Re: etmyology of Germani

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, Michael J Smith <lookwhoscross-
eyednow@...> wrote:

> I was wondering about the etymology of the word Germani, and if
> there is any truth in what Strabo said:"The Romans assigned to them

the

> name 'Germani,' as though they wished to indicate thereby that they

were

> 'genuine' Galatae, for in the language of the Romans 'germani' means
> 'genuine.'
>
> Thoughts anyone?
>
> -Michael
>

Strabo's derivation makes sense in the case that people on both sides
of the Rhine were Celts and those on the Roman side were Romanized.
Of course the old romantic in me would want to equate Herodotus'
Germani and Daans (forgot where) with Germans and Danes although
proper historians and linguists tell me they were Iranian-speakers
from Kerman, and Dahae.

Torsten