from albania to zimbawe -names and origins

for your enlightment,

  a bit of light of letters and sounds into the darkness of meaning in etimologies

Albania. 

From medieval Greek "Αλβανία" (Albania).^[1] "Alb" from the Proto-Indo-European root meaning "white" or "mountain", as mountains are often white-capped with snow; compare Alps^{[citation needed]} and Alba, Gaelic for Scotland.

• Albanian: Shqipëria or Arbëri (poetic and archaic)

 Algeria. Name derived from the name of the city of Algiers (via French and Catalan Aldjère^[2]), from the Arabic word "الجزائر" (al-ǧazāʼir), meaning the islands, 

Australia. Originally from Latin 'australis' which mean southern, the word come from terra australis incognita – "unknown southern land" (1814)

Austria. First recorded use 1147. Latinized from German Österreich.^[6] This word was recorded as Ostarrîchi in 996 and as Osterrîche in 998.^[7] Translated from Latin marchia Orientalis (eastern borderlands) into the local dialect at that time.

Belarus. The name "Belarus" corresponds literally with the term "White Ruthenia" (White Rus'). There are several claims to where the origin of the name "White Rus'" came from

 The exact original meaning conveyed by the term "Bela" or 'White' remains uncertain. However, the word "Bela" may have originated from Sanskrit where "Bala" does mean "morning" or "white". In fact the word "bela" in Hindi itself means morning/ morning light.

Belgium. From the name of a Celtic tribe, the Belgae.

The name Belgae may derive from the Proto-Indo-European *bolg meaning "bag" or "womb" and indicating common descent; if so, it likely followed some unknown original adjective.

Another theory suggests that the name Belgae may come from the Proto-Celtic *belo, which means "bright", and which relates to  the Lithuanian baltas, meaning "white" or "shining" (from which the Baltic Sea takes its name) and to Slavic "belo/bilo/bjelo/..." meaning "white". Thus the Gaulish god-names Belenos (originally from *belo-nos = "our shining one") might come also from the same source.

Britain. From Pretani, "painted ones"; perhaps a reference to the use of body-paint and tattoos by early inhabitants of the islands; may also derive from the Celtic goddess Brigid. The form 'Britain' (see also Welsh Prydain) derives from Latin 'Britannia', probably via French. 






xxxxx


Zimbawe. Alteration of Shona Dzimba-dze-mabwe, translated as "Houses of stones" (dzimba = plural of imba, "house"; mabwe = plural of bwe, "stone"), referring to the stone-built walls of the ancient trading empire of Zimbawe