1. Russians distrust anything cheap.
2. English word bargain does not lend itself to an adequate translation into Russian, because the concept of a quality product (or service) that is sold inexpensively is alien to the Russian layman.
3. Freebies are a completely different matter. The fact of receiving an elite product for free does not reduce its eliteness.
4. Those Russians who managed to climb the top steps socio-political hierarchies, consider it necessary to poke their noses at everyone who has not reached this exalted status.
5. It’s not enough for them just to drive an elite car: they also need to buy a flashing light and constantly honk so that they give way to you - in a word, so that your elitism does not escape anyone’s attention.
6. In Russia, you need to call lazy waitresses persistently demanding: "Girl!"
7. It is impossible to survive in the Moscow metro without the skill of pushing people with your elbows.
8. Unlike America, in Russia you can buy beer and drink it on a bench in a public place. And you won't be arrested.
9. Characteristic Russian feature are late-night kitchen gatherings and pro-life conversations.
10. Russians tend to avoid talking about work, while for Americans this is the main topic.
11. The Japanese consider Russian dachas as a huge luxury that they can only dream of in their homeland.
12. In Russia, during any reception, guests are immediately separated by gender.
13. In Russia, you will most likely be shocked by the huge number of police officers patrolling the streets.
14. Russians never throw anything away. Never. Nothing.
15. However, if half of the rubbish is quietly thrown away, the Russian will not notice anything.
16. An unfamiliar Russian will most likely address you in proletarian familiarity, "man" or "woman."
17. "I'm sorry to appeal to you" when contacting in Russia, only beggars in transport say.
18. Be prepared for the fact that at some important request, a familiar Russian will never say "please" and "thank you in advance."
19. In Russia, any issue or problem can be solved "by pull", an agreement.
20. The Russian proverb "impudence is the second happiness" cannot be adequately translated into another language. They just won't understand.
21. Russians drink a lot of vodka. And this is not a myth.
22. In fact, in Russia you can not be afraid for your life, walking the streets. Seriously.
23. The unbearable cold in Russia is a myth. Although a third of Russia is located beyond the Arctic Circle, all big cities are in a temperate climate.
24. Russian men are convinced that feminism led to the collapse of America and Europe and that it is Russia's historical mission to resist it.
25. Russians are sincerely convinced that Americans think that bears walk the streets in Russia. However, this bear myth is a purely Russian invention. In Moscow, you can even buy a T-shirt that says in English: "I was in Russia. There are no bears." Having bought such a T-shirt, the Russian will consider that he made a very patriotic statement. But to a foreigner, it will simply be incomprehensible.
26. Russians don't understand when someone from the West comes to Russia for permanent residence. They believe that it is necessary, on the contrary, to leave here.
27. When you visit a dentist in Russia, they immediately ask you: "Where does it hurt?" Hearing that nothing hurts, you just showed up for a preventive examination of your teeth, which you do every six months, the doctors are very surprised.
28. Brushing teeth, flossing, professional cleaning - Russians treat these rituals without fanaticism.
29. They also indulge in weaknesses that the American cult of dentistry considers to be capital sins - for example, they drink tea with a centimeter layer of sugar on the bottom of the cup.
30. Most Russians, from young children to pensioners, abuse emoticons. And very few can do without them at all.
32. The number of brackets from which the emoticon is built also deserves attention. If one friend writes "I'm celebrating my birthday today, connect :-)", and the second writes, "I'm celebrating my birthday today, connect :-)))))", then the conclusion suggests itself that the second holiday will be five times better than the first.
33. The Moscow metro is the best in the world. Better than New York and London. Trains every 1.5 minutes at rush hour! Tickets are less than a dollar and there is no division into zones!
34. At the same time, there is a whole class of Muscovites who, on principle, will never take the metro, even if they are late for an important business meeting. They will languish in a traffic jam for many hours in their luxury car.
35. In fact, in order to come to live in Russia, one must either love this country very much or be a complete loser who cannot realize himself in his homeland and wants to enjoy the honor that foreigners from "capitalist countries" still enjoy in Russia.
36. As soon as one of the Russians has a little bit of a reason to celebrate something - whether it's a birthday or a promotion, they immediately bring treats for all colleagues (sweets, chocolates, cakes and sometimes even bottles of wine). This tradition seems strange to Americans - usually the hero of the occasion expects gifts from colleagues. But in Russia it's the other way around. Here you need to show generosity, to demonstrate the full breadth of the Russian soul.
37. "Stove" is one of those words, the meaning of which can be understood only if you live in Russia, moreover, in the countryside and in winter. When it's minus 30 outside, and the stove is the only thing that prevents the thermometer in your house from dropping to the same temperature. You can cook and even sleep on a classic Russian stove.
38. People in Russia are very suspicious of people speaking other languages in a closed space.
39. Alcohol and the topic of intoxication are an important part of Russian culture and literature.
40. A non-drinking Russian is an out of the ordinary fact. Most likely, such a person has some kind of tragedy or stress associated with alcohol.
41. Do not be surprised if you are invited to the celebration of the New Year in Russia by 11:30 pm, until 6 am you will drink cognac, champagne, herring under a fur coat, Olivier salad and julienne, then you will be put to bed and the holiday will continue in the apartment for more three days.
42. Russians don't use blinds at home, and the curtains are rarely thick enough to obscure the direct sunlight.
43. There is no culture of sobriety in Russia, the only non-alcoholic establishments are foreign fast foods such as McDonalds and KFC.
44. Russians love hanging carpets on the walls.
45. Unlearn how to constantly smile while you are in Russia, especially strangers. The "fake, insincere" American smile infuriates the Russians.
46. Borscht, cabbage rolls and dumplings are actually not Russian traditional dishes, but Ukrainian ones.
47. In Russia, there is no tradition of sending aged parents to a nursing home and throwing out children after the age of majority. Everyone lives in the same apartment.
48. Despite traffic jams and wretched roads, Russians buy huge uneconomical cars.
49. Russia is the only country other than Japan where they eat sushi. Sushi has become almost a part of national cuisine.
50. Russians are very hospitable and willingly invite to their homes. You will most likely be given black tea to drink and fatty foods (such as boiled or smoked sausage).
Do you know how we call the peoples of the world Indians, aborigines, Papuans, etc.?.. It turns out that in many countries and cultures there are special words for foreigners who are not like them. Here are nine such words.
Most of these nicknames referred (at least initially) to white people who came to exotic parts of the world for trade, missionary work, or war. Often the first Europeans with whom the local population had to deal were the sailors of the great colonial powers, and the trace of this circumstance is still noticeable in various languages.
1. Japan - "Gaijin"
Let's start with my beloved Japan. Here all foreigners are called "gaijins". This is a simplified version of the word gaigokujin, which means "a person from an outside country". The Japanese love to abbreviate words, so in colloquial speech omit the middle of the word ("goku", which means "country"). Hence the gaijin, or "outer man," is obtained.
Now the Japanese call all foreigners so. But before, they had special names for different peoples. For example, the Portuguese, who were the first Europeans to visit Japan, were called "nambanjin", which means "southern barbarians". The English and Dutch were called "red-haired people", or "komojin", etc. And only in late XIX century, "daigokujin" came into use, which was subsequently simplified.
"Laowai" is a scornful, familiar word for the Chinese. Dictionaries indicate its first meaning as "profane, ignorant, inexperienced", and only in second place is "foreigner".
Thus, the Chinese emphasize the fact that foreign guests do not belong to the intricacies of the centuries-old Chinese culture. Like, what to take from him - laow!
vovachan leads .
5. Hong Kong - "Gwailo"
In the Cantonese dialect of China, which is spoken in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, this is the name for white Europeans. "Gwai" means "ghost" and "lo" means "human". It turns out that the people of Hong Kong call us ghost people because of our pale skin. "Ghost" for the Chinese is a rather negative word. But calling strangers unflattering epithets is an integral part of Chinese culture.
7. Africa - "Mzungu"
"Mzungu" is a word in Swahili and some other African languages. Its literal translation: "wanderer", "wandering through different lands". The use of this word began in the 18th century, in relation to European discoverers who moved around the African continent, exploring it.
The plural of mzungu is "wazungu", and the form "kazungu" means "belonging to wanderers", and denotes most often foreign language- usually English.
8. Mexico - "Gringo"
Gringo is called in Latin America residents of the United States, but the word has long spread to other non-Hispanic people. As in the case of farangs, there are beautiful but unlikely legends about the origins of the word "gringo": allegedly, when the United States fought with Mexico, American soldiers sang marching songs. The lyrics of these songs vary from tale to tale, but they all included lyrics about the green grass that grows near the house. "Green grows the grass," the Americans allegedly sang in the ranks, and the Spanish-speaking opponents gave them the nickname "gringos" for this.
This version is strongly undermined by the fact that in Spain as far back as the 18th century, the word "gringo" was used for people who spoke Spanish with a non-native accent. Most likely the word came from the Spanish "grigo" - which means "Greek". It was with this word that the Spaniards described an unfamiliar speech for them. However, in English there is also such an idiom - "it" s all Greek to me ".
9. Hawaii - "Howley"
Unlike many other words in this post, "howli" does not refer exclusively to whites, but refers to anyone and everything that is not native to the Hawaiian Islands. This is the name given to Americans, Europeans, and descendants of slaves who were brought here to work on plantations.
It is believed that the word "howli" appeared in even before the arrival of Captain Cook here in late XVIII century. Although it is not clear how many foreigners were then on the islands. One version of the origin of this word is that it means "not inhaling." A common greeting on the islands was the “honi” ritual, when two people touched their noses and inhaled at the same time, thus breathing the same air. Foreigners did not know anything about such a greeting, which is why they received the nickname of non-breathers.
Yet
Do you know any words that nations refer to strangers? .. Share in the comments.Here are some of the options you suggested:
The names of many things that have spread throughout the world indicate an attitude towards a particular country or people. This can be said, for example, about safety pins, Chinese umbrellas, American burgers, French manicure. As it turns out, foreigners often use the epithet "Russian" in their names.
What do they mean? And why in other countries certain objects, games, food and drinks, as well as some things, are called Russian?
Russian fun
According to many foreigners, the inhabitants of Russia know a lot about entertainment, especially extreme ones. Thus, the breathtaking and frightening attraction, known in our country as the Roller Coaster, is called the Roller Coaster all over the world.
The very first such attraction appeared in 1885 in an amusement park located on the Coney Island peninsula (New York, USA). It was called The Gravity Pleasure Road and was a kind of entertainment railway. Then similar structures began to be built throughout America, now the most exciting attractions of this type are located in the States.
The name "Russian Hills" is associated with the traditional winter fun of the inhabitants of our country - a dashing sledding from snow-covered hills. Back in the 17th century, special structures were built in many Russian cities, the surface of which was poured with water. In the cold, it quickly froze, and it was especially fun to slide down such ice slides.
They say that in the winter of 1784, ice slides were also built on the territory of the imperial residence of Oranienbaum to amuse Catherine II and her friends. Foreign ambassadors told about such Russian fun in their states, hence the name of the attraction that imitates rollercoaster riding.
An even more extreme form of entertainment is Russian Roulette. This cruel and deadly dangerous game really appeared in our country. Only in our country it was more often called "Hussar roulette". Usually, one cartridge was loaded into an empty drum of a revolver, and the players turned the drum in turn, then brought the muzzle of the weapon to their own temple and pulled the trigger. They didn't know if the shot would be a blank or not. Often such fun, which brave officers liked to amuse themselves, ended in the death of one of the players.
According to the main version, Russian roulette was invented by the military. Although some historians claim that in the 19th century, prison guards had so much fun, who forced the inmates to shoot at themselves in turn, while making bets: which of the prisoners would die first.
For foreigners, "Russian Roulette" has always been evidence of the reckless attitude of the inhabitants of our country to their own and other people's lives.
Russian kitchen
National cuisine is another Russian brand. After all, one of the heroines of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" A.S. It is no coincidence that Pushkina promises to prepare a feast "... for the whole baptized world." In our country, people have always liked to eat well, which made an indelible impression even on famous French chefs. For example, serving in Russian quickly became popular in Western Europe, and then throughout the world.
Before early XIX centuries in France and many other countries, all dishes were put on the table at once, so some hot dishes had time to cool down before it came to them. During official receptions in Paris, the Russian ambassador Alexander Borisovich Kurakin (1752-1818) changed the established tradition. He seated the guests at a fully served table, but ordered the dishes to be served in turn. So, the French received sweet dessert pies and pancakes “with heat, with heat”, which they really liked. This approach to serving dishes became known as serving in Russian.
If we continue talking about food, it is worth mentioning that many restaurants around the world serve "Russian salad", which in our country is called by the name of the author. Chef Lucien Olivier invented this tasty and filling dish in the 60s. years XIX century in the Hermitage Moscow restaurant, where French cuisine was served.
The salad was very liked by the restaurant visitors, it became very popular in our country, and when foreigners tasted it, they called this dish Russian, because it was here that the recipe for this dish was created. It is noteworthy that initially the Olivier salad was prepared from hazel grouses, crayfish necks, capers and olives. AT Soviet time the ingredient composition of this dish has undergone significant changes, becoming closer to the people.
Russian drinks
Not only Russians have always been able to eat well, our ancestors also knew a lot about drinks. And it's not just about alcohol. So, foreigners appreciated Russian tea. We are talking about dried leaves of fireweed, popularly referred to as Ivan-tea. It is also called "Kopor tea".
In the 19th century, this fragrant and invigorating drink was exported from Russia to England and other countries. Western Europe, but then was forced out of the market by traditional Indian black tea and undeservedly forgotten. Russian tea contains many healthy substances, vitamins B and C, pectin. It has a slightly tart, pleasant taste.
But the Black Russian and White Russian cocktails have nothing to do with our country, they were named so because they contain vodka, which is considered a traditionally Russian drink.
The author of the Black Russian cocktail is the Belgian bartender Gustave Top, who first prepared it in 1949 in the restaurant of the Brussels Hotel Metropol. In addition to vodka, the cocktail contains coffee liqueur, which gives the drink a characteristic dark color.
"White Russian" is prepared in the same way, only with the addition of cream. Loves him very much main character American film The Big Lebowski (1998).
Beauty in Russian
It is no accident that in the old days in Rus' an attractive young lady was referred to as a “beautiful girl”. Foreigners have long noticed the love of our fellow citizens for this color, and we are talking not only about the era of the USSR with kumach banners. Russian Red lipstick is widely known and popular in the foreign beauty industry.
Back in the 80s of the XX century, the North American company MAC (Makeup Art Cosmetics) released products with this name. According to foreign stylists and makeup artists, most Russian girls prefer a rich and deep shade of red lipstick. Known to be popular American singer Madonna wore Russian Red for her stage performances.
Of course, the earflap, traditional for Russia, has a very distant relation to the beauty industry, but in a frosty winter it comes in handy. In Western Europe and the USA, this fur headdress is often called a Russian hat. It is interesting that the prototype of earflaps was "Kolchakov", which in the years civil war worn by soldiers of the White Army of Admiral Alexander Kolchak (1874-1920). Then such hats were also appreciated by representatives of the proletariat.
- What are the main Chinese misconceptions about Russians and vice versa? Well, for example, we Russians believe that the Chinese are hardworking, while they have a low level of everyday culture.
Delusions, you say? After the collapse of the Soviet Union, four institutes were created in China to study the "elder brother" - as the Chinese called Soviet Union. About a hundred people work in the Russian branch of the state news agency Xinhua (for comparison: only 4 people work in ITAR-TASS in Beijing). In China, there is a separate channel in Russian "CCTV Russian". At the same time, now in China, no one en masse learns Russian, as it was before. It’s just that the Chinese are used to studying everything carefully and in detail (they also have such TV channels in English, Spanish, French).
It seems to me that the results of the negotiations between our countries clearly demonstrate that we have been studied by the Chinese. Look at the 30-year gas contract signed with them two years ago. Experts around the world say that the price is greatly underestimated. Wonder how the Chinese did it. But simply China is a zealous owner, every yuan is invested wisely. And it is invested only there and when the situation is most beneficial for the Chinese.
About the industriousness of the Chinese. In 1991, I came across the book "China", there were stunning photographs of working Chinese, and peering into these wrinkled peasant faces, I imagined them to be the most industrious nation. But in the 21st century, China has entered a white-collar era: scheduled work, strictly paid overtime, mandatory vacations. At exactly 18:30, half of our Guangzhou office, all Chinese employees, get up and leave. And it doesn't matter if they have unfinished important business or not. Here I am talking to the heads of large factories and enterprises that are already in the TOP-500 of world companies (imagine, they have achieved such success in just 30 years!), very calm and reasonable people, and they tell me that China is no longer the same: “ becomes lazy and democratic.
But there is a point here. Think back to the 2008 crisis. Having felt a huge dependence on exports and with great effort to keep national economy afloat, the PRC government decided to develop domestic demand as a counterbalance to exports. Every yuan spent is a building block for the stability of the Chinese economy. And for this, the state gives citizens free time, guaranteeing an 8-hour working day and National holidays. Go ahead spend your money at Chinese restaurants shopping malls, hairdressers, parks. In short, develop the national economy.
That is, this is not laziness - this is a state setting.
Now oh cultural level Chinese. Public administration The Tourism Department publishes instructions on how to behave abroad: don't spit, don't go to galleries and theaters in T-shirts... Yes, there is a problem. The Chinese abroad behave the same way as at home: in public places they can scratch their belly with their T-shirt up, this is normal for China.
- How do they perceive Russia today?
They declare friendship. But they perceive Russia as a country dependent on China. In general, interest in our country is deep. You know, I noticed that the Chinese are more active and faster mastering the Russian language than the Russians Chinese. Our tourists in China speak on their fingers. They only know “hao bu hao” (“good or not”), they shout “kun” (from the Chinese “gunyang”, an appeal to a girl). And when a cry is heard in a Chinese border supermarket: “Dusya, I, ..., didn’t ask for this! Who are you so stupid in? ”, Goosebumps run from this. By the way, it would not hurt us to publish a memo on behavior abroad.
- How difficult is it for a Russian to learn Chinese?
Well, knowing a language is not just knowing words and constructions. This is an understanding, a sense of culture, history, traditions. I studied Chinese at the Institute of Asian and African Countries at Moscow State University, I have been teaching for 17 years, living in China, but I have only just touched this language. What is there to talk about if 70% of the Chinese, sometimes, encountering complex speech turns in the newspaper, cannot read them.
What haven't they learned to do yet? Or can copy one to one anything?
My opinion: the Chinese have long been omnipotent in matters of copies. But now there is something else: about ten years ago, the Chinese sent their sons to study in different countries the world, in the most important institutions. I am pleased that our Moscow State University was also on this list.
By the way, MSU does not know how to promote itself in China, a great university, great traditions of education, the Chinese themselves say this, but Rector Sadovnichiy does not pay due attention to the image of MSU in China. If he sees this interview, he is ready to fly to him for a personal meeting and in 10 minutes tell him what and how to do to attract Chinese students ... So, Moscow State University, Harvard, Oxford, Sorbonne. Their Chinese graduates have already returned home, savvy, western civilization. They are now taking over from their fathers. And now we are witnessing how the Chinese are not just copying something, they are improving it.
They have overcome the defective nation complex: the opium wars are over, the occupation by Japan is forgotten. The Chinese dictate the terms.
- So, will China really soon become the main place of power on the planet in terms of economy and influence on world processes?
Former US Secretary of State Kissinger recently published a book in which he writes honestly about China. So far, the country does not have the opportunity to dictate the will of the world. A block of internal problems does not allow this. Every medal has flip side, and I, being in China, just see this side. I have been in rural areas, where until now the XIX century, where there is one wired telephone for the whole village, you can call strictly according to the schedule.
The Chinese are huge populists. And to some extent, I believe that they are doing the right thing, showing the world their success and leaving in the shadows how to achieve these great goals. The people endure everything. I think that in the next 20 years, China will switch to inertial development and decide internal problems. Their mass. And we must pay tribute to the leadership of China: they understand what problems the country faces and will face. Entire institutions are being created to study this or that problem. Any tactical tasks are solved here and now. And if no solution is found, an institution of strategic study is created.
- What should we learn from them: the fight against corruption, traffic jams? ..
We need to take an example from them in sports - this is the main motivating element. During the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, there was a lot of talk about doping. In addition, the host always has an advantage. But the winners are not judged, and the Chinese won their Olympics. Pay attention to the patriotic message, the impulse that was given to one and a half billion China. The country merged into a single impulse. Putin made the right move by organizing the Sochi Olympics, where we showed strength and character. And triumphantly won. The Chinese didn't say a word about doping - I read the Chinese press every day. On the contrary, they were delighted with our cunning - the Russians took a Korean, an American, but won! The value of sports victories is accepted and respected by the Chinese.
- How cheap is life in China compared to Russia?
She is more expensive. I'll say right off the bat - twice. China's economic growth also affects the price of ordinary cabbage. If our prices were announced to the residents of large Chinese cities, the influx of tourists to Russia would increase tenfold. My Chinese friends already strive to go to Russia to travel and develop.
- What is the attitude of the Chinese towards children, the elderly, foreigners?
Laowai, overseas devil - this is how the Chinese treat foreigners. They are ready to adopt, improve, and then - free.
The institution of the family in China is sacred. I am sitting in a restaurant, business negotiations (Kolesov - CEO of Optim Consult (Guangzhou). - "Nation"). A family comes in that is allowed to give birth to only one child, they need a table for 8 people. This is a mother, father, child, two grandmothers, two grandfathers, a nanny. It turns out classical system eights, lucky number for the Chinese. The little emperor, as they call the only child in Chinese families, is fed and courted by old people, mom and dad just talk and revel in the happiness of their own parents. An 80-year-old grandfather jumps up and teaches a 40-year-old nanny that his grandson needs to put noodles with chopsticks in a different way. As soon as he sits down, his grandmother jumps up and teaches him how to wipe his mouth with a napkin. If a child blurts out food at himself, no screaming, half a table jumps up to clean up after him. On the one hand, this is the continuity of generations, this is respect, and on the other, indulgence. The whole clan works for the youngest, while his parents earn money, their parents cherish the future of the family. The main thing is not to go too far, not to spoil.
- Should we be afraid that Siberia and the Far East will become Chinese?
I believe that the Russian people do not need to be afraid of anything. Remember the defense of the fortress of Khabarov, when Erofey Pavlovich, bringing with him three hundred Cossacks, fought off hordes of Jurchens, Chinese and a number of other tribes. When our Cossacks went on the attack with the words "It's dashing, brothers, dashing", they cut down the enemies, instilled fear and returned to the prison without a single loss. I am now studying the topic of borrowing Russian words in Chinese. Believe me, the topic is deep. I’ll tell you what is on the surface: in Chinese there is a word “lihai” - strong, and I have arguments that this word just appeared from the great power of the Russian Cossacks, who defended Siberia and Far East.
So there will be no war - there will be economic expansion. Chinese vegetables, fruits, gadgets, toys have already captured our shelves. Pop stars do not hesitate to say that their things are made in China. This is what expansion is.
- What we do not know, but what do we definitely need to know about Chinese traditions and etiquette?
I heard about etiquette in Arab countries where it is considered unacceptable to see the feet of another person, and women cannot sit at the same table with men. In China, it is different - everything that is not prohibited is permissible here. Initially, you need to be an educated person. Remember how our president covered China's first lady with a blanket? How much speculation then lit! But we must remember that our president is a man, and he showed himself to be such, showing care and respect with this gesture, and there is no need to think about it anymore.
If a Chinese person shakes your hand with his left hand, this is not a problem, they simply do not have a handshake culture. If you get a pat on the shoulder or throw a cigarette at you, inviting you to smoke, this is normal in China, Furthermore is respect.
In Russian, unlike many other languages, there is no clear rule for the name of the inhabitants of a particular city. Moreover, there are still exceptions. The most famous thing is that the inhabitants of Arkhangelsk are called, of course, not archangels and not even archangels, but Arkhangelsk citizens. Another non-obvious ethnikon is the name of the inhabitants of Torzhok. They are not only Torzhok residents, but they can also be called Novotors (not innovators!), since the city of Torzhok itself was once called New Torg. But the inhabitants of the city of Mtsensk, in the Orel region, should be called Amchans!
We will not talk about the inhabitants of Soviet Leningrad, who, out of a sense of contradiction, called themselves Petersburgers. Just as now there are St. Petersburgers who stubbornly call themselves Leningraders. Everything is clear here - no need to change the names of cities for nothing!
But with the names of countries is another story. Cases when locals they call the country by one name, and the neighboring peoples by another, quite a lot. Most often, the reason here was that the self-name of the people did not coincide with the name that the neighbors gave this people. You can't find any explanation other than the fact that historical circumstances have developed this way.
At the same time, cases when one people “agreed” to accept the name given to them by neighboring peoples are almost never known. Between themselves, people stubbornly retained both the self-name of their ethnic group and their own name of the country of residence.
Here, for example, is a small European country. The origin of this name has not been established. There are various assumptions, for example, reducing the name of the country to the word "olba" - "village" in the language of the Illyrians, who have long lived in these mountainous regions and who are the ancestors of modern Albanians. But the Albanians themselves call their country “Shkiperia” (Shqipёria), and themselves “shkiptars” (shqiptar). To what root this self-name comes down, philologists also have not established. The most popular version translates the word "Shkiperia" as "Country of Eagles".
The self-name of the Armenians is “Khayeri”, and they call Hayastan or Hayk. Nevertheless, the surrounding peoples have long (starting with the ancient Persians and ancient Greeks) called their country by the name of one of the regions of the Armenian Highlands, Armina or Armenianion. True, the medieval Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi produces the name of his country on behalf of the ruler in ancient kingdom Urartu king Aram. He considers the self-name to be a memory of the legendary king Hayk, who founded the Armenian kingdom in 2492 BC.
In Hungarian it is called "Magyarország" - "country of the Modyars", and "Hungarian" - "Modyars". In Russian, it is customary to write "Magyar", although this is incorrect. Yes, and the Hungarians, they say, do not like it when foreigners call them that. The origin of this word is lost in the depths of the Trans-Urals, from where, during the Great Migration of Peoples, ten tribes arrived in the Danube valley, who called themselves “on-ogur”, “ten spears”. In the mouths of all the peoples who already lived in these parts, the self-name of the newcomers turned into "Ungor", "Ugrian", "Hungarian". In Ukrainian, Hungary is called "Ugryshchyna".
Even those who German did not study. The tribes that settled just over 2000 years ago in the forests, fields and marshes east of the Rhine called themselves Germans: from the word "ger" ("spear") and the word "man" - "man". The Romans also called them Germans, who guarded the border of the empire, which ran along the Rhine. They called the entire eastern bank of the Rhine "Allemagnia", that is, "the country of different peoples", without much understanding of who lived there: Germanic tribes, Slavic or nomadic Huns. From this Latin word occurred French name Germany. In its turn, Slavic tribes called the Germans "Germans", "dumb", "not speaking our language." The Hungarians adopted this name from their Slavic neighbors. In Hungarian Germany - Nemetorszag, that is, "the country of the Germans" or, if you like, "the country of the dumb."
By the way, from the German "deutsch" comes the name of the Dutch in English language, "dutch". It, this word, is a source of errors for inexperienced translators who translate it not as "Dutch", but as "Danish".
The Greeks call themselves Hellenes and call their country Hellas. The word "Greece" is of Latin origin. This was originally the name of one small region in the north-east of the country, and then it became the name of the country. For everyone except the Greeks themselves. They stubbornly call their country Hellas, a name that for all other peoples is a synonym for Ancient Greece.
In Georgian it is called Sakartvelo, and the self-name of Georgians is “kartuli”. The origin of the word "Georgia" is connected with the Christian patron of the country, Saint George, whom the Muslims who lived east of Sakartvelo called "Gurjis". Accordingly, they called the country of St. George "Gurjistan", and its inhabitants - "Gurjins". Since the Russians came to Transcaucasia from the East, through Derbent and Dagestan, they began to call the inhabitants of the Kingdom of Kartli "Gurzins". A little later, as a result of a rearrangement of sounds, this word turned into “Georgians”.
Interestingly, the government decided to correct the name of their country, so to speak, on an international scale, renaming it after the name of the heavenly patron to George. But this initiative seems to have stalled. The United States already has the state of Georgia, and the appearance of another country with the same name on the map would lead to much more confusion than the simultaneous existence of Slovakia and Slovenia in present-day Europe, whose flags, by the way, are very similar.
The name of the country comes from the name of the Indus River. The Indians themselves call their country Bharat. This is the Sanskrit name of a king. ancient india hero of the epic poem Mahabharata. The name "Bharat" is enshrined in the constitution of the state.
Contacts between European civilization and occurred during the reign of the first imperial Qin dynasty in the 3rd century. BC. From the name of this dynasty came the European name of China: China. The Russian word China comes from the name of the northern Chinese tribe of the Khitans.
The self-name of the Chinese is "Han", and they call their country "Zhongguo", which means "Middle Kingdom". This is a hint that China is in the center of the Earth. It is on these lands that grace descends from heaven. The barbarians surrounding the Celestial Empire (another synonym for the name of the country) will not see grace. For they are extreme, and there is not enough for everyone.
The European name of another Far Eastern country comes from the name of the Koryo dynasty, which ruled on the peninsula in 918-1392. ad. The Koreans themselves call their country Hanguk or Joseon.
The name of the country is of Germanic origin. Apparently, it was given by those Germanic tribes from which the Swedes later descended. The Finns themselves call their country Suomi. Most likely this word is a fusion of two Finnish words, "suo" - "swamp", and "maa" - "earth". However, philologists also suggest borrowing from one of the neighboring Baltic tribes, in whose language the “country” is “zeme”. True, it looks like Russian word"Earth"?
By the way, Finland, Latvia and Estonia are among those few countries that call them in their own way, and not “in an international way”. In Latvian, Russia is Krievija, in Estonian, Venemaa, and in Finnish, Venäjä. These names are very old. Latvians commemorate their Slavic neighbors from the southeast, the Krivichi tribes, while Estonians and Finns commemorate the Slavic tribes, the “Vends”, who lived at the mouth of the Laba (Elbe) River.
