Can we all just call it the same thing?

With all the different languages over here, I find it fascinating, but mostly frustrating that every little town is called something different in every different language. Okay, I know every language has their own word for tree, but if a city is IN Belgium, why can't we all just call it what the Belgians call it?

I'm not suggesting that English speakers call a tree a boom (Dut) or a baum (Ger) or an arbre (Fr) or a drezwo (Pol).

But consider Cologne, Germany.

Germany is bordered by half of Europe. The North Sea, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Baltic Sea, and Denmark.

This is a country roughly the size of Montana.

So we Americans call Cologne, Germany - Cologne, Germany. But in Germany, where the city actually is, and I assume in Austria, where they speak German, it is Koln, Deutschland.

I don't know why we and most of the rest of the world call Koln, Deutschland - Cologne, Germany or something else.

And what about all those countries bordering Germany? In France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland, where they speak mostly French, it's called Cologne, Allemagne.

Here in Belgium and the Netherlands, where we speak Dutch, it's Keulen, Duitsland.

In the Czech Republic, where they speak Czech, they call it Kolin nad Rynem, Nemecko.

In Poland, where they speak Polish, it is Kolonia, Niemcy.

And in Denmark, where they speak Danish, it's Koln, Tyskland.

No doubt when you hear someone mention Tyskland or Nemecko, Germany immediately pops into your head, right?

Now that may not seem like such a big thing, but picture yourself up in Montana. Driving to Billings from N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Wyoming, or Idaho. The signage as you drive along the interstate from N. Dakota indicates 10 miles to Bubba, Martini. Because in N. Dakota, that's what they call Billings, Montana.

And if you're coming from S. Dakota, the sign might read it's another 20 miles to Beehive, Majolica. You know, Billings, Montana in S. Dakotan.

Now if you're coming from Wyoming, the sign will read 15 miles to Buttress, Martello.

And then from that last bordering state of Idaho, it's 25 miles to Bellini, Marzapan.

Furthermore, when you cross the border, there's no sign indicating Buttress, Martello has just changed its name to Billings, Montana. You're on your own.

It just seems to me that at some point everybody could adjust and call it the same thing. The fact that Cologne, I mean Koln, is in Germany, I mean Deutschland, we could all call it that.

The other day I heard a story of a visitor to Belgium taking a drive headed to Luik and thought they'd taken a wrong turn 'cause they ended up in Liege.

No, sister, you made it to Luik. It's just that every half hour of driving, it changes its name.