why it must always be borne in mind that the phenomenon of "Germanization" does not cover the same thing depending on whether you start from an original Romanesque or historically Germanic toponym. French and Lorraine Franconian (and Alsatian in Alsace) serve to make an ideological and political break with everything that sounds 'Prussian' or 'standardized German', because the occupants forbade or fought them. Thus, a simple 'n' at the end of a local toponym is enough to "Germanize" it when it is Germanic: Thedinge becomes Thedingen. At the same time, French Francizes the name by removing the dialectal 'e' to give Théding. The accent adds a little more gallicity. As well, it frequently reverses the names from -er to -re. Diacritical signs such as accents and umlauts have indeed played a role in francization or Germanization (e.g. Buding / Büdingen). Similarly, the accentuation of names is central. Lorraine Franconian and German emphasize the same linguistic relationship, placing a tonic accent at the initial of words, in general. On the other hand, the French name is unemphasized and is characterized by an increase in tone on the final part of the word. The difference between the Germanic and French form is audible. Waves of francization and germanization In the south of the Pays de Nied, there are current toponyms using -court that were formerly -troff / -torff. For example, Arraincourt from Armestroff, Thicourt from Diederstroff, Thonville from Oderstroff, Hernicourt (in Herny) from Hermerstorf. At the time of the Ancien Régime, referring to the sociopolitical system that prevailed in France for the two centuries preceding and up to the French Revolution, several Lorraine towns were recognized by two names, one in French and one in German. The following name-pair examples are found the dictionaries of Henri Lepage and Ernest de Bouteiller, respectively, and noted as recognized in 1594: Mulcey was (fr) Mellecey alias (de) Metzingen Zommange was (fr) Semanges alias (de) Simingen Chemery-les-Deux was (fr) Clsmey alias (de) Schomberg Les Étangs was (de) Tenchen alias (fr) Lestanche Macker was (de) Machern alias (fr) Maizières Many was (de) Niderheim alias (fr) Magny Morhange was (fr) Morhanges alias (de) Morchingen Ottonville was (de) Ottendorf alias (fr) Ottonville Roupeldange was (de) Rupplingen alias (fr) Ruppeldanges Suisse was (fr) Xousse alias (de) Soultzen Varize was (fr) Warize alias (de) Weybelsskirchen Pontigny, was (de) Nidbrücken alias (fr) Pont de Niet These were certainly not the only spellings