Re: Language naming terminology

Raymond A. Brown wrote:
> This is IMO one of those instances where I agree
> with Tom about the name of the nearest branch, 'tribe' or whatever, of a
> people being adopted and then used generally of the whole people.
>
> Ray.
I suspect that that's only true part of the time (yes, I realize Tom
already stated that it was not always true, I'm just making an
additional point), often one people learns about another people thru a
third people.  For example, the Arabic word for German is based on
_aleman_ (or at least the Lebanese dialect - my neighbor, who's
Lebanese, told me this), I don't remember the exact form.  Anyways, they
acquired this term thru the French.

Related note: in my Japanese class, we've learned some nation-terms,
most of them are based on the words used by the peoples themselves.
Nationality is the nation's name + -jin, and language is nation + -go

Japan = Nihon or Nippon (written with kanji meaning "origin" and "sun")
China = Chuugoku (written with kanji meaning "middle" and "country")
Korea = Kankoku (written with a compound kanji, the second means
"country", I don't know what the first means)
Germany = Doitsu
Italy = Itaria
France = Furansu
England = Eikoku (literally "Proud" or "Brilliant" Country!) OR Igirisu
(I don't know why it's not *Ingirisu)
Thailand = Tai
Switzerland = Suisu
Spain = Supein (not *Esupanya)
India = Indo
Egypt = Ejiputo
Australia = Oosutoraria (took me a while to figure that one out)
New Zealand = Nyuujiirando
Vietnam = Betonamu (at least, I think that is Vietnam)
America = Amerika or Beikoku (literally "Country of Rice"!)

I don't know why some have -koku at the end, but they retain those with
nationality and language, so Korean person = Kankokujin, Korean language
= Kankokugo

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