Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-08-08
NAMES OF COUNTRIES.
These Mostly Derived from Lands,
People and Sentiment.

Abyssinia-The syllable ia at the end
of the name of a country IS from the
celtic, and means land or TERRITORY
Therefore, AhEssinia means the land
OF the Abassins, ~ mixed races" /
Aleiers is a newer spelling ct the
Arabic name Al Jezair, which means
the peninsula
Arap1a-Herc We have he ia. which |
tells Us that Arabia is the territory of /
the Arabs or men Of tie desert
Austria-This name Is a modern form
of the big word Oestefreieh, the name |
given II tn country by eharlenagne |
II means Eastern Kingdom. and the
country was 50 called TO distinguish II |
from Charlie magne's empire IN western
Europe.
Burma-This is the English form of
the word The native name is written
Mramma or Mamma but it Is pro-
noJnced Esm-ma. Written. tho name
has the meaning Of Mein a Chinese
title which Marco Polo found il use
when he visited China six centuries
ago The Word means those who are
sti"ng." and was. no dtubt, forr4erly a
title Of a warrior caste.
Chile-When the Spaniards arrived in
nov call Chill. they heard the natives
give this name which means cold, or
land of snow. to certain cold part
of the country, aud So they wrongly
| applied the name to the whole 30 Je0
square miles.
Cnina-TEis is 4 name seldom heard
in GINA, where names of various
/ meanings are given by the people to
the territories which make up their
| empire We used to call china Cathay
| but chiaa is the name now used by
English speaking people. The word is
| believed To have come from Tsina. the
land Of Tsin, the ruler who built the
Great Wall of China.
| England really means land of the
| Angles or "Engles.' the people who
came over from Germany and con-
quered the country in the NTH century.
/ England is still called Anglete're
wnich .heans Angle land by the
! French. The Italians call England In
| ghiiterra and the Spamards call it In
| glaterra.
| France is the modern name Of the
country which was formerly called
Gaul. word shortened tron the Greek
name Gallatia. The Gauls We're the
! original possessors of the land. bat the
! Franks. moving out of the German
province of Franconia, conquered the
| land, and called il France on Frank
| reich.
| Germany was formerly called lnnn-
| ges, but the Romans borrowed Il worf
| from the Gaas meaning neighbors and
gave ii a Roman form -GermauQs
! Holland is a modern spelling of Oh
| liant. the Danish name, meaning mar
| shy ground
india means the country through
which the river Indus runs,
Italy is the name given to the GO m
try once ruled over by a King canned
Itams
! Japan is word seldom heard N the
land itself. The Japanese name for
their country is Nippon or Nippon
which means Hand of the rising sun"
our word, Japan is the result OF a
mistake made in spelling by early
travellers To the east
! Montenegro means black mountain
which is noticeable feature in this
/ mountainous country
New Zealand the Dutch
navigator, discovered New Zealand.
and thought the islands SO much alike
the Zealand at home in Holland that
he called 1t the New Zealand
| Palestine means the land of strang-
ers the word coming from another
word meaning TO wander" The coun-
try is called also the Holy Land,
Canaan, and the Land of Israel.
Persia--The name the Persians give
to their country is Iran The name
Persia was given to it as meaning the
land Of the Parsas, wild people so
called. whose name really meant "fhe
tigers"
Portugal IS name which comes
from Pertus Gale That was the name
given by the Romans to the ancient
city Of Oporto 1t meant the port
Gale, ana from it the name. of the