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| alternate_history:alternate_geographic_names [2023/07/08 16:28] – [Australia] max_sinister | alternate_history:alternate_geographic_names [2023/11/26 03:47] (current) – max_sinister |
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| ====== Alternate Geographic Names ====== | ====== Alternate Geographic Names ====== |
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| A very common aspect of creating alternate history worlds is to give different names to newly discovered landmasses and geographic locations. It's often an almost inevitable part of timelines with earlier major [[pods:pods|PODs]] (especially ones that occurred 200, 500, 1000 years ago - you get the idea). Geographic names are typically very common terms one reads, hears or thinks of every day. Changes in geographic terminology can be used as a rather thought-provoking shock method to the casual reader. | A very common aspect of creating alternate history worlds is to give different names to newly discovered landmasses and geographic locations. It's often an almost inevitable part of timelines with earlier major [[pods:pods|PODs]] (especially ones that occurred 200, 500, 1000 years ago - you get the idea). Geographic names are typically very common terms one reads, hears or thinks of every day. Changes in geographic terminology can be used as a rather thought-provoking shock method to the casual reader. |
| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Reich-5]]**: "Arasaka", after being annexed by the Japanese. | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Reich-5]]**: "Arasaka", after being annexed by the Japanese. |
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| **Too many TLs with a Russian Alaska:** "Alyeska", meaning "great land", although the Russians also used "Alyaska" (Аляска). | **Too many TLs with a Russian Alaska:** "Alyeska", meaning "great land", although the Russians also used "Alyaska" (//Аляска//). |
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| ===== (The) America(s) ===== | ===== (The) America(s) ===== |
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| **Map Continuation III**: "Jarnassia" for North America, after the mythical Norse giantess Jarnsaxa. "Medicia" for South America, after the Italian Medici family. | **Map Continuation III**: "Jarnassia" for North America, after the mythical Norse giantess Jarnsaxa. "Medicia" for South America, after the Italian Medici family. |
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| | **Eutopia** (Poul Anderson): "Wesfall" |
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| **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Occidentia" (archaically also "Occidentalia"), meaning 'Westia'/'Westernland'. The naming conventions are rather similar to [[OTL]], with a North, Central and South Occidentia. | **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Occidentia" (archaically also "Occidentalia"), meaning 'Westia'/'Westernland'. The naming conventions are rather similar to [[OTL]], with a North, Central and South Occidentia. |
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| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Caliph]]**: "Talentis" | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Caliph]]**: "Talentis" |
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| | **The Gate of Worlds** by Robert Silverberg: "Hesperides" after the Greek myth, after being discovered in 1585. |
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| **No soy on libro** (Jose Maria Merino): "Wesland" | **No soy on libro** (Jose Maria Merino): "Wesland" |
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| | **The Years of Rice and Salt**: "Turtle Island" for North America |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Seapole and Jaredia]]**: "Gringolia" for North America, "Amazonia" for South America |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Turnovia]]**: "Gringolia" for North America, "Andea" for South America |
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| ===== Antarctica ===== | ===== Antarctica ===== |
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| **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Australia". The reason for this is that both [[OTL]] Australia and the OTL Arctic already had alternate names by the time people started thoroughly exploring OTL Antarctica (and naming its geographic features). Therefore, the geographers naming the Antarctic continent found it quite logical to simply name it after the mythical Terra Australis landmass (since OTL Antarctica actually covers most of the area where this mythical southern continent was supposed to be located). | **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Australia". The reason for this is that both [[OTL]] Australia and the OTL Arctic already had alternate names by the time people started thoroughly exploring OTL Antarctica (and naming its geographic features). Therefore, the geographers naming the Antarctic continent found it quite logical to simply name it after the mythical Terra Australis landmass (since OTL Antarctica actually covers most of the area where this mythical southern continent was supposed to be located). |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Seapole]]**: "Ornithia" |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Shiveria and Jaredia]]**: "Tropica" |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Turnovia]]**: "Arctica", since this is Earth upside-down. |
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| ===== The Arctic ===== | ===== The Arctic ===== |
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| //**[[OTL]]**//: The Arctic is a polar region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Norway, United States, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost. The word Arctic comes from the Greek ἀρκτικός (arktikos), "near the Bear, arctic, northern" and that from the word ἄρκτος (arktos), meaning bear. The name refers either to the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", which is prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere, or to the constellation Ursa Minor, the "Little Bear", which contains Polaris, the Pole Star, also known as the North Star. | //**[[OTL]]**//: The Arctic is a polar region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, Norway, United States, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost. The word Arctic comes from the Greek //ἀρκτικός// (arktikos), "near the Bear, arctic, northern" and that from the word ἄρκτος (arktos), meaning bear. The name refers either to the constellation Ursa Major, the "Great Bear", which is prominent in the northern portion of the celestial sphere, or to the constellation Ursa Minor, the "Little Bear", which contains Polaris, the Pole Star, also known as the North Star. |
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| **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Hyperborea". In Greek mythology the Hyperboreans (Ancient Greek: Ὑπερβόρε(ι)οι, pronounced [hyperbóre(ː)ɔi̯]; Latin: Hyperborei) were a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace. The Greeks thought that Boreas, the North Wind, lived in Thrace, and that therefore Hyperborea was an unspecified region in the northern lands that lay beyond the north wind. Their land, called Hyperborea or Hyperboria — "beyond the Boreas" — was perfect, with the sun shining twenty-four hours a day, which - if true - suggests a possible location within the Arctic Circle. When interest in the exploration of the [[OTL]] Arctic started growing in this timeline during the late early modern era, the [[ATL]] cartographers eventually decided to use this mythical Greek term for the then unexplored northern landmasses. | **The Fox and the Lillies**: "Hyperborea". In Greek mythology the Hyperboreans (Ancient Greek: Ὑπερβόρε(ι)οι, pronounced [hyperbóre(ː)ɔi̯]; Latin: Hyperborei) were a mythical people who lived far to the north of Thrace. The Greeks thought that Boreas, the North Wind, lived in Thrace, and that therefore Hyperborea was an unspecified region in the northern lands that lay beyond the north wind. Their land, called Hyperborea or Hyperboria — "beyond the Boreas" — was perfect, with the sun shining twenty-four hours a day, which - if true - suggests a possible location within the Arctic Circle. When interest in the exploration of the [[OTL]] Arctic started growing in this timeline during the late early modern era, the [[ATL]] cartographers eventually decided to use this mythical Greek term for the then unexplored northern landmasses. |
| **The Years of Rice and Salt**: "Aozhou", being colonized by Chinese. | **The Years of Rice and Salt**: "Aozhou", being colonized by Chinese. |
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| | **[[https://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=1465|Aesop]]**: "Meridia" |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Seapole]]**: "Roo" |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Shiveria]]**: "Outback" |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Turnovia]]**: "Boreala", since this is Earth upside-down. |
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| | ===== Brazil ===== |
| | **//[[OTL]]//**: Named after the Brazilwood, its first major export article. |
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| | **[[timelines:Chaos]]** and **[[timelines:gurkani_alam_mughal_world|Gurkani Alam (Mughal World)]]**: Braseal. In the former case, it's because it was taken by the English who changed its writing to fit their pronounciation. |
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| | **[[https://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/sample.html?id=1465|Aesop]]**: Brasil |
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| ===== British Isles ===== | ===== British Isles ===== |
| **//[[OTL]]//**: The word "China" is derived from Cin (چین), a Persian name for China popularized in medieval Europe by the account of the 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo. The first recorded use in English dates from 1555. The Persian word is, in turn, derived from the Sanskrit word Cīna (चीन), which was used as a name for China as early as AD 150. In China, common names for the country include Zhōngguó (Chinese: 中国; literally "the Central State(s)") and Zhōnghuá (Chinese: 中华), although the country's official name has been changed numerous times by successive dynasties and modern governments. The term Zhongguo appeared in various ancient texts, such as the Classic of History of the 6th century BC, and in pre-imperial times it was often used as a cultural concept to distinguish the Huaxia from the barbarians. The term, which can be either singular or plural, referred to the group of states in the central plain. It was only in the nineteenth century that the term emerged as the formal name of the country. The Chinese were not unique in regarding their country as "central", since several other civilizations in human history shared the same view. | **//[[OTL]]//**: The word "China" is derived from Cin (چین), a Persian name for China popularized in medieval Europe by the account of the 13th-century Venetian explorer Marco Polo. The first recorded use in English dates from 1555. The Persian word is, in turn, derived from the Sanskrit word Cīna (चीन), which was used as a name for China as early as AD 150. In China, common names for the country include Zhōngguó (Chinese: 中国; literally "the Central State(s)") and Zhōnghuá (Chinese: 中华), although the country's official name has been changed numerous times by successive dynasties and modern governments. The term Zhongguo appeared in various ancient texts, such as the Classic of History of the 6th century BC, and in pre-imperial times it was often used as a cultural concept to distinguish the Huaxia from the barbarians. The term, which can be either singular or plural, referred to the group of states in the central plain. It was only in the nineteenth century that the term emerged as the formal name of the country. The Chinese were not unique in regarding their country as "central", since several other civilizations in human history shared the same view. |
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| **[[timelines:Chaos]]**: "Chunkvo" (the Russian transliteration) or "Tschunkwo" (the German transliteration of the latter). | **[[timelines:Chaos]]**: "Chunkvo" (//чункво// the Russian transliteration - derived from "Zhongguo") or "Tschunkwo" (the German transliteration of the latter). |
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| **[[Romanitas]]**: "Sina". | **[[Romanitas]]**: "Sina". |
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| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Ming-3]]**: "Tsinghau" (Mandarin for "green and pleasant") | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Ming-3]]**: "Tsinghau" (Mandarin for "green and pleasant") |
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| | ===== Georgia ===== |
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| | **//[[OTL]]//**: Named in honor of British king George II. |
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| | **[[timelines:Chaos]]**: "Virginia", after the Virgin Mary (it was colonized by the Spanish instead) |
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| ===== (The) Hawaiian Islands ===== | ===== (The) Hawaiian Islands ===== |
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| **//[[OTL]]//**: In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, the first mission in the area. On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the town named //El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula// ("The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River"). The shorter form "Los Angeles" stuck colloquialy and later officially. | **//[[OTL]]//**: In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, the first mission in the area. On September 4, 1781, a group of forty-four settlers known as "Los Pobladores" founded the town named //El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula// ("The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciúncula River"). The shorter form "Los Angeles" stuck colloquialy and later officially. |
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| | **[[timelines:Look to the West]]**: "Las Estrellas" aka "Star City". |
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| **[[alternate_history:The Two Georges]]**: "New Liverpool". Since the United States and Canada of this timeline are still self-governing British colonies and form the more culturally British North American Union (NAU), the names of many American cities are also more influenced by the naming conventions of the British monarchy. | **[[alternate_history:The Two Georges]]**: "New Liverpool". Since the United States and Canada of this timeline are still self-governing British colonies and form the more culturally British North American Union (NAU), the names of many American cities are also more influenced by the naming conventions of the British monarchy. |
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| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Roma Aeterna]]**: "Magnus" - simply Latin for "the big one". | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Roma Aeterna]]**: "Magnus" - simply Latin for "the big one". |
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| | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Ezcalli]]**: "Hueiatoyatl" - Nahuatl for "Great river". |
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| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Midgard]]**: "Mikilström" - big stream. | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Midgard]]**: "Mikilström" - big stream. |
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| | **The Tales of Alvin Maker**: Mizzipy |
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| ===== New York City ===== | ===== New York City ===== |
| **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Midgard]]**: "Leifsholm", after Leif Eriksson. | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths II, Midgard]]**: "Leifsholm", after Leif Eriksson. |
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| | **The Tales of Alvin Maker** and many other examples, like the wizarding world of the HP fanfic **Alexandra Quick**: "New Amsterdam" |
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| | **The Years of Rice and Salt**: "Ganono" |
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| ===== New Zealand ===== | ===== New Zealand ===== |
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| **[[timelines:Amerindian Arbalists]]**: In a massive inversion, "New Zeeland" (note the two "e"-s) is a sovereign post-colonial nation on the eastern coast of North America, settled by the Dutch. Like the OTL New Zealand in the Pacific, it was initially named after the Dutch province of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeland|Zeeland]]. | **[[timelines:Amerindian Arbalists]]**: In a massive inversion, "New Zeeland" (note the two "e"-s) is a sovereign post-colonial nation on the eastern coast of North America, settled by the Dutch. Like the OTL New Zealand in the Pacific, it was initially named after the Dutch province of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeeland|Zeeland]]. |
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| | **[[World Dream Bank|Shiveria]]**: "Zealand" |
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| ===== Papua / New Guinea ===== | ===== Papua / New Guinea ===== |
| **//[[OTL]]//**: Portuguese for "river of January", because the captain mistakenly thought its site was the mouth of a river. | **//[[OTL]]//**: Portuguese for "river of January", because the captain mistakenly thought its site was the mouth of a river. |
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| **[[timelines:Chaos]]**: Founded by the British and named "Paradise", which became "Paradies" after the Germans conquered it, and would later became the equivalent of Hollywood. | **[[timelines:Chaos]]**: Founded by the British and named "Paradise", which became "Paradies" after the Germans conquered it, and would later become the equivalent of Hollywood. |
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| ===== Saint-Quentin ===== | ===== Saint-Quentin ===== |
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| **[[timelines:Empty America]]**: "Jen Men". | **[[timelines:Empty America]]**: "Jen Men". |
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| | **[[GURPS|GURPS Alternate Earths I, Roma Aeterna]]**: "Haifeng" (it's the capital of Fu-sang) |
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| | **[[timelines:Look to the West]]**: "Cometa", nicknamed “Comet City”. |
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| | **The Years of Rice and Salt**: "Fangzhang" |
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| ===== (The) Source of the Mississippi River ===== | ===== (The) Source of the Mississippi River ===== |
