Holland
The origin of the word "Dutch" seems to be pretty well sorted out --- but the name "Holland" set me thinking. Holland was one of the seven United Provinces which fought for --- and won --- their...
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The origin of Holland is disputed. The -land part is obvious, but the first element could be hol, hal 'lowland, depression' or holt 'forest.' The reason it has been used for the whole country is that...
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Who disputes it? Does the OED have anything to add to what I said in the Dutch thread,I see in SOED that Holland is from the Dutch Holtlant (wooded land) and describes the district around Dordrecht,...
View ArticleRe: Holland
Who disputes it?Both my sources for place-name etymologies (Room and Pospelov) give the two possibilities I mentioned. They are both considerably more up-to-date than the OED, which relies on "W. F....
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