worth noting that the Ottomans had a custom of naming places and territories they conquered by the name of its prior rulers. So Herzegovina got its name because Stjepan Vukčić Kosača gave himself the title of herceg (or herzog in German) in the 1400s. I believe a year or two later he changed it to Herceg of St. Sava because a Serb Christian saint was buried in his territory. Supposedly towards the end of his life he was known as Herceg-Stjepan. "Herzegovina" literally means 'herceg's land' or 'duke's land.' It is also worth mentioning that part of the land is now with Montenegro. While many historians believe Bosnia is derived from Byzantine emperor Constantine VII naming the region after the Bosna River that runs through the heart of the region. It is likely Bosna comes from the Illyrian word "Bass-an-as," which in turn is derived from other languages in the region, that means "the running water." It is my understanding Bosnian is used to represent someone from that country regardless of ethnic affiliation. Although people from the Herzegovina region may prefer Herzegovinian. I guess my 3 years of Latin in middle school and high school and my 2 years of studying Eastern European history at VT is finally paying off.