The Fascinating History Behind Different Country Names

Argentina

Anyone with interest in Latin or other languages might have an idea of the origin story behind the name of the South American nation of Argentina. Argentum is silver in Latin, and argent is silver in French, so it’s clear that silver has a part to play in this story.

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Various Spanish and Portuguese explorers came upon Argentina in the 16th century. One of them, Sebastian Cabot, followed a long river and discovered all kinds of silver trinkets in the villages along its banks, subsequently dubbing it the ‘Rio de la Plata’ or ‘River of Silver.’ The silver connotations continued when naming the actual country.

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