Slavs and nemtsy

[Pavel Samsonov]

----- Original Message -----
From: "FRISON Philippe" <Philippe.FRISON at COE.INT>
To: <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 8:44 AM
Subject: Re: Slavs and nemtsy


As far as 'nemets'is concerned, I have always been told that the term comes
from the usage imposed by Russia's authorities in the Middle Age, according
to which Russians were not allowed to speak to foreigners.
Merchants had to propose a barter in placing their products on one side, and
the foreigners would put the quantity of theirs which they judged to be
eequivalent to those of the Russians on the opposite (without a word).

There foreigners therefore came to be called "nemtsy". As those who took
part in these deals were mostly Germans, they were finally called like that
as the word "inostrantsy" was came to be used for foreigners in general.

____________

This does not explain why in most Slavic languages (Polish, Belarusian,
Bulgarian) the word "nemets" means German. The origin of "nemets" should be
much older, probably of the time when the Slavic language was the same for
all the Slavic tribes.

Pavel

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