I don’t know if my general question has a specific answer - so I’m gonna put this into IMHO. I guess this query is a combination: what languages, which places and why thread poll.
In English, there are quite a number of places in which the native name of a location is changed to the point of being completely unrecognizable. I’m not talking about oceans, deserts, mountains or seas - I’m referring to places people live. I don’t know if my OP title is clear - what I’m trying to figure out is why do English speaking peoples refer to (for example):
Osterreich as Austria? Instead or either what Austrians refer to it as - or as it translates: Eastern State. Maybe it’s the umlaut.
Espana as Spain? Is it because of that squiggly thing over the ‘N’?
Italia as Italy or Roma as Rome? It can’t be a spelling thing in this case. And if you ask me, the native names of those places sound much nicer.
Deutschland as Germany? I realize the word Germany probably has it English roots on the pre-unification Germanic tribes - but the people of Germany call themselves Deutch and their nation Deutschland - Why don’t the English speaking people do the same?
Anyway, I’m admittedly ignorant about most other languages. I know the Spanish refer to the the city I live in as Neuva York - and that I completely understand. They chose to translate the word new into their language, which is fine by me. On the other hand, if the Spanish chose instead to refer to NY as Taco Delmingo, I’d be a little perplexed.
Poll Question: Do you know any non-English languages where the geographical names of English-speaking places are changed as dramatically as Schweiz being referred to as Switzerland?