German ethonyms

[Margaret Winters]

Yes, as Danielle Cyr says, they are names of tribes (or via Latin versions
of the name as in in the case of Allemani).   The Russian comes from a
negative nye- and the word for, if I remember correctly, language or mouth
- it was not the same language.  Other Germanic tribe names have spread as
well - Goths, Vandals as English non-geographic words (also Deutsch etc.
mentioned by Danielle as the adjective tutonic), Burgundy as the now French
place-name, and probably a lot of others I'm not thinking of.

Margaret

Margaret E. Winters
Associate Provost for Academic Personnel
656 Kirby #4092
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI  48202

phone:  313 577-2256
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