Italy in Hungarian (was: diction and contradiction)

[Gabor Sandi]

[ moderator edited ]

> Thanks!

> Gabor Sandi wrote:

>>  ... Lengyelorsza'g (Poland), ...

> And why Lengyel?

> --
> Anton Sherwood -- br0nt0 at p0b0x.com --

Let me quote Schenker, A.M.: The Dawn of Slavic (Yale U.P., 1995), p.51:

  The most intriguing [problem involving Slavic tribes in Poland] is the
  identity and location of the Lendites (Lenditi). This ethnic appellation,
  which does not appear in Polish sources, seems to be derived from the root
  *le> d (e> represents e with a hook under it) 'untilled land'. Judging by the
  use of of tribal names containing this root in non-Polish sources, Lendites
  may refer to the Poles, cf. Lithuanian le'nkas, Hungarian lengyel, East
  Slavic ljax6 (6 is the "back jer"), all meaning "Pole". Also containing this
  root are Slavic tribal terms lenzane^noi and lenzeni'nois found in chapters 9
  and 37, respectively, of Constantine Porphyrogenitus' De adminstrando
  imperio. The former refers to a tribe aettled in the basin of the Dnieper,
  while the latter appears to be located somewhere on the southern border of
  Rus'.

Comment by GS: And I suppose the first name of that well-known Pole, Lech
Walesa, has the same etymology.

Gabor Sandi