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I've wondered why we have a different word for Germans but never realized that's where it comes from (if it's true).
by Tenoke 6y ago
I've wondered why we have a different word for Germans but never realized that's where it comes from (if it's true).
- tharkun__ 6y agoI only knew it from Hungarian, which I guess is a slavic enough language to compare: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9meth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9meth: In Hungarian, német means "German" (the word has Slavic origin, literally meaning "he does not speak", since German is not a Slavic language)
- kingofpandora 6y agoHungarian isn't Slavic.
- petre 6y agoThe word is probably borrowed into Hungarian from Slavic. We have a similar word in our language as well, but it's used as someone who doesn't understand. Also used interchangeably with Turk.
- anticensor 6y agoDo you mean Barbar?
- petre 6y agoNo, it's very similar to nemec, basically the same thing also borrowed from Slavic. The "c" ending is pronounced as "ts". The full phrase goes like: "Why don't you understand, are you German/Turk?" (as in not understanding the language). There's also a place, a citadel and river with that name, which your ancestors might have been familiar with: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Neam%C8%9B_Citadel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Neam%C8%9B_Citadel Barbar means what it means in Greek, because that's where it's borrowed from.
- GeneralMayhem 6y agoSimilarly, the word "barbarian" comes from the ancient Greeks describing the people who lived around them as sounding like they were saying "bar bar bar".
- nielsole 6y agoThat's amazing. Wiktionary backs you up on this and compares it to "bla bla bla". https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B2%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B2%CE%B1%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%82#Ancient_Greek https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%CE%B2%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%B2%CE...
- umeshunni 6y agoFunny, I always thought it came from the word Barba (hair/beard) because they considered them uncultured and unshaven.
- sorokod 6y agoGreeks were into beards big time.
- pySSK 6y agoIt is true. Here's a map of what Germany is called by other countries in Europe: https://jakubmarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/germany-european-languages.jpg https://jakubmarian.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/germany-e... Interesting that Finland/Estonia call them, essentially, Saxony. The Latvian/Lithunian name for Germany is the only one I don't understand. Does anyone know?
- seminole 6y agoApparently it's most likely tied to the German municipality of Waake or the Swedish tribe of Vagoths. However most Lithuanians would likely explain it in the form of a joke - either about Germans being thieves ('vogti' = to steal) in reference to Teutonic/Livonic ordins, or about them being 'tough' or well armored ('vo kiets' ~= 'wow, tough/hard').
- kungito 6y agoAnother fun fact: at least in Croatia, we colloquially call them "schwabs" which originates from another group of germanic people https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suebi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suebi
- shimonabi 6y agoCan confirm (as a Slovenian), the term is used through the Balkans. For example, it is present in the old Serbian song: Četrnaeste, četrnaeste, Švaba udario, (2x) Osamnaeste, osamnaeste, Srbin pobedio. (2x) (In the 14th year, the Schwab struck. In the 18th year, the Serb won.) https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_to_ka%C5%BEe,_Srbija_je_mala https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_to_ka%C5%BEe,_Srbija_je_mal... It comes from the fact that Germany didn't unify until very late, so the people were called by the small city-states that they came from. In American revolutionary war, some British mercenaries were called Hessians....
- elgenie 6y agoAccording to Wikipedia [1], it’s a matter of some debate, with the theories being the (standard) corruption of a name for the first Western Baltic people encountered, or a take on the “unintelligible war cry” people from the Latvian root for speaking. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Germany