Kresspahl

Megalopolis / Meclemburgum

One problem with maps we have found is that even when the language is ostensibly Latin, the names have a tendency to be a hash... kind of a 'Mapwegian'. Megalopolis is given in Johann Jacob Hofmann's 1698 Lexicon Universale [1] (so there is an 'old document' for you, even if it is only 17th century), and both Megalopolis and Magnopolis appear in Johann Georg Theodor Grässe's 1909 Orbis Latinus [2] (as well as the macaronic Mecklenburgensis ducatus.) On the other hand, I can't find offhand any reference to 'Meclemburgum' outside of Wikipedia and its mirrors, though 'Meclemburgo' seems to exist in Romance languages. If you could cite Meclemburgum somewhere that'd be interesting. I do agree that 'Megalopolis,' especially given its current meaning, does sound a bit grandiose, but really all it means is 'big city.' —Myces Tiberinus 01:44 sep 12, 2005 (UTC)

All things being equal I would incline towards Meclemburgum (you know how much those gratuitous -polis names bother me). What kind of attestation do we have for that, Kresspahl? --Iustinus 06:22 sep 12, 2005 (UTC)

In the time beeing I could only have a look at the old map in my bedroom "Regni Daniae" by Baptist Homann of Nuremberg, were it says "Mecklenburgi Ducatus pars". In google Cologne university suggests "Meclemburgum". How the chanclory of Friedericus II. explained it, can be seen at Lubeca. So I dont believe that it makes sense to look into earlier documents like the Chronica Slavorum, I think "Meclemburgum" must have come up for the region not before the middle of 13th century. And remember, Grässe lived in the time of imperialism, they liked everything "grand" then, even a poor, small, rural Meclemburgum.--Kresspahl 12:14 sep 12, 2005 (UTC)

I personly would like to get rid of the "opolis" at the end because the greek meaning of polis really does not hit the point when we look at Mecklenburg. The state got its name from a small slavic "Burg" near the town of Wismar, and there was never ever a real polis at all.--Kresspahl 23:12 oct 9, 2005 (UTC)

Another suggestion is in ISO 3166-2--Kresspahl 16:07 oct 9, 2005 (UTC)

I'm not sure what you mean. ISO 3166-2 is a list of region codes, and it's not published in Latin (unlike, say, taxonomic nomenclature of animals or international nonproprietary names of chemicals); the list that is there is basically the same list has been at Germania for quite some time. It seems that User:IVLIVS added the 'Meclemburgum' (with some other interesting things like 'Chassia' for 'Hassia'); maybe if he's still around we could ask what his source be. —Myces Tiberinus 21:49 oct 9, 2005 (UTC)

Egger has Megaloburgum -i, but he notes Megalopolis is used by some. --Tbook 22:42 oct 9, 2005 (UTC)