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List of English exonyms for German toponyms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This list is a compilation of German toponyms (i.e., names of cities, regions, rivers, mountains and other geographical features situated in a German-speaking area) that have traditional English-language exonyms.

Usage notes:

  • While in the case of regions, rivers and mountains, English exonyms are the definite choice (not least of all because the features they describe often cross language borders), some lesser-known city exonyms whose difference is merely orthographic and does not affect pronunciation (Cassel, Coblenz, Leipsic, Hanover, Mayence) have begun to retreat in favour of the endonymic forms. The media are divided about the use of the English exonyms Basle, Berne, and Zurich. (The Times Style guide encourages the continued use of Basle and Berne. [1]) Usage may also depend on context; the spelling Kleve could be used in a news story about an incident in that city, but the fourth wife of Henry VIII of England is always referred to in English as Anne of Cleves, never Anne of Kleve.
  • Exonyms that are used exclusively in historical and/or ecclesiastical contexts are marked in italics.

List

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English name German name Country(s) Notes
Aix-la-Chapelle Aachen
Alsace Elsaß
Alsatia Elsaß
Altkirk Altkirch
Argovia Aargau
Arlon Arel
Arrow Aarau
Augsburgh Augsburg
Austria Österreich
Baltic Sea Ostsee Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Sweden
Basil Basel
Basle Basel
Bavaria Bayern
Berne Bern
Blenheim Blindheim
Bolzano Bo(t)zen Italy
Brandenburgh Brandenburg
Brigg Brig Switzerland
Brisgow Breisgau
Brunswick Braunschweig
Carinthia Kärnten Austria
Cassel Kassel
Cleves Kleve
Coblence Koblenz
Coblen(t)z Koblenz
Coleyn Köln
Cologne Köln
Constance Konstanz
Corbach Korbach
Dantwich (Gdańsk) Danzig Poland
Dantzic (Gdańsk) Danzig Poland
Dantzig (Gdańsk) Danzig Poland
Danube Donau Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine
Dessaw Dessau
Dettingham Dettingen
Dinkespithel Dinkesbühl
Ditmarsh Dithmarschen
Doesburgh Duisburg
Donow(e) (Danube) Donau
Doverbishopsham Tauberbischofsheim
Durlack Durlach
Eastphalia Ostfalen
Elwang Ellwangen
Embden Emden
Embs Ems
Emms Ems
Erford Erfurt
Farther Pomerania Hinterpommern
Franconia Franken
Frankford Frankfurt (am Main)
Friseland Friesland Netherlands, Germany
Frisia Friesland Netherlands, Germany
Fribergh Freiberg
Frib(o)urg Freiburg
Friburgh Freiburg
Fuld Fulda
German Ocean Nordsee
Germany Deutschland
Ginlick Jülich
Glaris Glarus
Glogaw Glogau
Gower Sankt Goar
Graybound Graubünden
Gripswald Greifswald
Grisons Graubünden
Gu(i)lick Jülich
Hailbron Heilbronn
Hamburgh Hamburg
Hamelin Hameln
Hanover Hannover
Hagenaw Hagenau
Heligoland Helgoland
Hesse Hessen
Hither Pomerania Vorpommern
Holsatia Holstein
Horsemarket Rossmar(c)k(t)
Juliers Jülich
Lake Constance Bodensee Germany, Austria, Switzerland
Lake of Lucerne Vierwaldstättersee
Leipsic Leipzig
Lewenburgh Lauenburg
Lindaw Lindau
Lints Lintz
Lippenham Bislich
Lipswick Leipzig
Lorraine Lothringen
Lucerne Luzern Switzerland
Lunenburg(h) Lüneburg
Lusatia Lausitz
Luxembourg Luxemburg
Luxemburgh Luxemburg
Lyppe Lippe
Magedeburgh Magdeburg
Maidenburgh Magdeburg
Malmedy Malmünd Belgium
Mansfield Mansfeld
Marborow Marburg
Mayence Mainz
Mecklenburgh Mecklenburg
Mentz Kumainz; Mainz
Mersburgh Merseburg
Munich München
Necker Neckar
Nidwald Nidwalden
Nuremberg Nürnberg
Obwald Obwalden
Ore Mountains Erzgebirge
Palatinate Pfalz
Pomerania Pommern
Pommerland Pommern
Pruce Preußen
Pruss Preußen
Prussia Preußen
Passaw Passau
Ratisbon Regensburg
Rhenish Rheinish
Rhine Rhein Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, Netherlands
Rugia Rügen
Saltsburgh Salzburg Austria
Saxony Sachsen
Schaffhouse Schaffhausen
Silesia Schlesien Poland
Sleswick Schleswig
Soleure Solothurn
Spaw(e) Spa (Spau) Belgium
Spire(s) Speyer
Strasburgh (Strasbourg) Straßburg France
Stuttgardt Stuttgart
Swabia Schwaben
Swalback Bad Schwalbach
Swiss Saxony Sächsische Schweiz German name means "Saxon Switzerland"
Switzerland Schweiz
Swizzerland Schweiz
Thurgovia Thurgau
Thuringia Thüringen
Treves Triers
Triers Trier
Tyrol Tirol
Vienna Wien Austria
Waimes Weismes
Western Pomerania Vorpommern
Westphalia Westfalen
Westrick Westreich
Wirtemberg Württemberg
Wilne (Vilnius) Wilna Lithuania
Wurtemberg Württemberg
Wurzburgh Würzburg
Whymperhorn Mont Dolent

See also

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