Like the title asks, is there ANY relation between Pennsylvania and Transylvania, historically or otherwise, or are the names simply very odd coincidences?
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2Try looking up "sylvan". "Transylvania was first referred to in a Medieval Latin document in 1075 as ultra silvam, meaning "beyond the forest" (ultra meaning "beyond" or "on the far side of" and the accusative case of sylva (sylvam) "woods, forest"). Transylvania, with an alternative Latin prepositional prefix, means "on the other side of the woods". Pennsylvania is "Penn's Woods"– MCW ♦Commented Sep 17, 2016 at 0:28
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1Thanks, but couldn't you have just made this an answer and... not have downvoted me (unless you have a good reason and you're the one who did so)?– Sentry812Commented Sep 17, 2016 at 0:34
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It's really a language question, not a history question.– MarkCommented Sep 17, 2016 at 1:22
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1To post a question here you must show some "research effort". I upvoted your question against the rules because I found it funny (in the best sense), but a simple Google search would have give you the answer. +1 to @MarkC.Wallace as well.– BrasidasCommented Sep 17, 2016 at 4:02
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1There's also the Spotsylvania and Pittsylvania counties according to Wikipedia, which also mentions Castlevania and the name Sylvester.– BrasidasCommented Sep 17, 2016 at 4:15
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1 Answer
Sylvan means "woods.
"Transylvania was first referred to in a Medieval Latin document in 1075 as ultra silvam, meaning "beyond the forest" (ultra meaning "beyond" or "on the far side of" and the accusative case of sylva (sylvam) "woods, forest"). Transylvania, with an alternative Latin prepositional prefix, means "on the other side of the woods". Wikipedia
Pennsylvania is "Penn's Woods"
