Norwegian exonyms

As a general rule, modern Norwegian does not use exonyms for names with endonyms in Latin script. Historically, several Danish/German exonyms have been in use, due to the Danish roots of the Bokmål variety of Norwegian, but these exonyms should be considered archaic, and are no longer used officially.

Below is list of Norwegian language exonyms for places outside of Norway :

Albania

• Shqipëria Albania
• Tiranë Tirana (not really an exonym, this is the definite form of the name in Albanian)

Austria

• Österreich Østerrike (translated from the German name)
• Tirol Tyrol (Tirol is recommended, but the form Tyrol is resistant because the name of the musical Sommer i Tyrol and the word tyrolerhatt)

Belarus

• Belarus Hviterussland (lit. "White Russia", which the names of the country means in various languages, including English)

Belgium

• België/Belgique Belgia
• Brussel-Bruxelles (The forms Brussel or Bruxelles are recommended - but the German form Brüssel (which actually is an official language of Belgium) is in common use)

Cameroon

• Cameroon Kamerun

Croatia

• Hrvatska Kroatia

Cuba

• Habana Havanna

Czech Republic

• Česká republika Tsjekkia

Denmark

Places in Denmark are in Norway spelt like in Danish. Also for places with Aa which during the latter half of the 20th century were spelt Å in Denmark, and then changed back to aa. Thus Aabenraa and some more places are spelt with aa also in Norway. The same sound is spelt Å for places in Norway.

Estonia

• Eesti Estland

Finland

Until quite recently, most people tended to use the official Swedish names in Norwegian. The Swedish names are not exonyms, since both Finnish and Swedish are official languages in Finland, with many towns, cities and regions having two, often very different, official names. In recent years, however, the use of Finnish place names have gained some popularity in Norwegian.

France

• France Frankrike
• Corse Corsica
• La Seine Seinen

Germany

• Deutschland Tyskland
• Rhein Rhinen
• Stralsund Stræla (archaic)

Great Britain

• Great Britain Storbritannia
• United Kingdom Storbritannia og Nord-Irland
• Thames Themsen
• Scotland Skottland

Greece

• Ellada Hellas
• Athina Athen/Aten
• Kerkyra Korfu
• Korinthos Korint/Korinth
• Kriti Kreta
• Pireás Pireus
• Rodos Rhodos

Hungary

• Magyarország Ungarn

Ireland

• Éire/Ireland Irland

Italy

• Sardegna Sardinia
• Siracusa Syrakus (archaic, German exonym)

Ivory Coast

• Côte d'Ivoire Elfenbenskysten

Lithuania

• Lietuva Litauen

Livonia

• Latvija Latvia

Montenegro

• Crna Gora Montenegro

Netherlands

• Nederland Nederland
• Den Haag Haag

Philippines

• Philippines Filippinene

Poland

• Polska Polen

Portugal

• Açores Azorene

Russia

• Rossija Russland
• Sankt Peterburg St. Petersburg

Serbia

• Srbija Serbia

Slovakia

• Slovensko Slovakia

Slovenia

• Slovenija Slovenia

South Africa

• South Africa Sør-Afrika

Spain

• España Spania

Sweden

Newspapers in Norway often, but absolutely not always, write all ä as æ (sometimes e) and all ö as ø, probably because ä and ö were historically lacking on Norwegian typewriters. For example: Göteborg (Gothenburg) is in Norway written Göteborg or Gøteborg.
Some places have genuine Norwegian names because they were originally part of Norway:

• Bohuslän Båhuslen
• Härjedalen Herjedalen
• Jämtland Jemtland

Switzerland

• Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Sveits

Turkey

• Türkiye Tyrkia

See also

• List of European exonyms

References

• Vigleik Leira, Geografiske navn i flere språk (2006).

External links

• Official spellings for names of foreign places