The etymology of the name Denmark (Danish: Danmark), especially the relationship between Danes and Denmark and the unification of Denmark as a single kingdom, is the cause of some debate.[1][2] In Old Norse, the country was called Danmǫrk, referring to the Danish March, viz. the marches of the Danes. The Latin and Greek name is Dania.[citation needed]
According to medieval legend, the name Denmark refers to the mythological King Dan. There are also a number of references to various Dani people in Scandinavia or other places in Europe in Greek and Roman accounts (like Ptolemy, Jordanes, and Gregory of Tours), as well as some medieval literature (like Adam of Bremen, Beowulf, Widsith and Poetic Edda).
Most handbooks derive[3] the first part of the word, and the name of the people, from a word meaning "flat land", related to German Tenne "threshing floor", English den "low ground", Sanskrit dhánus- (धनुस् "desert") [Sanskrit dhánus means 'bow', survived by its modern usage in Hindi]. The -mark means woodland or borderland (see marches), with probable references to the border forests in south Schleswig,[4] comparable to Finnmark, Telemark, or Dithmarschen.[5]
- ^ Kristian Andersen Nyrup, Middelalderstudier Bog IX. Kong Gorms Saga Archived 2010-01-09 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Indvandrerne i Danmarks historie, Bent Østergaard, Syddansk Universitetsforlag 2007, ISBN 978-87-7674-204-1, pp. 19–24
- ^ J. de Vries, Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 1962, 73; N. Å. Nielsen, Dansk etymologisk ordbog, 1989, 85–96.
- ^ Navneforskning, Københavns Universitet Udvalgte stednavnes betydning Archived February 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Asernes æt Daner, Danir, Vandfolket