Istanbul

[snopes]

Comment: Amongst the Turkish population the common belief is, when Sultan Mehmet of
Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinapol from Romans, he changed the name to
"Islambol" ("bol" means "a lot" or "many" in Turkish). This way he was
trying to promote Islamic population to immigrate to the city and create a
majority population compared to Greeks. And in time the name changed from
Islambol to Istanbul.

The belief above is most likely not true.

Of course you can do your own research but what makes more sense to me is
the name derived from the Greek word 'Stan poly' meaning "to the city" or
"from the city" depending on the context.

[Richard W]

An older spelling seems to be "Stamboul", which is much further from "Islambol" but closer to the apparent Greek root. I don't think ls changing spontaneously to ts is a normal part of language or pronunciation drift, is it?

[Floater]

A friend of mine wanted to look up the weather in Istanbul on his fancy advanced telephone. The name of the city came out as "Miklagård".

[Don Enrico]

According to Wikipedia,

[t]he modern Turkish name İstanbul is attested (in a range of variants) since the 10th century, at first in Armenian and Arabic and then in Turkish sources. It derives from the Greek phrase "εις την Πόλιν" or "στην Πόλη" [istimbolin], both meaning "in the city" or "to the city".

Islambol (lots of Islam) or Islambul (find Islam) were folk-etymological adaptations of Istanbul created after the Ottoman conquest of 1453 to express the city's new role as the capital of the Islamic Ottoman Empire. It is first attested shortly after the conquest, and its invention was ascribed by some contemporary writers to Sultan Mehmed II himself.

[Brad from Georgia]

Why did "Constantinople" get the works? It's nobody's business but the Turks'.

Brad "even old New York was once New Amsterdam" from Georgia

[Swordmaster]

Well, you know, people just liked it better that way.

When I was little, I thought they were singing, "It's nobody's business but the jerks." And my dad just let me walk around singing it that way.

[geminilee]

Thank you both for that earworm. That one really tends to stick with me, I will be singing "Istanbul, not Constantinople" for days. DAYS, I tell ya.

[TrishDaDish]

Which version? The Four Lads or They Might Be Giants?

[Brad from Georgia]

I was surprised to find the song is as old as it really is. It was a top-ten hit for the Four Lads in 1953, and Bing Crosby did a cover of it. What made me look into this was a Jack Benny radio routine I listened to as I did my exercise walk. The scene is a railroad station; Jack Benny is about to buy a ticket from Frank Nelson, the "Yessssss?" man, when an agitated customer comes rushing in and says to Benny, "Please, sir, I'm in an awful hurry. May I cut in front of you?"

Benny says sure. Then:

Customer: I need a ticket to Constantinople.

Nelson: It's Istanbul, not Constantinople.

Customer: Istanbul, not Constantinople?

Nelson: Istanbul was Constantinople; now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople. It's been a long time gone, Constantinople.

Customer: But I promised to meet my girl in Constantinople! Turkish delight on a moonlit night!

Nelson: Look, I'm telling you, every gal in Constantinople lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople! So if you've a date in Constantinople, she'll be waiting in Istanbul.

Benny: Excuse me, sir. If it's Istanbul, not Constantinople--

Nelson [Witheringly]: It is Istanbul, not Constantinople!

Benny: Well--Why did Constantinople get the works?

Nelson [Screaming]: THAT'S NOBODY'S BUSINESS BUT THE TURKS'!

Customer: Even Old New York was once New Amsterdam--

Benny: OH, SHUT UP!

[tagurit]

I loved that song on the radio when I was a kid. I was delighted with TMBG's version and used to dance with my nieces to it when they came to visit. But that was decades ago. I suppose I'll go put that song on repeat to get rid of my own earworm. TYVM!

[Swordmaster]

Originally Posted by TrishDaDish

Which version? The Four Lads or They Might Be Giants?

Both, for me. But my kids prefer TMBG.

[Electrotiger]

Joe "Fingers" Carr's version also from '53 (I think).

Love the vocal accompaniment 2nd time through the verse, and some fantastic dirty trumpet in there.

[Auburn Red]

Wow, you learn something new every day. I thought it was a TMBG original. I never thought it was as old as it was.

So take me back to old Constaintinople.

[blucanary]

I like this version myself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q3a38H1EPc