Historiographic Thread: Name changes and avoiding other anachronisms

Here's one

Japan: The word "Japan" to describe the islands/state/people off the coast of China is an end result of a long-chain of corruptions. It is derived from Marco Polo's recording of the early Mandarin or Wu Cipangu, pronounced more like "Zapan". From there, the old Malay word of Jepang was derived, and in turn given to Portuguese traders, who gave it to the English, who first recorded it as "Giapan".

The "Japanese" call their island "Nippon" or "Nihon", their language "Nihongo", and themselves the "Nihonjin" or "Nipponjin".
 

Thande

Donor
Here's one

Japan: The word "Japan" to describe the islands/state/people off the coast of China is an end result of a long-chain of corruptions. It is derived from Marco Polo's recording of the early Mandarin or Wu Cipangu, pronounced more like "Zapan". From there, the old Malay word of Jepang was derived, and in turn given to Portuguese traders, who gave it to the English, who first recorded it as "Giapan".

The "Japanese" call their island "Nippon" or "Nihon", their language "Nihongo", and themselves the "Nihonjin" or "Nipponjin".
Good one. Similarly, the word 'China' is derived from the name of the Qin Dynasty (Ch'in in Wade-Giles transliteration). The Chinese themselves have many names for their country, but the most commonly used is Zhongguo, meaning 'Central Nation' (more classically translated as 'Middle Kingdom').
 

Thande

Donor
The Welsh Language: Today Welsh is noteworthy for using the letter C for everything and no Ks. Originally however it was the other way around. The spelling changed after the introduction of the printing press, as the presses were set up for the distribution of letters in English and there weren't enough Ks for the Welsh to use.
 
Oh, my biggest peeve, the Aztec Empire.

Mexico is the real native name of the country (and thus "Mexicans" would be a likely name for their inhabitants even without a Spanish conquest). The state's name was The Triple Alliance (not in the actual wording but the meaning) and the dominant ethnic group were the Nahua.

The word "Aztec" was coined by von Humboldt in the early 19th century to make the distinction clear between pre and post-conquest Mexicans.

The Mexica/Aztecs actually used the term Anahuac to refer to the territories they dominated as well as their tributaries. Mexico was the term for the heartland of the Mexica Triple Alliance, the Valley of Mexico as well as another name for Tenochtitlan, ruled by the Mexica-Tenocha. I tend to use Mexica and Aztecs hand in hand. It makes it rather easier for anyone who isn't familiar with the actual name to know what I'm talking about.
 
Does someone have a "The More You Know" soundbite? That'd be pretty useful for this thread.

Yeah, I also tend to use Aztec a lot, just because people are familiar with it, more than Mexica at least. Speaking of Mesoamericans, I got one more anachronism regarding Maya, name usage. Back before the glyphs could be accurately translated but when their context could be determined, archaeologists gave rulers nicknames based on what their name glyph looked like to them. This has resulted in rulers being nicknamed stuff like "Foliated Jaguar", "Curl Snout", "Ah Cacao", and other such oddities. Now that the names have been accurately translated however, archaeologists use their real names on a regular basis. This has not stopped some people however from using the modern nicknames. Even Apocalypto applied some of those bizarre names including Curl Snout to its characters.
 
Using the phrase "Your Majesty" to refer to an English monarch prior to 1519 is inaccurate. The phrases used most often were "Your Grace" or "Your Highness".
 
Here's one

Japan: The word "Japan" to describe the islands/state/people off the coast of China is an end result of a long-chain of corruptions. It is derived from Marco Polo's recording of the early Mandarin or Wu Cipangu, pronounced more like "Zapan". From there, the old Malay word of Jepang was derived, and in turn given to Portuguese traders, who gave it to the English, who first recorded it as "Giapan".

The "Japanese" call their island "Nippon" or "Nihon", their language "Nihongo", and themselves the "Nihonjin" or "Nipponjin".
This is the reason I call Japanese as Nipponese on one of my short timelines.
 
The name of my ancestors used to be 'Canadiens' first before being French-Canadians (and then Québecois, Franco-Ontariens, Francaskois, etc), albeit I am not sure of british-english source.
 
Good one. Similarly, the word 'China' is derived from the name of the Qin Dynasty (Ch'in in Wade-Giles transliteration). The Chinese themselves have many names for their country, but the most commonly used is Zhongguo, meaning 'Central Nation' (more classically translated as 'Middle Kingdom').

In the same vein, 'Korea' appears to originate from Arab traders who traded with Goryeo, it reached Italy as 'Cauli' and eventually resulting in Corea/Korea. Cauli is rather similar to the Chinese name for Korea: Gaoli.

Though many people refer to the 'Joseon dynasty', actually Joseon was the name of the country, which was under the Yi dynasty. That name is still used in North Korea.
 
The Welsh Language: Today Welsh is noteworthy for using the letter C for everything and no Ks. Originally however it was the other way around. The spelling changed after the introduction of the printing press, as the presses were set up for the distribution of letters in English and there weren't enough Ks for the Welsh to use.

Old Welsh also looked more like Gaelic in the way it was written down. :eek:
 
Sweden: Borrowed from the Dutch Zweden. Appears in Scots records as Swethin and Swadne first in the 17th century. Prior to this it was known as Swedeland, in Old English Sweoland and Sweorice (Land of the Swedes/Sweos).
 

Thande

Donor
Sweden: Borrowed from the Dutch Zweden. Appears in Scots records as Swethin and Swadne first in the 17th century. Prior to this it was known as Swedeland, in Old English Sweoland and Sweorice (Land of the Swedes/Sweos).

Similarly, Norway in English was originally Norweg, but the pronunciation was the same--G in Old English was often pronounced as Y. This is preserved in the demonym, "Norwegian", but the pronunciation has changed to fit the spelling - "Nor-weej-an". Originally the word would have been pronounced "Norwayan", which is the spelling used in Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
 
In the same vein, 'Korea' appears to originate from Arab traders who traded with Goryeo, it reached Italy as 'Cauli' and eventually resulting in Corea/Korea. Cauli is rather similar to the Chinese name for Korea: Gaoli.

Though many people refer to the 'Joseon dynasty', actually Joseon was the name of the country, which was under the Yi dynasty. That name is still used in North Korea.

Actually, Korea is an example of a nameless country...because it changes it's name in each dynasty, a country does not need to have a name.
 
The Mughal Empire was never really acknowledged as such, and was variously known as Hindustan, while the dynasty called themselves Gurkani, if I'm not wrong.
 

Thande

Donor
The Mughal Empire was never really acknowledged as such, and was variously known as Hindustan, while the dynasty called themselves Gurkani, if I'm not wrong.

Hindustan was more a general term for the area now known as India--at the time "India" was a much broader term incorporating Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and sometimes beyond. In fact many English sources referred to the state now called India as Hindustan well into the 1950s, just because it seemed so confusing to call it India.
 
Hindustan was more a general term for the area now known as India--at the time "India" was a much broader term incorporating Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and sometimes beyond. In fact many English sources referred to the state now called India as Hindustan well into the 1950s, just because it seemed so confusing to call it India.

I read that Jinnah expected India to be called Bharat or Hindustan, and was rather irked when that didn't happen.
 
Hindustan was more a general term for the area now known as India--at the time "India" was a much broader term incorporating Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and sometimes beyond. In fact many English sources referred to the state now called India as Hindustan well into the 1950s, just because it seemed so confusing to call it India.
I was referring to Mughal times, not modern, but the name of the state was most likely based on the fact that they didn't want to alienate Indian Muslims in the country.
I read that Jinnah expected India to be called Bharat or Hindustan, and was rather irked when that didn't happen.
Jinnah was, I believe. I think he said something about how Pakistan had more of a right to call itself India, than, well, India.
 
Sweden: Borrowed from the Dutch Zweden. Appears in Scots records as Swethin and Swadne first in the 17th century. Prior to this it was known as Swedeland, in Old English Sweoland and Sweorice (Land of the Swedes/Sweos).

Sweden, the language, is 'Svenska' in itself..
 
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