scandinavia

[identity]

hello people,
i have always wondered where this name originated and why sweden,denmark,finland and norway( to my knowledge) were the countries under this designation? why not holland for example? or belgium?

[Grey]

Finland isn't in Scandinavia. It's just the name of the Peninsula. The name (I think) comes from Skadi.

[The Ripper]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scandinavia

[Wyn]

hello people,
i have always wondered where this name originated



Scandinavia
1765, from L.L. Scandinavia, a mistake for Scadinavia, from a Germanic source (cf. O.E. Scedenig, O.N. Skaney "south end of Sweden"), from P.Gmc. *skadinaujo "Scadia island," first element of uncertain origin, second element from *aujo "thing on the water," from PIE *akwa- "water." It may truly have been an island when the word was formed; the geography of the Baltic Sea has changed dramatically since the end of the Ice Ages.
Source. (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Scandinavia&searchmode=none)

[Jaska]

"It may truly have been an island when the word was formed; the geography of the Baltic Sea has changed dramatically since the end of the Ice Ages."
Scandinavia (or even Skåne) could not have been an island at the times of a name later than Proto-Germanic. Probably just those who gave the name didn't bother to ask from anyone who would have visited so north (at the end of Gulf of Bothnia) that they would have known it's not an island.

[identity]

thanks people.

[Fortis in Arduis]

Oh, you are just so sweetly welcome. :fgift:

Have a nice day, cupcake... :fdgd: