Go Back   English Forum Switzerland > Living in Switzerland > Daily life  
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12.09.2007, 05:06
Louis de Funes's Avatar
Newbie 1st class
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Quilmes BA - Republique Argentine
Posts: 26
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Louis de Funes has no particular reputation at present
True origin of the name of Switzerland

I was going through Wikipedia and found it:

Switzerland: From the toponym Schwyz (see there) first attested AD 972 as Suittes derived from an allemanic proper name Suito.

Source

Is that true?
First someone taught me that it's true. Schweiz comes from Schwyz.
But years later I read an article of a Swiss magazine which told that the Schweiz/Schwyz name link is a long running myth. Maybe Schweiz comes from Schwab an old Germanic region where our country stayed long time before 1291.

Is here someone that knows all this stuff?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12.09.2007, 17:30
Nathu's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Zürich
Posts: 4,521
Groaned at 18 Times in 16 Posts
Thanked 2,208 Times in 1,248 Posts
Nathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond repute
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

The Swabian dukes supported the monastery of Einsiedeln with land donations. Later Schwyz expanded into Einsiedlean territory. Einsiedeln and the Habsburgians with their other affiliates became the main opponents of Schwyz until Schwyz won the battle of Morgarten in 1315. (Source)

From this point it doesn't make much sense that "Schwaben" becomes Schwyz.

However as your link states the term Schwyz for all three of the founding cantons was coined abroad and only adopted by the Swiss later.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12.09.2007, 18:47
Louis de Funes's Avatar
Newbie 1st class
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Quilmes BA - Republique Argentine
Posts: 26
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Louis de Funes has no particular reputation at present
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Quote:
View Post
However as your link states the term Schwyz for all three of the founding cantons was coined abroad and only adopted by the Swiss later.
And Uri and Unterwalden never got jealous because Schweiz became from Schwyz?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 13.09.2007, 01:07
Nathu's Avatar
Forum Legend
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Zürich
Posts: 4,521
Groaned at 18 Times in 16 Posts
Thanked 2,208 Times in 1,248 Posts
Nathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond reputeNathu has a reputation beyond repute
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Oh I'm sure it itched them But like the other provinces of "Holland"/The Netherlands they got used to it.

In the end they consulted a distant ancestor of Tyler Brûlé who told them that the word "Schwyz" is an excellent start for a promising corporate identity.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 13.09.2007, 02:18
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Zurich
Posts: 183
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 83 Times in 57 Posts
Cochrane has made some interesting contributions
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Interesting... Noticed also the obvious similarity between the flags of Switzerland and that of the canton Schwyz?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 13.09.2007, 03:45
Louis de Funes's Avatar
Newbie 1st class
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Quilmes BA - Republique Argentine
Posts: 26
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Louis de Funes has no particular reputation at present
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Quote:
View Post
Interesting... Noticed also the obvious similarity between the flags of Switzerland and that of the canton Schwyz?
Yeah, but the article I remember told that the first flag of Schwyz was all red without any detail inside.

When the Eight Canton Switzerland officialy adopted a flag (the one similar to our current flag), Schwyz still remained crossless. You can verify it at crwflags.com:
The Schwyz flag was originally an unadorned red banner, and the assumption that the modern Swiss flag derives from it is incorrect since the Swiss cross was in use by the Confederation about a century before Schwyz added it to its flag.
Source

The article (what a pity I lost the magazine!) was the same that told that Schweiz owes its name to Schwab.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 13.09.2007, 18:53
Colonelboris's Avatar
Forum Veteran
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Southampton, UK
Posts: 1,137
Groaned at 17 Times in 17 Posts
Thanked 1,273 Times in 671 Posts
Colonelboris has a reputation beyond reputeColonelboris has a reputation beyond reputeColonelboris has a reputation beyond reputeColonelboris has a reputation beyond reputeColonelboris has a reputation beyond repute
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Found that Bern might not be actually named after anything to do with bears at all, but more likely a corruption of the latin Brenodurum, which was a small Roman settlement in Teifenau next to the Aare (and also has a lovely bath house still there, or at least the bottom bit of one).
Myths are great, eh?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 13.09.2007, 23:35
Louis de Funes's Avatar
Newbie 1st class
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Quilmes BA - Republique Argentine
Posts: 26
Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Louis de Funes has no particular reputation at present
Re: True origin of the name of Switzerland

Gee, being I from Bern, I found it as disturbing as amazing.

Thank you for posting that one.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
confoederatio helvetica




Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Are the rumours about swiss people true meister_staefa Daily life 346 17.05.2016 11:45
Democracy is that true ?? [French election discussion] Creative_Path International affairs/politics 56 21.05.2007 19:45
Another weird Irish news story (true, this time) Gav Jokes/funnies 0 07.03.2007 14:46
True or joke? [Swiss Constitution] Richard Daily life 15 06.11.2006 18:19


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 17:22.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2023, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
LinkBacks Enabled by vBSEO 3.1.0