NATIONS ENDING IN -IA

 

England play at home against Albania on November 12th in the World Cup qualifier. Albania presently have played 7 won 5 lost 2 in  the competition, so not bad! They host Poland tomorrow.

Albania would not claim to be one of the strongest nations in UEFA, but their reuslts so far look promising and may well challenge Gareth's boys. The nation's FA is based in the capital Tirana.

The Greek translations of European country names are ones that end in -ia,  for example, Serbia (Servia), Croatia (Kroatia), Albania (Alvania). Others have endings from other historic languages—England (Anglia), Scotland (Skotia), France (Gallia, Frankia) refers to a state from the middle ages, Spain (Ispania), Portugal (Portougalia), Poland (Polonia), Sweden (Souidia), Norway (Norviyia). Germany (Yermania), Ukraine (Oukrania) or even in cases of Finland (Finlandia) and Ireland (Irelandia). In all of these the -ia ending can be taken to mean “land of” or, perhaps “country or place of.” Eg  “Skotia” the “country of the Skotoi people”.

Sometimes the “name” may refer more to the land itself rather than the people living there such as “Mesopotamia” “country in the middle of rivers.” Or the Greek region of Thessalia (Thessaly) which seems to be a reference to the sea since it was believed that that land used to be under water. “Oceania” of course are “lands/countries in the Ocean.”

So many new nations have come to the European football championships joining historic nations, including; Austria, Georgia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herz, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Russia, Romania, Armenia, North Macedonia.  You can work out what they mean!

Countries further afield will also carry the “ia” ending reflecting the influence of colonisation in Africa (Namibia), Australia, Asia (India, Malaysia).

AND SO ON!! More about the Albanians tomorrow.