Renaming Real-World Nations...

[Perun]

Additionally, the Germans have a lots of name. They call themselves Deutsch (pronounced about Doytch, do not confuse with Dutch!), they're Allemands in French and Germans in English. In fact, all these names come from different teutonic tribes. One called itself the Allamans (all the men), and that's what gave Allemagne. German was a name given by the Romans to those they deemed the closest to their kin. Prussian, Teuton, Goth, all have been used to describe part or all of Germans.

There's also the Croatian 'nijemci' (sing. 'nijemac', pronounced "nee-yem-ats" and "nee-yem-tsee"), meaning (wait for this) "the mute people".

Germany, of course, is Njemacka (nye-mach-ka), "The Land of the Mutes"

 

[Alnag]

There's also the slavic 'nijemci' (sing. 'nijemac', pronounced "nee-yem-ats" and "nee-yem-tsee"), meaning (wait for this) "the mute people".

Germani, of course, is Njemacka (nye-mach-ka), "The Land of the Mutes"

It depends on which slavic language do you speak. In Czech (btw - in ancient times called Bohemia) we spell and pronounce it a little bit different - Nemecko (Germany) and Nemci (the citizens of Germany). They are called mute, because nobody understands them.

 

[Perun]

It depends on which slavic language do you speak. In Czech (btw - in ancient times called Bohemia) we spell and pronounce it a little bit different - Nemecko (Germany) and Nemci (the citizens of Germany). They are called mute, because nobody understands them.

That's what happens when one rushes things... at first I was going general slavic, but then I realised it could be a bit too long of a post to say the same thing reflected in various languages, so I went with Croatian (as it happens to be my mother-tonge)...

FWIW, in Serbian, it's also Nemci, and Germany is Nemacka. (the 'c' in croatian Njemacka and serbian Nemacka (but neither in croat. Nijemci nor serb. Nemci has the little 'v' sign on top of it, and is promounced 'ch' as in 'checkers').

 

[Tonguez]

Germany, of course, is Njemacka (nye-mach-ka), "The Land of the Mutes"

Hey Land of the Mutes - theres a plot hook and PrC (maybe even a new race) hidden in that somewhere....

Anyway

I called my
Scotland -Cruithne,
Wales -Cymru,
Ireland -Nemed
Engalnd -'the Tays' (upland plains) and the isle of Alba (fenlands)

Italy - Paloma (actually a city based on vienna the rest of Italy wasn't detailed)
Spain -Navarre.
Russia - the Dravoi lands,
Greece -Corinth
Germany/Nederlands - Ausenmact (Western Marches)

 

[Greenstone]

My first post!

I did the same thing for a homebrew setting that is now in its 10th (and final, thank heavens!) year of play. I named it Overearth (before I discovered there was a comic with the same name), and consider it to be an alternate Earth.

Here are my continents, then the countries (from Europe, Asia and North Africa) with some very brief notes.

Europe = Uropha (see below)
Africa = Stygea (see below)
Asia = Aysha (see below)
N America = Athlan (actually used Darksun for this... post magical holocaust)
S America = Maztlan (yeah, like TSR's Maztica)
Australia = Anzorea (never actually used it, but always thought... dinosaurs!)

Great Britain = Beorsca (Medieval)
France = Averaigne (Medieval)
Germany et al = Slavinia (Ravenloftish)
Denmark = Vestmark (Vikings)
Norway = Ostmark (Vikings)
Spain = Kordava (think the Spanish Inquisition)
Belgium et al = Beneluc (Papacy)
Greece = Thracea (City States)
Russian Steppes = Thanagar (Horsemen)
Roman Empire = Mallenium Empire (Ruled by psionics, magic banned)
Egypt = Stygea (cf. Ancient Egypt)
Turkey = Malhassar (cf. Ottoman Empire)
Persia (Iran) = Iphir (Slave Traders)
Afghanistan/Iraq = Rhanistan (cf. Thay in Forgotten Realms)
Mongolia = Mhingol Plains (Hordes)
China = Shandakar (cf. Ancient China)
Japan = Khittai (Feudal Japan)
etc.

To cut a (very!) long story short, the campaign involves the search for 13 magical orbs possessed by the elves in the days of Talaslanth (Overearth's Atlantis).
When Talaslanth sank (due to the corruption of its leader, who became the campaign's {imprisoned} Big Evil Guy) the elves fled with the orbs in all directions across the globe.
Over the intervening 4 000 years, many of these orbs have passed into other (i.e. evil) hands, and the elven race is dying out. Trouble is, each of the 13 orbs holds one of the demon servants of the Big Evil Guy. Some are now at large in the world (think Tolkien's Nazgul, Jordan's Forsaken...etc.), while others are still held in their orbs.
However, there's this major astrological event coming, at which time the orbs better be in "good" (i.e. the PCs) hands or all hell is gonna break loose (literally)... this astrological event is the Omnihedron (name stolen from 2000AD comic), and my own group is but a few months away from it.
I found the quest for the 13 orbs was the ideal vehicle for the epic, globe-trotting campaign I wanted. The PCs are now part of an elite group (the Big Good Guys of the campaign... the Keepers) who are the only ones aware of the imminenet Omnihedron.
Although the PC's began from a simple start in Beorsca (England), they have now seen much of their world.
IMO, there's nothing worse than designing a whole world and then battling to find reasons for the PC's to see all of it.

BTW, be warned, this type of world-spanning campaign places a huge burden on DM and players alike. After this, my next campaign is going to be the complete opposite - a small location, low-key plots, etc.... Good Luck!

Cheers

 

[d4]

i've used random word generator programs to great effect in the past. you can use country, region, and town names of a specific language as input, and the program will then generate random nonsense words that sort of sound like they come from the same language.

here's some examples that i've used recently.

French: Rhevollon, Langens, Prelounne, Aigne, Vailmaulon, Pacage, Hyx, Amiton, Monorel, Vantou, Moirelle, Melors, Narogne, Nelpen, Alacanen, Nessins, Mantelle, Lenuelfe, Darmonet, Besolon, Troussance, Derny, Gorelle, Beyhaunde, Larenne

Greek: Granapsis, Taratis, Epaxos, Iodima, Cadymia, Stibos, Padaraea, Hirastos, Maliphrace, Astera, Eubythra, Enelchus, Carypa, Serons, Adocia, Seroniphis, Edarastes, Phetis, Lasupeia, Hexipanae, Trymaea, Pyrgaspa, Nissitus, Beutharia, Acalymos, Aphenia, Dodortus, Tramis, Talipeia, Thyges

Italian: Coggeno, Frelbano, Cirenza, Livino, Fascalo, Pallamo, Lotorno, Santevo, Vantalia, Tacceli, Trastocia, Vezzoni, Osintario

Romanian: Batedala, Astazu, Drenos, Dravea, Vinacea, Tutaniu, Warina, Orj, Campuva, Varabava, Slarzova, Prusira, Canirza, Zedara, Colj, Bagera, Slivunu, Vircu, Barav, Morcana, Oncaviu

if anyone's interested, the free shareware program can be downloaded here, and i currently have data files for Arabic, Armenian, Celtic, Egyptian, English Town Names, Ethiopian, French, Georgian, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Malay, Persian, Phoenician, Romanian, Sumerian, Swahili, Turkish, West African, and Star Wars Planet Names. i want to do Spanish, German, Scandanavian, and Russian at some point in the future, to complete the "major" languages of Europe.

i'd be more than happy to email the data files to whomever might want them.

edit: just realized it looks like email has been turned off on the boards. if you want my data files, go here.

 

[scruffygrognard]

From my campaign world:

-Spain - part of Mauridia

-France - Caerleon

-Italy - Mauridia

-Germany - Suttegarde

-Scandinavia - Yssgelund

-Balkan regions - Carmascia

-Greece - Kashgar (a mix between North African - Tunisia - and Greece)

-Russia - Voruskai

 

[Psionicist]

Sweden is sometimes known as Svea Rike. Don't know if it sounds cool, I'm pretty used to it.

 

[Gez]

I've underlined those who actually sounds and looks right for pseudo-French.
And provided some alternative spellings (sometime changing the pronounciation as well) for some others.

French: Rhevollon (Révollon), Langens, Prelounne (Préloune), Aigne, Vailmaulon (Valmault, Velmauld, Valmolon), Pacage*, Hyx, Amiton, Monorel, Vantou, Moirelle, Melors, Narogne**, Nelpen, Alacanen, Nessins, Mantelle, Lenuelfe, Darmonet, Besolon, Troussance (Troussin, Troussand), Derny, Gorelle, Beyhaunde, Larenne.

* A real word, actually, meaning pasture.

** Probably a pejorative/derogatory name, as it sounds like charogne (carrion) and rogne (mad temper).

 

[d4]

I've underlined those who actually sounds and looks right for pseudo-French.

cool, thanks Gez.

i don't really expect them to sound all that great to a native speaker, but they work well enough for me (a non-French speaking American). when i was compiling the French data file, i ignored accent marks and such, so the results are going to be less than perfect in any event.