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Icelandic exonyms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is a list of Icelandic exonyms, that is to say names for places in Icelandic that have been adapted to Icelandic spelling rules, translated into Icelandic, or Old Norse exonyms surviving in Icelandic. Commonly pronunciation is close to in English (or native), even though not stated below, but also commonly completely different, more common if names look very different or for European/Nordic places.

Language Native name Icelandic exonym
 Albania Albanía
Albanian Tiranë Tirana
 Afghanistan Afganistan
PersianPashto KābulKabəl Kabúl
 Algeria Alsír
Arabic Al-Ŷazā'ir Algeirsborg
 Armenia Armenía
Armenian Yerevan Jerevan
 Angola Angóla
Portuguese Luanda Lúanda
 Argentina Argentína
Spanish Tierra del Fuego Eldland
 Austria Austurríki
German Wien Vín or Vínarborg
 Australia Ástralía
English New South Wales Nýja Suður-Wales
South Australia Suður-Ástralía
Western Australia Vestur-Ástralía
Australian Capital Territory Höfuðborgarsvæði Ástralíu
Northern Territory Norður-svæðið
Christmas Island Jólaeyja
Cocos (Keeling) Islands Kókoseyjar
Norfolk Island Norfolkeyjar
Heard Island and McDonald Islands Heard og McDonaldseyjar
 Azerbaijan Aserbaídsjan
Azerbaijani Bakı Bakú
 The Bahamas Bahamaeyjar
English Nassau Nassá
 Belarus Hvíta-Rússland
Belarusian Polotsk Palteskja (historical), Hvíta-Rússland (historical), Belarús (current)[1]
 Belize Belís
English Belmopan Belmópan
 Bhutan Bútan
Dzongkha Thimphu Timfú
 Bolivia Bólivía
SpanishQuechua SucreChuqichaka Súkre
 Bosnia Bosnía
Bosnian Sarajevo Sarajevó
 Botswana Botsvana
EnglishTswana Gaborone Gaboróne
 Brazil Brasilía
Portuguese Brasília Brasilía
 Burma Mjanmar
Burmese Yangon Jangún
 Burundi Búrúndí
French Bujumbura Bújúmbúra
 Cameroon Kamerún
FrenchEnglish Douala Dóúala
Yaoundé Jánde
 Canada Kanada
EnglishFrench Toronto Torontó
 Central African Republic Mið-Afríkulýðveldið
French Bangui Bangví
 Chile Síle
Spanish Rapa Nui Páskaeyja
Santiago Santíagó
 China Kína
Mandarin (pinyin Romanization) Beijing Peking (sometimes written and read Beijing; Peking reads a bit differently)[2]
Shanghai Sjanghæ (reads like in English)
Tianjin Tientsin
Qingdao Tsingtao
Nanjing Nanking
Xiamen Amoy
Guilin Kweilin
Guangzhou Kanton
 Macau Makaó
PortugueseCantonese Macau Makaó
 Taiwan Formósa
Mandarin (pinyin Romanization) Táiběi Taípei, Tæpei
 Colombia Kólumbía
Spanish Bogotá Bógóta
 Cook Islands Cookseyjar
MāoriEnglish Avarua Avarúa
 Cyprus Kýpur
GreekTurkish LefkosíaLefkoşa Nikósía
 Czech Republic Tékkland
Czech Plzeň Pilsen
Praha Prag
 Denmark Danmörk
Danish Aalborg Álaborg
Aarhus Árósar[3]
Helsingør Helsingjaeyri
Falster Falstur
Fredrikshavn Friðrikshöfn
Fyn Fjón
Humlebæk Humlabekk (little used)
Jelling Jalangur
Jylland Jótland
København (Copenhagen) Kaupmannahöfn[3]
Lolland Láland
Læsø Hlésey
Odense Óðinsvé[3]
Ribe Rípar
Ringsted Hringstað
Roskilde Hróarskelda
Silkeborg Silkiborg
Sjælland Sjáland
Skagen Skaginn
Slagelse Slagleysa
Sorø Sórey
Viborg Vébjörg
 Dominican Republic Dóminíska Lýðveldið
Spanish Santo Domingo Santó Dómingó
 Egypt Egyptaland
Arabic Al-Iskandariyya Alexandría
Qāhirah Kaíró
Suways Súes
 Equatorial Guinea Miðbaugs-Gínea
FrenchSpanish Malabo Malabó
 Ethiopia Eþíópía
Amharic Adis Abäba Addis Ababa
 Faroe Islands Færeyjar
Faroese Borðoy Borðey
Eysturoy Austurey
Fuglafjørður Fuglafjörður
Fugloy Fugley
Gásadalur Gæsadalur
Kalsoy Karlsey
Kirkjubøur Kirkjubær
Klaksvík Klakksvík
Kollafjørður Kollafjörður
Kunoy Konuey
Miðvágur Miðvogur
Nólsoy Nólsey
Sandavágur Sandavogur
Sandoy Sandey
Streymoy Straumey
Suðuroy Suðurey
Svínoy Svíney
Toftir Tóftir
Tórshavn Þórshöfn
Tvøroyri Þvereyri
Vágar Vogar, Vogey
Vágur Vogur
Viðoy Viðey
 Finland Finnland
FinnishSwedish TurkuÅbo Árbæ
 France Frakkland
French Bretagne Bretanía (current), Bretonskagi, Litla-Bretland, Bertangaland (obsolete), Bretland (obsolete)
Bourgogne Búrgund
Corse Korsíka
Nantes Namsborg (obsolete)
Normandy Norðmandí (obsolete), Normandí (current)
Paris París
Poitiers Peituborg
Reims Reimsborg
Rouen Rúðuborg
Strasbourg Strassborg
Versailles Versalir
 French Polynesia Franska Pólýnesía
TahitianFrench 'Enana mā Markesaseyjar
Tōtaiete mā Félagseyjar
Tahiti Tahítí
Tūāmotu mā Lágeyjar (obsolete)
 Ghana Gana
English Accra Akkra
 Georgia Georgía
Georgian Tbi'lisi Tíblisi (Tíflis in common parlance)
 Germany Þýskaland
German Berlin Berlín
Bavaria Bæjaraland
Braunschweig Brúnsvík (obsolete)
Bremen Brimar
Flensburg Flensborg
Frankfurt Frakkafurða (little used)
Hamburg Hamborg
Haddeby Heiðabær
Holstein Holtsetaland
Kiel Kíl
Köln (Cologne) Kolni (little used), Köln (current)
Lübeck Lýbika
Oldenburg Aldinborg
Rostock Rauðstokkur (obsolete)
Schleswig Slésvík
Stralsund Stræla
Stuttgart Stóðgarður (little used)
Verden Ferðuborg (obsolete)
 Greece Grikkland
Greek Athína Aþena
Límnos Lemney
Thessaloníki Saloníka (obsolete), Þessalónika (current)
 Guinea Gínea
French Conakry Kónakrí
 Guatemala Gvatemala
Spanish Ciudad de Guatemala Gvatemalaborg
 Guinea-Bissau Gínea-Bissá
Portuguese Bissau Bissá (reads like in English)
 Hungary Ungverjaland
Hungarian Budapest Búdapest
 India Indland
HindiEnglish Kolkata Kalkútta (obsolete)
Naī DillīNew Delhi Nýja-Delí
 Indonesia Indónesía
Indonesian DKI Jakarta Djakarta
 Iran Íran
Persian Tehrān Teheran
 Iraq Írak
ArabicKurdish BaġdādBexda Bagdað (or which reads almost the same)
 Ireland Írland
Irish Áth Cliath/Dubhlinn (Dublin) Dyflinn(i)
Luimneach (Limerick) Hlymrek (obsolete)
 Israel Ísrael
HebrewArabic Yerushaláyimal Quds Jórsalaborg (obsolete), Jerúsalem (current)
ḤeifaḤayfā Haífa
Tel Aviv-YafoTal ʼAbīb Tel Avív
 Italy Ítalía
Italian Bari Bár (obsolete)
Firenze Flórens
Genova Genúa
Lucca Lukkuborg (obsolete)
Milano Meilansborg (obsolete), Mílanó (current)
Napoli Napólí
Roma Róm, Rómaborg (both are commonly and, additionally Rómarborg, which is an incorrect spelling,[4] with extra r before the ending -borg, which means city).
Salerno Salernisborg (rare)
Torino Tórínó
Venezia Feneyjar
 Japan Japan
Japanese Kyōto-shi Kýótó
Tōkyō Tókýó
 Kenya Kenýa
EnglishSwahili Nairobi Naíróbí
 Latvia Lettland
Latvian Rīga Ríga
Kurzeme Kúrland
Daugava Dvína
Livonija Lífland
Liepāja Líbá
 Lebanon Líbanon
ArabicFrench BayrūtBeyrouth Beirút
 Liberia Líbería
English Monrovia Monróvía
 Libya Líbýa
Arabic Ṭarābulus Trípólí
 Lithuania Litháen
Lithuanian Vilnius Vilníus
 Madagascar Madagaskar
MalagasyFrench Antananarivo Antananarívó
 Malawi Malaví
English Lilongwe Lílongve
 Malaysia Malasía
Malay Kuala Lumpur Kúala Lúmpúr
 Mali Malí
FrenchBambara BamakoBamakə Bamakó
TombouctouTimbuktu Timbúktú
 Marshall Islands Marshalleyjar
MarshalleseEnglish Majuro Majúró
 Mauritania Máritanía
ArabicFrench Nouakchott Núaksjott
 Mexico Mexíkó
Spanish Ciudad de México Mexíkóborg
 Moldova Moldóva
Romanian Chișinău Kisínev
 Mongolia Mongólía
Mongolian Ulaanbaatar Úlan Bator
 Montenegro Svartfjallaland
 Mozambique Mósambík
Portuguese Maputo Mapútó
 North Korea Norður-Kórea
Korean P'yŏngyang Pjongjang
   Nepal Nepal
Nepali Kāţhmāņđau Katmandú
 The Netherlands Holland
Dutch Amsterdam Amsturdammur (little used), Erilstífla (little used)
Den Haag or ´s Gravenhage Haag
Utrecht Trekt (little used)
Zuiderzee Suðursjó (historical)
 Nicaragua Níkaragva
Spanish Managua Managva
 Niger Níger
French Niamey Níamey
 Nigeria Nígería
EnglishYorùbá Abuja-Abùjá Abútja
 Norway Noregur
Norwegian
Akershus Akurshús
Arendal Arnardalur
Aust-Agder Austur-Agðir
Bergen Björgyn (obsolete), Björgvin (current)[3]
Bjørnøya Bjarnarey
Bodø Boðvin
Bærum Bergheimur (obsolete)
Drammen Dröfn (obsolete)
Finnmark Finnmörk
Gjøvik Djúpvík (historical)
Hedmark Heiðmörk
Hordaland Hörðaland
Karmøy Körmt (historical)
Møre og Romsdal Mæri og Raumsdalur
Nord-Trøndelag, Sør-Trøndelag Norður-Þrændalög, Suður-Þrændalög
Nordland Norðurland
Oslo Kauphágur (historical), Ósló (current)
Rogaland Rygjafylki
Skien Skiða (obsolete)
Sogn og Fjordane Sogn og Firðafylki
Stavanger Stafangur
Telemark Þelamörk
Trondheim Niðarós (historical), Þrándheimur (current)
Tønsberg Túnsberg (obsolete)
Østfold Austfold
Ålesund Álasund
 Oman Óman
Arabic Masqaṭ Múskat
 Paraguay Paragvæ
SpanishGuaraní Asunción Asúnsjón
 Peru Perú
Spanish Lima Líma
 Philippines Filippseyjar
TagalogCebuano MaynilaManila Maníla
 Poland Pólland
Polish Cities
Wrocław Breslá
Kraków Kraká
Warszawa Varsjá
Szczecin Stettín
Voivodeships
Silesia Slesía
Kuyavia Kujavía
Pomerania Pommern
Małopolska Litla-Pólland
Warmia Ermland
Masuria Masúría
Mazovia Masóvía
Subcarpathia Neðri-Karpatía
 Portugal Portúgal
Portuguese Lisboa Lissabon
 Romania Rúmenía
Romanian București Búkarest
Constanța Konstantía
 Russia Rússland
Russian Murom Móramar (historical)
Novgorod Hólmgarður, Nýi Garður, Nýborg
Rostov Ráðstofa
Sankt Peterburg Sankti Pétursborg
Smolensk Smáleskja (historical)
Staraya Ladoga Aldeigjuborg (historical)
Suzdal Súrsdalar (historical)
 Rwanda Rúanda
KinyarwandaFrench Kigali Kígalí
 Samoa Samóa
Samoan Apia Apía
 Saudi Arabia Sádí-Arabía
Arabic Makkah Mekka
Riyāḍ Ríad
 Serbia Serbía
Serbian Beograd Belgrad
 Somalia Sómalía
SomaliArabic MuqdishoMaqadīshū Mógadisjú
 South Africa Suður-Afríka
EnglishAfrikaans Cape of Good Hope Góðrarvonarhöfði
Cape TownKaapstad Höfðaborg
Johannesburg Jóhannesarborg
Pretoria Pretoría
 South Korea Suður-Kórea
Korean Seoul Seúl
 Spain Spánn
Spanish Barcelona Barselóna
 Sri Lanka Srí Lanka
SinhalaTamil Sri Jayawardenapura-Kotte Srí Jajevardenepúra
 Sudan Súdan
ArabicEnglish KharṭūmKhartoum Kartúm
 Suriname Súrínam
Dutch Paramaribo Paramaríbó
 Sweden Svíþjóð[3]
Swedish Göteborg Gautaborg
Helsingborg Helsingjaborg
Lund Lundur
Malmö Málmhaugar (little used), Málmey
Stockholm Stokkhólmur[5]
Uppsala Uppsalir
  Switzerland Sviss
GermanFrench BaselBâle Boslaraborg (obsolete)
 Syria Sýrland
Arabic Dimašq Damaskus
 Tajikistan Tadsjikistan
Tajik Dushanbe Dúshanbe
 Tanzania Tansanía
Swahili Dodoma Dódóma
 Thailand Taíland
Thai Krung Thep Bangkok
 Tonga Tonga
TonganEnglish Nukuʻalofa Núkúalófa
 Turkey Tyrkland
Turkish İstanbul Mikligarður (historical), Istanbúl (current)
 Ukraine Úkraína
Ukrainian Kyiv Kænugarður, Kyjív
 United Arab Emirates Sameinuðu arabísku furstadæmin
Arabic Abū Zabī Abú Dabí
'Ajmān Adsman
Dubayy Dúbaí
 United Kingdom Bretland
English Aberdeen Apardjón (obsolete)
Canterbury Kantaraborg
Dover Dofrar (little used)
Edinburgh Edinborg
Yarmouth Járnamóða (little used)
Cambridge Kambabryggja (little used)
Lerwick Leirvík
London Lundúnir (also used, but London more current)[3]
Southampton Suðurhamtún (little used)
Oxford Öxnafurða (little used)
Scarborough Skarðaborg (obsolete)
York Jórvík
Wales Valland (little used)
Isle of Man Mön
 United States Bandaríkin
English California Kalifornía
Florida Flórída
Georgia Georgía
New York Nýja-Jórvík (not in common use, a jocular term of academic pretension)
North Carolina Norður-Karólína
North Dakota Norður-Dakóta
Pennsylvania Pennsylvanía
South Carolina Suður-Karólína
South Dakota Suður-Dakóta
Virginia Virginía
West Virginia Vestur-Virginía
 Uruguay Úrúgvæ
Spanish Montevideo Montevídeó
 Uzbekistan Úsbekistan
Uzbek Toshkent Taskent
 Vatican City Vatíkanið, Páfagarður, or Vatíkanborg
Latin Status Civitatis Vaticanae Páfagarður
 Venezuela Venesúela
Spanish Caracas Karakas
 Vietnam Víetnam
Vietnamese Hà Nội Hanoí
Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Ho Chi Minh-borg, formerly Saígon
 Zambia Sambía
English Lusaka Lúsaka
Language Native name Icelandic exonym

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Oddur Ævar Gunnarsson (16 November 2022). "Belarús mun líklega ekki rústa framtíð íslenskunnar". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). p. 2. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Tímarit.is.Open access icon
  2. ^ Gunnar Þór Magnússon (20 August 2008). "Af hverju tölum við um Peking en ekki Beijing?". Icelandic Web of Science (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Svavar Sigmundsson (11 February 2009). "Af hverju eru erlend borgarnöfn þýdd eða þeim breytt í íslensku máli, til dæmis Lundúnir, Kaupmannahöfn, o.s.frv.?". Icelandic Web of Science (in Icelandic). University of Iceland. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  4. ^ "Beygingarlýsing íslensks nútímamáls". bin.arnastofnun.is. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  5. ^ Ólafur Hansson (18 October 1948). "Erlend staðarheiti". Mánudagsblaðið (in Icelandic). pp. 4, 7. Retrieved 5 April 2024 – via Tímarit.is.Open access icon
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