Lost in translation: 12 historic city names that vanished from maps

Many well-known cities have not always been called by their modern names. Medieval maps and documents often reflect older forms shaped by language, imperialism, and administrative change. This article presents 12 cities whose historical names differ from the ones used today, reflecting how urban identity can evolve over time.

European merchants from the 1500s onward commonly referred to this major southern Chinese port as Canton, a name that developed from the Portuguese pronunciation of Guangdong, the surrounding province. In contrast, medieval Chinese records and administrative documents consistently used Guangzhou to identify the city itself.

As foreign trade increased in later centuries, Canton remained the dominant term in Western maps and reports. During the 20th century, the Chinese government standardized Guangzhou as the official form, and international publications gradually adopted the modern name in line with updated geographic and linguistic guidelines.

On medieval maps, this Baltic port appears as Reval, a name associated with the surrounding region of Revala and used widely in German and Swedish documents. The local Estonian name Tallinn, often interpreted as meaning "Danish town," existed alongside Reval for many centuries but did not appear frequently in international references. After Estonia gained independence in 1918, the new government adopted Tallinn as the official name for state administration, mapping, and foreign correspondence, gradually phasing out the historical form Reval from everyday use.

In the 17th century, European traders adopted the name Bombay, derived from the earlier Portuguese form Bombaim, which was coined after Portugal arrived in the region. Medieval local settlements, however, used names connected to the goddess Mumbā Devī, and these forms gradually developed into Mumbai in regional languages.

The name Bombay remained common in English during the colonial period and well into the 20th century. In 1995, the Indian government formally adopted Mumbai as part of a broader effort to restore historical and regional place names and align official usage with long-established local terminology.

We now know it as Bratislava, but in medieval German and Central European sources, the capital of Slovakia appeared as Pressburg, a name widely used in administrative records and regional maps. Hungarian documents used Pozsony, while Slovak-speaking communities used earlier forms that later developed into Bratislava.

After the creation of Czechoslovakia in 1918, the new government selected Bratislava as the official name. This decision aligned the city’s identity with the Slovak language and standardized its use in state administration, cartography, and international communication.

English-language maps from the medieval and early modern periods often used the name Leghorn to refer to this port city on the west coast of Tuscany. This form, an anglicized version of the Italian Livorno, appeared in trade documents, port registries, and maritime charts produced in Britain and other Western European countries.

Within Italy, however, the name Livorno remained standard in official records and everyday use. As English cartographic practices modernized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Leghorn was progressively replaced in atlases, government publications, and international references, leaving Livorno as the fully standardized name.

In 1930, the Republic of Turkey officially adopted the name Istanbul as part of nationwide language reforms that aimed to standardize geographic names. Yet, during the Middle Ages, European and Byzantine documents consistently used Constantinople, a name introduced in 330 CE when Emperor Constantine refounded the city as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The form Istanbul existed in local speech for many centuries, especially in Ottoman Turkish administrative and everyday use, but it remained secondary outside the region. It did not replace Constantinople in international publications, maps, and diplomatic records until the early 20th century, when the Turkish government applied the modern spelling in official communications.

Medieval Latin sources refer to this antique city spanning the Rhine River in western Germany as Colonia Agrippina, a designation used in administrative records and church documents. Over time, this Latin name shifted into Cologne in French and later in English.

Within the German-speaking world, however, Köln is the official name employed in government and municipal contexts. Cologne continues to be used internationally in English-language publications, reflecting the city’s long linguistic connection to its earlier Latin and French forms.

During Venetian rule, from the 13th to the 17th century, both the city and, at times, the entire island of Crete were commonly referred to as Candia in European maps, trade documents, and diplomatic correspondence. Local Greek populations, however, continued to use Heraklion (or Iraklio) in everyday speech and regional records. After Crete unified with the Kingdom of Greece in 1913, the Greek government adopted Heraklion as the official name. This change gradually replaced Candia in administrative documents, cartography, and international references.

European travelers adopted the name Peking based on older pronunciations of the city’s name that circulated in foreign accounts during the Yuan dynasty. These forms entered Western languages through early maps, missionary writings, and trade records.

Within China, however, the Ming dynasty formally established Beijing, meaning "Northern Capital", as the administrative name in 1403. The term remained through later dynasties and into the modern period. In the 20th century, the Chinese government standardized Beijing for international use, and over time, it replaced Peking in official English-language publications, atlases, and diplomatic documents.

To refer to the capital of Georgia, European and Russian documents from the medieval period through the 19th century commonly used Tiflis, a form that entered widespread use through administrative records, maps, and travel writing. Yet, the Georgian name Tbilisi existed throughout this time as the local designation.

In 1936, during a series of Soviet administrative and linguistic reforms, authorities formally adopted Tbilisi as the standardized name. After this change, Tiflis was gradually removed from official documents.

Founded as Edo in the medieval period, this ancient city grew from a fortified settlement into a major urban center under the Tokugawa shogunate beginning in the early 1600s. During this time, Edo became the seat of the shogun and developed one of the largest populations in the world.

When the Meiji Restoration transferred imperial authority to Edo in 1868, the new government renamed the city Tokyo, meaning "Eastern Capital." This decision recognized its new status as the national capital and marked the beginning of its role as the administrative and political center of modern Japan.

After a major fire in 1624, the capital of Norway, originally called Oslo, was rebuilt under King Christian IV and renamed Christiania as part of the reconstruction effort. The earlier name continued to appear in local usage and historical references during the following centuries. In 1925, however, the Norwegian government formally reinstated Oslo as the official name, restoring the designation used before the medieval period and aligning administrative records with long-standing local tradition.

Hospital secrets

What is a "Code Gray" and what you should know if you hear it at the E.R.

A trip to the emergency room can be stressful enough without hearing doctors and nurses speak a language that sounds like a secret code. One minute, someone is asking for medication "STAT," the next there’s a "Code Gray," and another patient is suddenly "NPO." What do those words really mean? Some are official medical terms, others are insider slang, but they all help hospital staff communicate quickly when every second counts. Here are 10 of those codes explained.

The E.R. can be hectic and unpredictable. Most patients are frightened or uncomfortable, but now and then someone becomes aggressive because of pain, confusion, mental illness, or the effects of alcohol or other substances. That’s when you can hear "Code Gray" announced over the speakers.

The code is used to summon security officers to help manage a violent or combative situation. While color codes vary from one hospital to another, Code Gray commonly signals that staff needs extra assistance to protect patients, visitors, and healthcare workers. Even if you know it now, most people in the waiting room never know what happened, and that’s exactly the point.

You have a scheduled surgery, you’re in your bed waiting to be taken to the surgery room, and you ask for a cup of coffee to make the wait lighter. The nurse will probably tell you you’re an NPO. You may think it’s serious, but it’s simply a procedure.

"NPO" is an abbreviation that comes from the Latin phrase Nil Per Os, which means "nothing by mouth." It tells patients they cannot eat, drink, or sometimes even take medication until doctors say it’s safe. The rule is most common before surgery or certain medical tests, when food or liquids could increase the risk of complications or alter the results. It may be frustrating, but it’s an important part of keeping patients safe.

You’ve probably been through the experience of visiting an emergency room, either to get checked or to visit a loved one. In that part of the hospital where everyone is rushing to save lives, you’ve probably heard a doctor asking for the R.C.P. cart or medication "STAT!" It sounds urgent, and that's because it is.

The expression comes from the Latin statim, which means "immediately" or "without delay." Hospitals have used Latin medical terms for centuries, but STAT is one of the few that remains part of everyday conversation. When a doctor says it, the request jumps to the top of the priority list. It doesn’t always refer to a life-or-death situation, but it does mean the medical team needs something done as quickly as possible.

Newborns are always a reason to celebrate at the hospital. Parents usually rest happily next to their child as they receive congratulations from close relatives. However, the hospital is always prepared to handle extremely rare emergencies under "code pink."

If you hear a "Code Pink," it usually means a baby or young child is suspected of being abducted from the hospital. Within seconds, security officers respond, exits may be monitored or blocked, and staff begins following carefully rehearsed procedures. Although different hospitals sometimes use different color codes, Code Pink has become widely recognized across North America as one of the most serious alerts a hospital can issue.

If you’ve ever spent a few days in the hospital, you’ve probably noticed that some patients are walking up and down the halls, while others need help just getting out of bed. When a nurse refers to someone as a "walkie-talkie," it’s actually good news.

This informal expression refers to patients who can walk on their own, use the bathroom without assistance, and handle most basic tasks independently. It’s not an official medical term, of course, but it’s commonly used among healthcare workers because it quickly tells the next shift that the patient requires less hands-on care than many others.

As nurses change shifts, you’ll often hear them give a quick report about each patient. One person may only need medication, while another is described as a "total."

The term is short for a patient who requires total care. They may need help eating, bathing, getting dressed, turning in bed, or moving from one place to another. Although the expression sounds impersonal, it’s simply a practical way for caregivers to communicate how much assistance someone needs.

Most people hear "frequent flyer" and think of an airline reward program. And that’s correct, but in an emergency room, the phrase has a very different meaning.

A frequent flyer is an informal nickname for patients who repeatedly return to the hospital, often due to chronic illness, recurring medical conditions, or other ongoing health issues. Behind the light-hearted nickname is often a difficult reality. Many of these patients are simply dealing with medical problems that require regular emergency care, and the expression is just a way to make the experience a bit lighter among the familiar faces of doctors and nurses.

Not all codes are for patients. The next time you’re in a hospital, look closely at what the nurse is pushing from room to room. It may look like a small rolling desk with a computer on top. Staff often call it a "WOW," short for "workstation on wheels."

As hospitals switched from paper charts to electronic medical records, these mobile computers became essential. Nurses use them to review test results, scan medications, update patient charts, and check doctors’ orders without leaving the bedside. The name sounds funny, but the technology helps caregivers spend more time with patients instead of walking back and forth to a nursing station.

After getting a shot or having blood drawn, most patients never think about where the used needle ends up. It certainly doesn't go into an ordinary trash can.

Hospitals place needles, scalpels, and other sharp medical instruments into special containers designed to prevent accidental injuries. These sturdy, puncture-resistant boxes are sealed when full and safely disposed of in accordance with strict health regulations. This not only protects nurses, but it also protects cleaning crews, waste handlers, and even the public from dangerous needle sticks. It’s one of the most important safety measures in every hospital, even though most patients never notice it.

If you’ve ever watched a medical drama, you've probably seen a patient become so agitated that several staff members rush into the room. In situations like that, a doctor or nurse may ask for a "B-52." But the name has nothing to do with numbers themselves; it actually comes from a medicine.

B-52 is hospital slang for a fast-acting injection used to calm down patients who are severely combative or at risk of harming themselves or others. The nickname comes from a commonly used combination of medications that usually include diphenhydramine, haloperidol, and lorazepam. It’s strictly reserved for when other methods of calming the patient haven’t worked.