- Can anyone tell me why the Tuscan city of Livorno used to be called Leghorn in English?
An increasing number of British writers, artists, philosophers, and
travelers visited the area and developed the unique historical ties
between the two communities. The British referred to the city as
Leghorn.Wikipedia
I believe nowadays English brochures, foreign travellers etc. call the city by its traditional Italian name. So did the name Leghorn simply fell in popularity or disuse as suggested by Google Ngram? Did the Livornese hold a petition or protested?! (I've been living in Italy for over thirty years, and I don't recall ever hearing them complain.)
- What term is commonly used when an anglicized city's name reverts back to the original?
Best Answer
On the origin (also this):
Ferdinando I de' Medici wrote "Liuorno" in 1593 (Document Inviting Jewish Merchants to Settle in Livorno and Pisa). In any case here is a discussion about the Livorno/Legorno difference (see also note therein):
Aside from the "similar" spelling, Leghorn (even more so when /ˈlɛɡɔrn/) resembles Legorno (somewhat), at least more so than it does Livorno.
Maybe Leghorn was an exonym based on the classic enunciation and geographical renaming occurred.