▁the ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Rh ine ▁as ▁Germ ani , ▁and ▁he ▁called ▁that ▁region ▁Germania , ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁word ▁Germany . ▁He ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁extend ▁the ▁term ▁in ▁this ▁way , ▁apparently ▁because ▁he ▁was ▁told ▁that ▁this ▁is ▁where ▁such ▁people ▁came ▁from . ▁( Something ▁arch ae olog ists ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁confirm .) ▁So ▁he ▁distinguished ▁the ▁Germ ani ▁in ▁the ▁Belg ic ▁area ▁as ▁" G erm ani ▁c is r hen ani ", ▁and ▁treated ▁the ▁other ▁" G erm ani " ▁as ▁the ▁ones ▁living ▁in ▁their ▁real ▁hom eland . ▁Conf using ly , ▁Ca esar ▁also ▁treated ▁the ▁Germ ani ▁c is r hen ani ▁as ▁Belg ic ▁Ga uls , ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁people ▁he ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁the ▁Germ ani , ▁and ▁his ▁reports ▁suggest ▁that ▁they ▁also ▁treated ▁themselves ▁this ▁way . ▁In ▁fact ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁Germ ani ▁c is r hen ani , ▁but ▁the ▁biggest ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Bel ga e ▁where ▁desc ended ▁from ▁Germ ani ▁from ▁over ▁the ▁Rh ine , ▁so ▁possibly ▁he ▁saw ▁other ▁northern ▁Belg ic ▁tribes ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁neighbour ing ▁N er vi i ▁as ▁Germ ani ▁c is r hen ani ▁in ▁a ▁broad ▁" ra cial " ▁sense . ▁And ▁T ac it us , ▁some ▁gener ations ▁after ▁Ca esar , ▁says ▁that ▁the ▁N er vi i ▁of ▁his ▁time ▁still ▁claimed ▁such ▁a ▁link