Ist and Bul are both common Turkish verb roots (istmak and bulmak, to want and to find)

does the name of the city signify some combination of these two ideas?

According to Wikipedia, the name Istanbul comes from the greek "is-tan-polís" (to go to the city).

it is derived from the greek terms "Ης την Πόλη" (is tin poli) or "στην Πόλη" (stin poli or stimboli) which means "in the city" or "to the city".

I thot it Istanbul ...shortened in such a way from the original name Constantinople (however its spelled.) that some meaning of the word was kept. Is there any significance?

Canstantinople from the latin "Constantine Polis", was Constantines City. The Roman Emporer than moved his capital from Rome to Byzantium, the original greek name of the city. (If that history isn't exact I apologize, maybe it was an Eastern capitol of Rome)

But It could be a contraction of "Konstantiopolis".

All your answers have the "a ring of truth". But I wonder why the Turks would have based its name on Greek words. Lets see what the others say.

"constantinople" (city of constantine) is the english version, "konstantinoupolis" is the greek version, "constantinopolis" is the latin version.

you can have a look at these sites for a few explanations:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Istanbul
http://snailstales.blogspot.com/2006/05/anatolian-toponymy-2-from.html

apparently the ottomans heard the greeks say "is tin poli" (to the city) often and started using it as a name. but there were many many other names used for the city as well.

from the wikipedia link...
"After the creation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, the various alternative names besides İstanbul became obsolete in Turkish. In an edict of March 28, 1930, the Turkish authorities officially requested foreigners to cease referring to the city with their traditional non-Turkish names (such as Constantinople) and to adopt İstanbul as the sole name also in the foreign languages."

OK, I read the references. Thank you!

I remember that it was İslam + bol = (there are) many muslims.

After Byzantium, Muslim people became majority.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Istanbul#.C4.B0slambol

Names of İstanbul

I don't know if there is another city in the world called with different names as many as İstanbul. Thanks to its rich
history.

From Wikipeida:

İstanbul is called with different names in those languages.

* Greek: Vizantion, Stampoli
* Latin: Bizantium, Antoninya, Alma Roma, Nova Roma
* Rumca/Old Greek?: Konstantinopolis, Istinpolin, Megali Polis, Kalipolis
* Slavic: Çargrad, Konstantingrad
* Hebrew:Kushta
* Viking: Miklagord
* Armenian: Vizant, Stimbol, Esdambol, Eskomboli
* Arabic: Bizantiya, el-Mahsura, Kustantina el-uzma
* Seldjuk Language: Konstantiniyye, Mahrusa-i Konstantiniyye, Stambul
* Ottoman Language: Dersaadet, Deraliyye, Mahrusa-i Saltanat, Istanbul, Islambol, Darü's-saltanat-ı Aliyye, Asitane-i Aliyye, Darü'l-Hilafetü 'l Aliye, Payitaht-ı Saltanat, Dergâh-ı Mualla, Südde-i Saadet, Kostantiniyye ( قسطنطينيه )

It is written differenlty in those languages now.
* Spanish : Estambul
* Hungarian : Isztambul
* Litvanian : Stambulas
* Lethuanian : Stambula
* Albanian : Stambolli
* Galic : Iostanbúl
* Loglanca: Konstantinupol/No idea where this language is being spoken
* Lazca/Greek dialect ???: Poli

I Love Istanbul

As I said 'I don't know'. So I am not sure whether names of İstanbul are the most in number. There are many cities in the world called by different names in different languages.
By the way, I love Thessaloníki. It is the hometown of my grand-grand-father. I have been there a couple of times and loved the city. It feels like home to me.
Could you PM me about the names of Thessaloníki. I'd be pleased.

You may also want to check here;
A different city names page


Regards,

As far as i know.When the Romans Emperor Constantine formed the Western and Eastern Roman Empires-naming the latter the Byzantine Empire-he rebuilt the ancient city of Byzantium in 330AD,renamed it Constantinople after himself and declared it the capital.It remained so for over a thousand years,untill Sultan Mehmet 2 captured it in 1453,made it the capital of his Ottoman Turkish Empire and named it Istanbul-City of Islam.Hope this can be some help to u

OK, many answers.

When the native speakers say: "İstanbul". I like how it sounds.

Istanbul -- formerly Constantinople, and once ancient Byzantium, Turkish İstanbul.
The name Byzantium may derive from that of Byzas, who, according to legend, was leader of the Greeks from the city of Megara who captured the peninsula from pastoral Thracian tribes and built the city about 657 BC. In 196 BC, having razed the town for opposing him in a civil war, the Roman emperor Septimus Severus rebuilt it, naming it Augusta Antonina in honour of his son. In AD 330, when Constantine the Great dedicated the city as his capital, he called it New Rome. The coinage, neverthless, continued to be stamped Byzantium until he ordered the substitution of Constantinopolis. In the 13th century Arabs used the appelation Istinpolin, a "name" they heard Byzntines use -- eis ten polin -- which in reality, was a Greek phrase that meant "in the city". Through a series of speech permutations over a span of centuries, this name became Istanbul. Until the Turkish Post Office officially changed the name in 1926, however, the city continued to bear the millenary name of Constantinople.

BRITANNICA

i domt wanna disheaert no one..but it is a useless discussion..just come to see istanbul and enjoy its beauty..

they might be giants= Istanbul is not constantinople
lyrics...


Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit night

Every gal in Constantinople
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
So if you've a date in Constantinople
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul (Istanbul)
Istanbul (Istanbul)

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way

Istanbul was Constantinople
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

So take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works
That's nobody's business but the Turks

Istanbul

Where ia this lyrics from? I remeber I first read it in Elif şafak's Baba ve Piç. But I wouldn't think that is is so well-known.

oh this is not fair liir..r u trying to get points from empty posts..i will report you to the admin

polis =city
costantinpolis=city of costantin (costantin was king of greeks)

istanbul=islamic city