Swedish exonyms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Below is list of Swedish language exonyms for places in non-Swedish-speaking areas of the world. Not included are spelling changes and translations of non-proper nouns.

In general[]

Diacritical marks (such as ´ ` ^ etc above letters) are generally stripped, except that Å, Ä, Ö, are kept, and usually also Ü and É (but È and Á are written E and A). Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and Faroese Æ and Ø are often written as AE or Ä and Ö, especially in the press.

Foreign place names containing a direction such as South or Upper are often translated, e.g.:

but U.S. states nowadays keep their English names in Sweden:

  • e.g. South Carolina and West Virginia

Albania[]

 Albania Albanien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Tirana Tirana Tiranë

Argentina[]

 Argentina Argentina
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Patagonia Patagonien Patagonia
Tierra del Fuego Eldslandet Tierra del Fuego

Austria[]

 Austria Österrike
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Tyrol Tyrolen Tirol

Belgium[]

 Belgium Belgien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Bruges Brygge Brugge Dutch
Brussels Bryssel (Brüssel) Brussel Dutch
Bruxelles French
Ostend Ostende Oostende Dutch
Ypres Ypern Ieper Dutch

Bulgaria[]

 Bulgaria Bulgarien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Balkan Mountains Balkanbergen Stara Planina
Danube Donau Dunav
Thrace Thrakien Trakiya

China[]

 China Kina
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Beijing Peking Běijīng Mandarin Endonym also used
Great Wall of China Kinesiska muren Chángchéng Mandarin
Guanghzou Kanton Guangzhou Mandarin
Hong Kong Hongkong Hong Kong English
Tiananmen Square Himmelska fridens torg Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng Mandarin

Croatia[]

 Croatia Kroatien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Dalmatia Dalmatien Dalmacija
Danube Donau Dunav
Istria Istrien Istra

Cuba[]

 Cuba Kuba
English name Swedish name Endonym
Havana Havanna Habana

Czechia[]

 Czechia Tjeckien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Bohemia Böhmen Čechy Czech
Elbe Elbe Labe Czech
Moravia Mähren Morava Czech
Prague Prag Praha Czech
Silesia Schlesien Slezko Czech

Denmark[]

 Denmark Danmark
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Aabenraa Åbenrå Aabenraa
Aalborg Ålborg Aalborg
Aarhus Århus Aarhus
Elsinore Helsingör Helsingør
Copenhagen Köpenhamn København
Peberholm Pepparholm Peberholm
Zealand Själland Sjælland

Newspapers in Sweden usually write all æ as ä or ae and all ø as ö, because of the lack of æ and ø on the Windows keyboard layout for Swedish, and historically because of the lack of them on Swedish typewriters. Swedish newspapers normally write aa as å. Aa is the traditional spelling of the "aw" sound in Danish, but this spelling does not exist for this sound in Swedish. Both spellings of the sound exist in Danish, aa in some names, but å always being correct.

Swedish Wikipedia writes Danish place names using the original æ and ø, except for those listed above.

Egypt[]

 Egypt Egypten
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Egypt Egypten Miṣr, Maṣr Arabic
Alexandria Alexandria al-Iskandariyya Standard Arabic
Cairo Kairo al-Qāhira Standard Arabic
Luxor Luxor al-Uqṣur Standard Arabic

Estonia[]

Estonia had a significant indigenous Swedish-speaking population until the mid-20th Century, so many of these names are not really exonyms in the strict sense of the word.

 Estonia Estland
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Haapsalu Hapsal Haapsalu
Hiiumaa Dagö Hiiumaa
Kärdla Kärrdal Kärdla
Osmussaar Odensholm Osmussaar
Pakri Rågö Pakri
Ruhnu Runö Ruhnu
Saaremaa Ösel Saaremaa
Tallinn Lindanäs, Räffle, Reval Tallinn
Tartu Dorpat Tartu
Vormsi Ormsö Vormsi

Finland[]

Swedish is one of the two official languages of Finland, so the Swedish names of places in Finland are not exonyms.

Further information: Names of places in Finland in Finnish and in Swedish

France[]

 France Frankrike
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Aquitaine Akvitanien Aquitaine French
Ardennes Ardennerna Ardennes French
Burgundy Burgund Bourgogne French
Corsica Korsika Corse French
Normandy Normandie(t) Normandie French
Pyrenees Pyrenéerna Pyrénées French
Rhine Rhen Rhin French

Germany[]

 Germany Tyskland
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Gottorp Gottorp Gottorf German
Rhine Rhen Rhein German

Greece[]

 Greece Grekland
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Athens At(h)en Athina
Attica Attika Attiki
Boeotia Boiotien Viotia
Corfu Korfu Kerkyra
Corinth Korinth Korinthos
Crete Kreta Kriti
Cyclades Kykladerna Kyklades
Dodecanese Dodekaneserna, Tolvöarna Dodekánisa
Epirus Epirus Ipeiros
Euboea Euboia Evvia
Heraklion Heraklion Iraklio
Ionian Islands Joniska öarna Ionia nisia
Missolonghi Messolonghi Mesolongi
Naupactus Naupaktos Nafpaktos
Patras Patras Patra
Pireus Pireus Peiraiás
Rhodes Rhodos Rodos
Samothrace Samothrake Samothraki
Sparta Sparta Sparti
Thebes Thebe Thivai
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki, Saloniki Thessaloniki
Thessaly Thessalien Thessalia
Thrace Thrakien Thraki

Hungary[]

 Hungary Ungern
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Danube Donau Duna

Iceland[]

 Iceland Island
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Heimaey Hemön Heimaey
Reykjavík Reykjavik Reykjavík
Vestmannaeyjar Västmannaöarna Vestmannaeyjar

Iraq[]

 Iraq Iraq
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Euphrates Eufrat al-Furāt Arabic
Tigris Tigris Dijla Arabic

Israel[]

 Israel Israel
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Acre Akko 'Akkā Arabic
'Ako Hebrew
Capernaum Kafarnaum (Kapernaum) Kfar Naḥum Hebrew
Talhum Arabic
Galilee Galileen Al-Jalīl Arabic
HaGalil Hebrew
Jaffa Jaffa Yaffa Arabic
Yafo Hebrew
Judea Judeen Yahudia Arabic
Yehuda Hebrew
Nazareth Nasaret al-Nāṣira Standard Arabic
al-Nāṣeriyye Palestinian Arabic
Natzrat, Natzeret Hebrew
Tiberias Tiberias Ṭabariyya Arabic
Tverya Hebrew

Italy[]

 Italy Italien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Florence Florens Firenze Italian
Genoa Genua Genova Italian
Lombardy Lombardiet Lombardia Italian
Naples Neapel Napoli Italian
Padua Padua Padova Italian
Rome Rom Roma Italian
Sardinia Sardinien Sardegna Italian
Sicily Sicilien Sicilia Italian
Syracuse Syrakusa Siracusa Italian
Tiber Tibern Tevere Italian
Turin Turin Torino Italian
Tyrol Tyrolen Tirolo Italian
Venice Venedig Venezia Italian
Venetia Venetien Veneto Italian
Vesuvius Vesuvius Vesuvio Italian

Latvia[]

 Latvia Lettland
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Courland Kurland Kurzeme
Latgale Lettgallen Latgale
Zemgale Semgallen Zemgale

Lebanon[]

 Lebanon Libanon
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Beirut Beirut Bayrūt Arabic
Sidon Sayda, Sidon Ṣaydā Arabic
Tyre Tyros Ṣūr Arabic

Lithuania[]

 Lithuania Litauen
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Samogitia Samogitien Žemaitija

Mali[]

 Mali Mali
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Timbuktu Timbuktu Tombouctou French

Morocco[]

 Morocco Marocko
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Casablanca Casablanca Ed-Dah el-Biḍa Arabic
Marrakesh Marrakech Murrākuš Arabic
Tangier Tanger Ṭanjah Arabic

Netherlands[]

 Netherlands Nederlända
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Rhine Rhen Rijn
The Hague Haag Den Haag

Norway[]

The (more or less, requires some knowledge of certain words) mutually intelligible Norwegian and Swedish languages have different spelling systems for the same sounds.

Newspapers in Sweden usually write all æ as ä or ae and all ø as ö, because of the lack of æ and ø on the Windows keyboard layout for Swedish, and historically because of the lack of them on Swedish typewriters. Apart from æ and ø, the Norwegian spelling is used in Sweden.

Examples include Askøy, Bodø, Bærum, Galdhøpiggen, Gjøvik, Hønefoss, Røros, Stjørdal, Tønsberg, Tromsø, Vadsø and Østfold, which are usually by media written as Asköy, Bodö, Bärum or Baerum, Galdhöpiggen, Gjövik, Hönefoss, Röros, Stjördal, Tönsberg, Tromsö, Vadsö and Östfold.

The Norwegian spelling with æ and ø is still often used. Swedish Wikipedia writes Norwegian place names using the original æ and ø.

Palestine[]

 Palestine Palestina
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Bethlehem Betlehem Bayt Laḥm Arabic
Beyt Leḥem Hebrew
Hebron Hebron Al-Khalīl Arabic
Ḥevron Hebrew
Jericho Jeriko 'Arīḥā Arabic
Yeriḥo Hebrew
Jerusalem Jerusalem Al-Quds Arabic
Yerushaláyim Hebrew

Poland[]

 Poland Polen
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Carpathians Karpaterna Karpaty Polish
Gdańsk Gdansk (Danzig) Gdańsk Polish
Masuria Masurien Mazury Polish
Mazovia Masovien Mazowieckie Polish
Pomerania Pommern Pomorze Polish
Silesia Schlesien Śląsk Polish
Szczecin Stettin Szczecin Polish
Warmia Ermland Warmia Polish
Warsaw Warschau Warszawa Polish Swedish now uses endonym

Portugal[]

 Portugal Portugal
English name Swedish name Endonym
Lisbon Lissabon Lisboa

Romania[]

 Romania Rumänien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Bucharest Bukarest București
Danube Donau Dunărea
Moldavia Moldavien Moldova
Wallachia Valakiet Țara Românească, Valahia

Russia[]

 Russia Ryssland
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Bashkortostan Basjkirien Bashkortostan Russian
Caucasus Kaukasien Kavkaz Russian
Chukotka Tjuktien Chukotka Russian
Ingria Ingermanland Ingermanlandiya Russian
Ingushetia Ingusjien Ingushetiya Russian
Kabardino-Balkaria Kabardinien-Balkarien Kabardino-Balkariya Russian
Karachay-Cherkessia Karatjajen-Tjerkessien Karachayevo-Cherkesiya Russian
Karelia Karelen Kareliya Russian
Khakassia Chakassien Khakasiya Russian
Pechenga Petsamo Pechenga Russian
Petrozavodsk Petroskoj (Onegaborg) Petrozavodsk Russian Endonym also used
Priozersk Kexholm Priozersk Russian
Saint Petersburg Sankt Petersburg Sankt Peterburg Russian
Shlisselburg Nöteborg Shlisselbúrg (Шлиссельбу́рг) Russian
Siberia Sibirien Sibir Russian
Vyborg Viborg Vyborg Russian
Zelenogorsk Terijoki Zelenogorsk Russian

Some of these names are not really exonyms in the strict sense of the word, as the places have been part of Sweden, some founded as such.

Saudi Arabia[]

 Saudi Arabia Saudiarabien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Jeddah Jeddah Jidda
Mecca Mekka Makkah
Medina Medina Al-Madīnah
Riyadh Riyadh Ar-Riyāḍ

Slovakia[]

 Slovakia Slovakien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Carpathians Karpaterna Karpaty
Danube Donau Dunaj

South Africa[]

 South Africa Sydafrika
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Cape Town Kapstaden Cape Town English
iKapa Zulu
Kaapstad Afrikaans

Spain[]

 Spain Spanien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Andalusia Andalusien Andalucía Spanish
Aragon Aragonien Aragón Spanish
Asturias Asturien Asturias Spanish
Basque Country Baskien Euskadi Basque
País Vasco Spanish
Castile Kastilien Castilla Spanish
Catalonia Katalonien Cataluña Spanish
Catalunya Catalan
Galicia Galicien Galicia Spanish
Pyrenees Pyrenéerna Pirineus Catalan
Pirinoak Basque
Pireneos Spanish
Tenerife Teneriffa Tenerife Spanish

Switzerland[]

  Switzerland Schweiz
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Rhine Rhen Reno Italian
Rhein German
Rhin French

Syria[]

 Syria Syrien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Aleppo Aleppo Ḥalab Arabic
Damascus Damaskus Dimashq Arabic
Euphrates Eufrat Al-Furāt Arabic

Turkey[]

 Turkey Turkiet
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Anatolia Anatolien Anadolu
Antioch Antiochia Antakya
Bosphorus Bosporen Boğaziçi/ İstanbul Boğazı
Cappadocia Kappadokien Kapadokya
Cilicia Kilikien Kilikya
Dardanelles Dardanellerna Çanakkale Boğazı
Edirne (Adrianople) Edirne (Adrianopel) Edirne
Ephesus Efesos Efes
Euphrates Eufrat Fırat
Gallipoli Gallipoli Gelibolu
Halicarnassus Halikarnassos Halikarnas
Istanbul (Constantinople) Istanbul, Stanbul (Konstantinopel) İstanbul (Kostantiniyye)
Thrace Thrakien Trakya
Tigris Tigris Dicle
Trabzon (Trebizond) Trabzon (Trapezunt) Trabzon
Troy Troja Truva/Troia

Ukraine[]

 Ukraine Ukraina
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Danube Donau Dunai
Galicia Galizien Halychyna
Kyiv Kiev Kyiv

United Kingdom[]

 United Kingdom Förenade kungadömet/ Storbritannien
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
British Virgin Islands Brittiska Jungfruöarna British Virgin Islands English
Great Britain Storbritannien Great Britain English Preferred name for the country
Thames Themsen Thames English

Some historic area names beginning with British are translated, such as British Guyana into "Brittiska Guyana". British Columbia in Canada is nowadays kept.

United States[]

 United States Förenta staterna/ Amerika
English name Swedish name Endonym Notes
Name Language
Appalachian Mountains Appalacherna Appalachian Mountains English
California Kalifornien California English
Rocky Mountains Klippiga bergen Rocky Mountains English
U.S. Virgin Islands Amerikanska Jungfruöarna U.S. Virgin Islands English

See also[]

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