Place names that sound like they belong in a different country.

[donriccardo]

Hmmm, interesting, did Romanized Arabs move from Petra to Pietraperzia, naming it after their homeland by any chance?

How about Nicosia, how did a town in Sicily have the same name as a town in Cyprus? I have a theory, maybe the Knights of Malta (Once based in Cyprus), when they were ejected there by the Ottoman Empire, moved to Sicily (Then under the Spanish crown) and maybe they named it after the former town in Cyprus?

Or perhaps they just have a common Greek name since both Sicily and Cyprus used to be Greek territories.

BTW, I noticed that you're location is in Southeast Asia, are you in the Philippines perchance?

If you are in Manila there is an interesting place you should drop by.

Rajah Sulayman Park.




In the middle of the park there is a statue of a Filipino Hero, Rajah Sulieman, Rajah is the Sanskrit term for King, Suleiman is the Arabic version of the Hebrew name, Solomon. Rajahs became sub-kings to invading Sultans when Islam conquered Hinduism here. The statue itself however portrays Rajah Suleiman as a Malay as he is waving a Kris sword which is Malay in origin. In front of Rajah Sulayman Park is Malate Church, a Church that is a combination of Mexican Baroque (Mexicans made it here during the Galleon trade) and Filipino Mudejar architecture (The former Muslim rulers of Manila converted to Christianity and built some churches incorporating the indigenous Muslim "Okir" design). The rich cultural confluences in Manila is like that of Sicily.

Indonesia

[Selurong]

Indonesia

Have you been to Bali (The Hindu enclave of Indonesia) or Borobudur? (The Largest Buddhist Temple in the world)
How about the Sumatra or Java?

[gıulıoımpa]

Foreign city names that would fit Italy

Baia Mare (Romanian city)


Odessa (Ucrainian city)



Nitra (Slovakian city) would fit especially well as a greco-roman city name



Tirana( Albanian city)



Bitola (North Macedonian city)



Montana (Bulgarian city)



Sulina (Romanian city) sound espcially like a sardinian name


Agrinio (Greek city)



Tripoli (Lybian city) a name that could fit in Southern italy as well as Greece



Seneca (USA city)



Regina (USA city)



Portola (USA city)



Termo (USA city)



Bonanza (USA city)



Altona (Canadian city)



Ballina (Irish city)




Pettigo (Irish city) sounds like many northen italian villages that have the (...igo) desinence (probably keltic)



Pendine (Welsh city)

[Selurong]

Foreign city names that would fit Italy

Baia Mare (Romanian city)


Odessa (Ucrainian city)



Nitra (Slovakian city) would fit especially well as a greco-roman city name



Tirana( Albanian city)



Bitola (North Macedonian city)



Montana (Bulgarian city)



Sulina (Romanian city) sound espcially like a sardinian name


Agrinio (Greek city)



Tripoli (Lybian city) a name that could fit in Southern italy as well as Greece



Seneca (USA city)



Regina (USA city)



Portola (USA city)



Termo (USA city)



Bonanza (USA city)



Altona (Canadian city)



Ballina (Irish city)




Pettigo (Irish city) sounds like many northen italian villages that have the (...igo) desinence (probably keltic)



Pendine (Welsh city)

All thanks to the influence and legacy of the Roman Empire.

[gıulıoımpa]

All thanks to the influence and legacy of the Roman Empire.

some yes, other less.

No doubt the Romanian and balkan cities could still have the same or similar name of roman times, especially small villages that spoke some Latin/Illyrian or Aromanian/Romansh language

But for example the Anatolian city once called Caesarea (in honour of Caesar) now is Kayseri and it does not sound italian or roman anymore and,so I did not include it and like this , many other cases.

many in the list are Greco-phoenician influenced so they could fit both as greek or italo-greek(Southern italy) or even in the whole mediterranian.

other i took from the USA i think are more influenced by spanish (so from latin "indirectly" in a way?)

others(irish and Welsh) i think, may sound italian for just a coincidence (just think about the surname Costello which is irish but sounds italian)

still i had to choose with some attention because we still have an "Italianized" version of many city names

[Selurong]

some yes, other less.

No doubt the Romanian and balkan cities could still have the same or similar name of roman times, especially small villages that spoke some Latin/Illyrian or Aromanian/Romansh language

But for example the Anatolian city once called Caesarea (in honour of Caesar) now is Kayseri and it does not sound italian or roman anymore and,so I did not include it and like this , many other cases.

many in the list are Greco-phoenician influenced so they could fit both as greek or italo-greek(Southern italy) or even in the whole mediterranian.

other i took from the USA i think are more influenced by spanish (so from latin "indirectly" in a way?)

others(irish and Welsh) i think, may sound italian for just a coincidence (just think about the surname Costello which is irish but sounds italian)

still i had to choose with some attention because we still have an "Italianized" version of many city names

Ok what's the difference between Latinate sounding names and Italianate sounding names?

[Seya]

Medgidia, Tekirghiol [ˈtekirɡjol], Siutghiol [ˈsjut.ɡjol], Murighiol [ˈmuriɡjol], Agighiol, Sarinasuf, Mahmudia, Sabangia, Caugagia, Babadag, Sarichioi [sarîköi], Enisala, Agigea [aˈd͡ʒid͡ʒe̯a], Romania
Ismail (former romanian territory)

...and so much more )))

[donriccardo]

Have you been to Bali (The Hindu enclave of Indonesia) or Borobudur? (The Largest Buddhist Temple in the world)
How about the Sumatra or Java?

yup. All of them except Sumatra

[gıulıoımpa]

Ok what's the difference between Latinate sounding names and Italianate sounding names?

the same word, used in a toponymic context can have variation between the latin word and the later italian word.

for example in Latin you say ""Castrum" to indicate a fortified city or a castle but in italian you would not find Castrum but Castello , itself derived from the diminutive if that word.


so you can find cities or placs that retained the name "Castrum" like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castro_Pretorio


and like this many others, you can see latin names and how they morphed into italian

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...nd_Scandinavia

[Kriptc06]

Some american states and cities with spanish origin, like Nevada, Florida, Texas (sound like Terras - latin for Land). Los Angeles, Las Vegas. et cetera
And Grand Canyon (great cannon in spanish)