NAMES OF THREE BALTIC COUNTRIES –LITHUANIA, LATVIA AND ESTONIA

Abstract

"This article – based on historical and linguistic data – summarizes the origin of the names of the three Baltic countries– Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia. This is a short overview of hypotheses for possible origins of these names. As typically, ethnonyms are closely connected with the names of the territories or countries, genetically closest Baltic nations –Lithuanians and Latvians – most likely got their names from local hydronyms – river names. Though it is characteristic that the localization of the designated rivers is still being discussed. The origin of the name of the Estonians is rather opaque and has many different hypotheses. However, the origin Old Germanic or Old Baltic etymon is considered more credible. The article also introduces the contemporary names of these three countries (endonyms as well as exonyms) used in other languages of the world."