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From: "Pawel Z. Chadzynski" <pzc@cadence.com>
Subject: Re: Etymology of Warsaw and Kiev?
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rigwa001@tc.umn.edu (rigwa001) wrote:
>
>>Dear anyone
>
>>I've run across a couple of strange "facts" (I'm kinda amazed by them and
>>so that's why I'm asking)
>
>>A couple books I've read state that the names "Kiev" (Ukranian capital)
>>and "Warsaw" (Polish capital) are not derived from Slavic tongues! In
>>fact a Polish friend of mine (she's fluent in Polish) couldn't give me an
>>explanation of "Warsaw". What does this mean? Could someone enlighten me
>>on this?
>
>>Curiously yours
>
>>Peter Chong

Peter,

I'm not an authority on these issues by any measure but I remember from my 
young days in Poland that the name "Warszawa" (Warsaw in polish) is 
according to a legend derived from two names: Wars and Sawa.  According to 
that legend these were names of a brother and sister who lived in a village 
which later became the city.  Don't recall why these two individuals were 
important.  I also don't know if the names Wars and Sawa are by themselves 
of Slavic origin.

Pawel



