Just wondering how many people use Czechia rather than Czech Republic. I thought "Czechia" wasn't used much but I've been told it gets used alot. Maybe I'm out of touch with things or is it us Brits that doesn't use it much .
Never heard it called Czechia. Still mostly use Czechoslovakia or just Czech, even though I know it's wrong, but then... I still say Rhodesia.
..and "Bechuanaland" too, I'll warrant ! We say "Czechia" over here and have done ever since Slovakia split. I could just about follow that, but I've never learned all the F.Y.R.s.... Apparently Turkey wants to change to a spelling that doesn't involve people thinking of a stupid flightless bird.
Not heard that, maybe mostly as 'Botswana' is such a nice word. And reminds me of bottoms. Turkey is a great country name, though subconsciously I am always thinking 'The Ottoman Empire', Lepanto etc. One of my favourite empires as it goes. Always thought that 'We don't care who you worship, but we might tax you a tad more' was pretty civilised for the times.
Forget Czechia vs. Czech Republic, why not Bohemia? Economist suggests a radical name change There's an old article here (tongue in cheek) on what the UK's name might possibly one day change to... What would the UK be called without Scotland? There was an old argument that it was one way to sell new atlases, and another that it affects where countries are seated at assemblies etc.... UN Faqs... How are member states seated in the General Assembly? - Ask DAG! Appearing as Czechia... 72nd-2017 Czechia A/BUR/72/1
On nomenclature; glad to see that 'BCE' appears to have receded somewhat. WTF was wrong with BC & AD? Perfectly logical old-school understandable terms, without any layer of twattery. And don't get me started on 'The English Revolution' ...
I went to Czechoslovakia in Feb '92. I went to the Czech Republic in Jan '93. I'd never heard of Czechia until the news stories a few years ago. (Edit.I've just seen a thread from 2009 so that was one of the first times I saw it in use.) I have seen photos of Czech athletes at the Olympics with "Czech Republic" on their vests. They are listed on the official Winter Olympics site as Czech Republic.
Similarly, I lived in Czechoslovakia, went home for Christmas, and returned to the Czech Republic; all very odd. I left a few months later so can't comment on when Czechia 'appeared'; however, many Czechs now use it - and I suppose they should know.
My mother's people were from that part of the world and spoke Czech. They came over to Maryland in the 1890s, when the Czech lands were officially part of Austria-Hungary. To them, the old country was Bohemia and the language they spoke was Bohemian. To this day, there is a popular beer in Baltimore called National Bohemian.
Thinking about it, assorted mates that have longish careers in diplomacy/govt generally refer to it as 'Czecho', whether noun, verb or adjective. Mind you, at least half of them also have an odd anarcho/punk side, despite their shiny 'official' credentials (Civil Serpents... they're weird), so I dunno how much they represent the norm.
In German it is (surprise, surprise) even a little bit more complicated: Originally it was officially Tschechoslowakei, but in common usage it was Tschechei for short. This went out of fashion after the war because it was used pejoratively by the Nazis since the Annexation of the Sudetenland 1938 (Rest-Tschechei) After the separation in 1993, Tschechien became common, officially it is the Tschechische Republik. Phew...... But these are mostly official/diplomatic niceties: In the official Soviet language of the time, for example, a subtle distinction was made between German Democratic Republic, but Federal Republic of Germanys. This supposedly small, simple s at the end was not only meant to express that there are two German states, but put the FRGs in second place hierarchically.
And don’t get me started on the stupid way they now pronounce Uranus - if it was a good enough snigger for me as a schoolboy, then it’s good enough for today’s over sensitive lot.
Something along the lines of 'Netherlandia' would be handy to stop the British from referring to the whole of The Netherlands as 'Holland'
I always address the Christmas cards to my two Dutch friends to the Netherlands, never Holland. But I’m good like that
News readers have started pronouncing Kiev like Steve with a K (Keve) instead of like the Kev in Kevin. I'm not changing. If it's good enough for the dozens of WWII movies and documentaries I've seen and also the chicken dish, it's good enough for me. Kyiv or Kiev? Why people disagree about how to pronounce the Ukrainian capital's name
No one complains about that nice place in France - Pariss or Paree. And don't lets talk about Aachen/Aken/Aix-la-chapelle. Chris
