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I have to admit that I find the name "Czech Republic" to be strange too.
I think they should use the historic name of Bohemia. As in the historic Kingdom of Bohemia, which not only included Bohemia proper but also Moravia and part of Silesia.
Why can't "The Czech Republic" have a real name, like other countries do. There are countries with one syllable names, Spain, France, Greece. why can't it just be Czech? Or Czesko, which is what they call it? Or even Bohemia, using an old historic name, the way we do for Germany.
It depends on the language. The Dutch name for Czech Republic is Tsjechië and I've never heard people refer to it otherwise.
Sticking to English, I think Hungary ("hungry"), Greece ("grease") and Turkey are pretty bad country names. Montenegro is not bad but it sounds like an island in the Caribbean rather than a former Yugoslav country. Names like United States and United Kingdom are too nondescript. Niger is too similar to a racial slur and easily confused with Nigeria. South Africa and Central African Republic are utterly unoriginal. Turkmenistan sounds like a Turkey reject. But worst of all is probably Mongolia, because "mongol" is the Dutch word for retard. Uzbekistan (or Ubeki-beki-beki-stan as former Presidential candidate Herman Cain called it) sounds unappealing, as do all country names that end with -stan.
Kyrgyzstan is giving me a headache... I never know how to write that country's name. The German version is even worse... Kirgisistan, Kirgistan or Kirgisien. I don't even know how we refer to it officially...
Indeed, Czech Republic is a somewhat strange name. I'm kind of used to it but sometimes still wonder why it is called like this. Why Slovakia, but not Czechia? In Russian, we call them simply Словакия and Чехия, no differense.
As for other countries names, some of them sound better, some worse, but I can live with it Well, Papua-New Guinea is also a pretty weird name.
Czech Republic, with no doubts. I have no knowledge about the culture and politics of that country, but I think it should be called 'Republic of Bohemia and Moravia', or Bohemia for short.
But worst of all is probably Mongolia, because "mongol" is the Dutch word for retard.
We have the same problem in French! I always get mixed up between Mongol and Mongolien. One of the refers to people from the country Mongolia, and the other refers to a person who is Trisomic. I can never remember which one is which.
It depends on the language. The Dutch name for Czech Republic is Tsjechië and I've never heard people refer to it otherwise.
Sticking to English, I think Hungary ("hungry"), Greece ("grease") and Turkey are pretty bad country names. Montenegro is not bad but it sounds like an island in the Caribbean rather than a former Yugoslav country. Names like United States and United Kingdom are too nondescript. Niger is too similar to a racial slur and easily confused with Nigeria. South Africa and Central African Republic are utterly unoriginal. Turkmenistan sounds like a Turkey reject. But worst of all is probably Mongolia, because "mongol" is the Dutch word for retard. Uzbekistan (or Ubeki-beki-beki-stan as former Presidential candidate Herman Cain called it) sounds unappealing, as do all country names that end with -stan.
JMO
This! Especially, indeed, Mongolia, which, too us Dutch speakers, is like Retardia would sound to native English speakers .
Further, I never liked Iran. I think their ancient name, Persia, is way prettier.
This! Especially, indeed, Mongolia, which, too us Dutch speakers, is like Retardia would sound to native English speakers .
Further, I never liked Iran. I think their ancient name, Persia, is way prettier.
Mongoloid was the English equivalent to that Dutch and French term, but we found the (definitely deliberate) racial connotations distasteful and found it so un-PC that we no longer use it at all.
As you'll see above, this scientific paper from 1975 in English uses the term exactly as mongol would be used in Dutch or French, but these days it's considered much more offensive then retard so that word continues to exist whereas some English speakers don't even know the word mongoloid anymore it's fallen so out of favour.
Mongoloid was the English equivalent to that Dutch and French term, but we found the (definitely deliberate) racial connotations distasteful and found it so un-PC that we no longer use it at all.
As you'll see above, this scientific paper from 1975 in English uses the term exactly as mongol would be used in Dutch or French, but these days it's considered much more offensive then retard so that word continues to exist whereas some English speakers don't even know the word mongoloid anymore it's fallen so out of favour.
Was there ever any relationship between this word for people with Down's syndrome and the nationality of Mongolia, or is it just a semantic coincidence?
For Russian-speaking people, the name Honduras sounds quite weird, may be because it's associated with word "пидорас" (read "pidoras", vulgar word for homosexual men).
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Well, Papua-New Guinea is also a pretty weird name.
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