of Condé Nast, When Magazines Ruled the Earth”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 2025-06-27:

Κέρκυρα Κέρκυρα#Greek

An island of Greece, one of the Ionian Islands. The ancient name is Corcyra (Κόρκῡρα (Kórkūra), more often Κέρκῡρα (Kérkūra)), in Modern Greek Kérkira (Κέρκυρα (Kérkyra)).


Alexandria

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-Alexandria.wav

From Middle English Alexandria, from Old English Alexandria, from Latin Alexandrīa, from Ancient Greek Ἀλεξάνδρεια (Alexándreia), from Ἀλέξανδρος (Aléxandros, “Alexander”) + -εια (-eia, “-ia: forming place names”), initially chiefly places founded by Alexander the Great of Macedonia and subsequently usually with reference to Alexandria in Egypt, a major Hellenistic cultural center, center of early Christianity, and continuing major international port. Compare Antioch, Seleucia, and Ptolemais. Doublet of Kandahar, Iskenderun, Scandaroon, and Alexandretta.

Алекса́ндрия

any of a number of cities bearing the same name

A number of places in the United States:

A city, the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

A town in Grafton County, New Hampshire.

Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County#English

A township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

unincorporated community
unincorporated community

An unincorporated community in Scioto County, Ohio.

Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County#English

A borough of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

Arlington County
Arlington County#English

Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.#English

An independent city in Virginia, next to Arlington County, Fairfax County and Washington, D.C.


Corinth

From Latin Corinthus, from Ancient Greek Κόρινθος (Kórinthos). Doublet of currant.

An unincorporated community in Bullock County, Alabama.

An unincorporated community in Cullman County, Alabama.

An unincorporated community in Osborne County, Kansas.

An unincorporated community in Lincoln Parish, Louisiana.

Penobscot County
Penobscot County#English

An unincorporated community in Nash County, North Carolina.

An unincorporated community in Trumbull County, Ohio.

A ghost town in Saluda County, South Carolina.

An unincorporated community in Milam County, Texas.

An unincorporated community in Montague County, Texas.

Southampton County
Southampton County#English

An unincorporated community in Southampton County, Virginia.


Iraklion

Borrowed from Greek Ηράκλειο (Irákleio).

The capital of the regional unit of Heraklion and of the region of Crete, Greece.


Heraklion

Herakleion (alternative)
Iraklion (alternative)
Iráklion (alternative)


Salonika

From incomplete latinization of Byzantine Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníkē), clipping of Ancient Greek Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloníkē), named for Thessalonike daughter of Philip II, half-sister of Alexander the Great, and wife of Cassander of Macedonia, from Θεσσᾰλός (Thessălós, “Thessalian”) + νῑ́κη (nī́kē, “victory”), possibly named for her birth on the anniversary of the Battle of Crocus Field. Used chiefly as a calque of Ottoman Turkish سلانیك (Selânik) but with occasional reference to modern Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníki).

der

Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia#English

Alternative spelling of Salonica, synonym of Thessaloniki: a port city, the capital of Central Macedonia, in northern Greece.

Salonica

Alexander the Great
Battle of Crocus Field
Cassander
Philip II of Macedonia
Thessalonike of Macedon


Salonica

From Medieval Latin Salonica, from Byzantine Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníkē), clipping of Ancient Greek Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloníkē), named for Thessalonike daughter of Philip II, half-sister of Alexander the Great, and wife of Cassander of Macedonia, from Θεσσᾰλός (Thessălós, “Thessalian”) + νῑ́κη (nī́kē, “victory”), possibly named for her birth on the anniversary of the Battle of Crocus Field. Sometimes parsed as a clipping within English of Thessalonica. Originally and still chiefly as a calque of Ottoman Turkish سلانیك (Selânik); now with occasional reference to modern Greek Σαλονίκη (Saloníki).

Sleeping-car passengers, however, will know little of their entry into Greece until, at 6 a.m. on the third morning after leaving Paris, the short train runs over the Vardar plain, with dawn glimpses of Mount Athos to the east and of cloud-capped Olympus across the gulf to the south, past the rebuilt yard and into the new passenger station at Salonica.

1951 November, 'Pausanias', “To Greece by the "Simplon-Orient Express"”, in Railway Magazine, page 731:

(now chiefly historical) Synonym of Thessaloniki: a port city, the capital of Central Macedonia, in northern Greece.


Azores

Borrowed from Spanish Azores, from Portuguese Açores (“Azores”), from açores, plural of açor (“goshawk”).

Autonomous Region of the Azores
Autonomous Region of the Azores

An archipelago of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic and an autonomous region of Portugal comprising this archipelago, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores.


Bucharest

Borrowed from Russian Бухаре́ст (Buxarést), from Romanian București, from Bucur (personal name) + -ești (patronymic, personal name suffix).

bor+

The capital and largest city of Ilfov County, Romania.


Åland

A region of Finland, consisting of the Aland archipelago.


Danube

→ Hindi: डेन्यूब (ḍenyūb)

→ Korean: 다뉴브 (danyubeu)

→ Marathi: डॅन्यूब (ḍĕnyūb)

→ Thai: ดานูบ (daa-núup)

→ Urdu: ڈینیوب (ḍēn'yūb)

→ Vietnamese: Đa Nuýp

Attested since at least 1598 (also note Middle English Danby (“Danube”) att. in 15th c. Mandeville's Travels).
Borrowed from Middle French Danube, from Old French Danube, from Latin Dānubius, from Proto-Celtic *Dānowyos (compare Welsh river name Donwy), an extended form of the river-name *Dānu, from Proto-Indo-European *déh₂nu (“river, river goddess”), akin to *dʰenh₂- (“to set in motion; to flow”).
Cognate with Latin fōns (“spring”), Persian دنیدن (danidan, “to hasten, run”), Ossetian дон (don, “water, river”), Sanskrit धन्वति (dhánvati, “it flows, runs”). More at Danube.

cog

A locale in the United States, named for the river:


Geneva

Mentioned in Latin texts as Genava. Probably via a Proto-Celtic *genwā from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénw-eh₂ (“knee”), a derivative of *ǵónu in the sense of a bending river or estuary, possibly akin to Genoa.

/d͡ʒəˈniːvə/

A number of places in the United States, including:

A city, the county seat of Geneva County, Alabama.

A city, the county seat of Kane County, Illinois.

A city, the county seat of Fillmore County, Nebraska.

A city and town in Ontario County, New York, an area of water in the city is in Seneca County.

A town in Walworth County, Wisconsin; see also Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a city nearby.

A female given name transferred from the place name or confused with Genevieve or Ginevra.


Euphrates

From Latin Euphrātēs, from Ancient Greek Εὐφράτης (Euphrátēs), from Old Persian 𐎢𐎳𐎼𐎠𐎬𐎢 (u-f-r-a-tu-u /ʰUfrātuš/), from Akkadian 𒀀𒇉𒌓𒄒𒉣 (^(ÍD)Purattu), from Sumerian 𒀀𒇉𒌓𒄒𒉣 (^(ÍD)Buranun) (compare Elamite 𒌑𒅁𒊏𒌅𒅖 (ú-ip-ra-du-iš), Classical Syriac ܦܪܬ (P(ə)rāṯ)). The Elamite, Akkadian, and possibly Sumerian forms are either from an unrecorded substrate language, or from Proto-Sumerian *𒁍𒍏 burudu "copper" (Sumerian 𒍏 (urudu)) with an explanation that Euphrates was the river by which the copper ore was transported in rafts, since Mesopotamia was the center of copper metallurgy at the period.

der

A river in the Middle East, 2780 kilometers in length, flowing southwest from Turkey, then southeast, and uniting with the Tigris before entering the Persian Gulf. It forms the Western edge of classical Mesopotamia.


Tigris

From Latin Tigris, from Ancient Greek Τίγρις (Tígris), an alternative form of Τίγρης (Tígrēs), from Old Persian 𐎫𐎡𐎥𐎼𐎠 (Tigrā), from Akkadian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (Idiglat), from Sumerian 𒀀𒇉𒈦𒄘𒃼 (Idigna, literally “fast as an arrow”).

uder

A river in Southwest Asia flowing 1,150 miles east-southeast from the Armenian Highland in Turkey through Iraq. It forms the eastern edge of classical Mesopotamia. It unites with the Euphrates River to form the Shatt al-Arab before flowing into the Persian Gulf.


Belgrade

From French Belgrade, from Medieval Latin Belgradum and Belogradum, ultimately from South Slavic forms of Proto-Slavic *bělъ (“white”) and *gȏrdъ (“fortress, city”), after the white walls of its medieval fortress. Doublet of Beograd, Berat, and Belgorod.

Serbia and Montenegro
Serbia and Montenegro#English

The capital city of Serbia; the former capital of Yugoslavia; the former capital of Serbia and Montenegro.


Amazon

From Middle English, from Latin, from Ancient Greek Ἀμαζών (Amazṓn); perhaps Ionian Greek pronunciation of Old Persian *hamazan- (“warrior”), as the Amazon women were known warriors. A popular folk etymology, of Ancient Greek provenance, claims that the word derives from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + μαζός (mazós, “breast”), referencing the belief that Amazons cut off their right breast so that it would not hinder their ability to fire a bow or throw a spear.

When, therefore, one envisions a matriarchy, one should not conjure up visions of a gang of Amazons lopping off breasts and testicles to rule by force of arms.

1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 149:

(Greek mythology) A member of a mythical race of female warriors inhabiting the Black Sea area.


Amazon

From Spanish, Río Amazonas. It is common belief that the Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana fought a battle against a tribe of Tapuya natives, in which the women fought alongside the men, and that he derived the name from the Amazons in Greek mythology.

Amazon milk frog

In February, a young man from an isolated Indigenous tribe in Brazil made brief contact with the outside world before returning to the Amazon rainforest.

2025 April 4, Lex Harvey and Esha Mitra, “US tourist arrested after allegedly attempting to contact ‘world’s most isolated’ tribe”, in CNN:

(sometimes attributive) A region including much of this river; specifically, the region of the Amazon Rainforest, or of the Amazon River Basin.


Amazon

Chosen by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as a word beginning with 'A' which had existing connotations (see meanings listed in etymologies 1 & 2) of being exotic, different, and (as the Amazon River) the largest of its kind in the world.

Google is one of several Big Tech firms that has made an aggressive push into gaming in recent years, along with Amazon (AMZN), Apple (AAPL) and Facebook (FB).

2021 February 1, Rishi Iyengar, “Google will stop making video games for its Stadia platform”, in CNN Business:

Amazon.com Inc., a very large Internet retailer.


Amazon

en-verb

Amazon (third-person singular simple present Amazons, present participle Amazoning, simple past and past participle Amazoned)

Amazons (present singular third-person)
Amazoning (participle present)
Amazoned (participle past)
Amazoned (past)

[…] “There are people who Uber everywhere, who Seamless everything, who Amazon everything, and render their lives completely smooth.”

2025 June 30, Adrienne Matei, quoting Josh Lora, “‘Hey man, I’m so sorry for your loss’: should you use AI to text?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(transitive) To order (something) on Amazon.


Chechen

From Russian чечен- (čečen-), the root in чече́нец (čečénec, “a Chechen man”) or чече́нский (čečénskij, “Chechen (adjective)”).

The language of the Chechens, a member of the Nakh family.


gorger

(UK, slang, obsolete) A well-dressed man; a swell; sometimes an employer, or principal, as the manager of a theatre.


Mecca

From Arabic مَكَّة (Makka) of uncertain etymology. In American place names, in reference to the Arabian city.

Macca (alternative)
Makka (alternative)
Makkah (alternative)
Mekka (alternative)
Makkah al-Mukarramah (alternative)

A large city, the provincial capital of Mecca Province in the in the Hejaz region, Saudi Arabia, the holiest place in Islam, location of the sacred Ka'ba, and to which Muslims are required to make a hajj at least once in their lifetime, if possible.

census-designated place
census-designated place

Riverside County
Riverside County#English

A number of places in the United States:

A census-designated place in Riverside County, California.

A town in Wabash Township, Parke County, Indiana.

An unincorporated community in Clinton County, Missouri.

A township and unincorporated community in Trumbull County, Ohio.


Damascus

From Latin Dāmascus, from Ancient Greek Δαμασκός (Damaskós), from a Semitic form akin to Hebrew דַּמֶּשֶׂק. Doublet of Dimashq.
The etymology of the ancient name Damascus is uncertain. It is attested as Imerišú (𒀲𒋙) in Akkadian, T-m-ś-q (𓍘𓄟𓊃𓈎𓅱) in Egyptian, Dammaśq (𐡃𐡌𐡔𐡒) in Old Aramaic and Dammeśeq (דַּמֶּשֶׂק) in Biblical Hebrew. A number of Akkadian spellings are found in the Amarna letters, from the 14th century BC: Dimasqa (𒁲𒈦𒋡), Dimàsqì (𒁲𒈦𒀸𒄀), and Dimàsqa (𒁲𒈦𒀸𒋡).

cog

Hebrew דַּמֶּשֶׂק

The capital city of Syria; an ancient settlement, the ancient capital of various polities, most notably the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 744 CE and Aram-Damascus, existing from the 12th to 8th centuries BCE.


Vistula

/ˈvɪst͡ʃʊlə/

The longest river in Poland, which flows into the Baltic Sea.


Jaffa

Jaffas (plural)
Joppa (alternative)
Yafo (alternative)

Borrowed from Arabic يَافَا (yāfā), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew יָפוֹ (yāfō), equivalent to Hebrew יָפָה (yafá) "beautiful", related to Akkadian 𒅀𒁍 (yapu) "beautiful".

They were together, at the flicks on Saturday night, eating Jaffas and smiling at each other occasionally in the dark.

2005, Barbara Anderson, Collected stories:


Indus

Borrowed from Latin Indus, from Ancient Greek Ἰνδός (Indós), from Old Persian 𐏃𐎡𐎯𐎢𐏁 (h-i-du-u-š /hiⁿduš/), from Proto-Iranian *hínduš (compare Avestan 𐬵𐬌𐬧𐬛𐬎 (hiṇdu)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *síndʰuš or borrowed from Sanskrit सिन्धु (síndhu) (whence Sindh).
Another explication relates the origin of Indus to Indra which itself derives from the root indu, i.e. " water place or water spirit".

The mighty Indus River that courses through Pakistan's second-most populous region is fed by dozens of mountain tributaries to the north, but many have burst their banks following record rains and glacier melt.

2022 August 28, “Pakistan's south braces for another deluge as northern rivers swell”, in France 24, archived from the original on 2022-08-28, Asia / Pacific:

Floods in the river Sutlej – which originates in Tibet and crosses India before merging into the Indus river – has completely cut off several villages and areas in Pakistan, submerging hundreds of hectares of farmland.

2023 August 29, “Pakistan raises flood alert in eastern region as over 128,000 evacuated”, in EFE, archived from the original on 2024-04-24:

A major river in China, India and Pakistan, rising in Tibet and flowing into the Arabian Sea.


Indus

Named by Dutch explorers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman between 1595 and 1597. From Latin Indus (“Indian”), commemorating American Indians.

(astronomy) A constellation of the southern sky between Grus and Pavo.


Basque Country

autonomous community
autonomous community

An autonomous community in northern Spain.