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It's UKRAINE, dammit!

vonGarvin

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I still keep reading "the Ukraine" when reference is made to Ukraine.  For what it's worth, in 1993, the Government of Ukraine asked us (the West) to drop the definite article when referring to their country.  Interestingly enough, in Ukrainian, there are no articles (no "a" or "the"). 

As an illustration of the implications of the definite article when used to refer to a place, the implication is that place is part of a larger region.  For example, we refer to the Maritimes, the Prairies, the Sudetenland, the Balkans, etc.  Yes, it is "the United States" and "The United Kingdom", because a noun is used as part of its name.  But it's not "the England", or "the Ireland".

So, when you refer to "the Ukraine", you are implying that it's part of a larger region, in this case, of the U.S.S.R. or even the Commonwealth of Independent States...
/rant

 
The Philippines.
The Bahamas.
The Netherlands.
The Congo.
The Soviet Union (USSR).

Other countries have it...
Not a big deal.

Same rule applies to countries with "the republic of" or "the commonwealth of", etc.
 
Sharp said:
The Philippines.
The Bahamas.
The Netherlands.
The Congo.
The Soviet Union (USSR).

Other countries have it...
Not a big deal.

Same rule applies to countries with "the republic of" or "the commonwealth of", etc.
None of those other countries were once subjected to the USSR's kindness.
And in case you failed grade two English, "republic" and "commonwealth" are nouns requiring an article.  Thats why we were once referred to as "The Dominion of Canada", but not as "The Canada".

And it mattered enough for the government of Ukraine to politely ask others (us) to drop it.

Good enough for me.
 
Sharp said:
Yeah keep the insults to yourself.

This isn't an ordinary internet forum.

Please keep a civil tongue in your head, at the risk of losing what little credibility you have.
 
Privateer said:
Next you'll be saying that it's just "Yukon"!

We'll be having Nunavut on this forum, mister.  See what I did there?    :D
 
Maybe they'll ask to bring the "The" back as a nod to the good old days....just like pips and crowns.
 
Right.  It's another of those places that most people add a "the" to the name.  I was kidding.
 
Sharp said:
Other countries have it...
Not a big deal.

Same rule applies to countries with "the republic of" or "the commonwealth of", etc.

As a Ukrainian Canadian I'm going to throw my two cent's into this ring. You know what it is a big fucking deal to us, and it's a big deal to us because Ukraine is no longer a Soviet Republic. The word "the" in the case of Ukraine brings back a lot of bad memories for us as it was usually preceded by the Soviet Republic(of the Ukraine.) My grandfather suffered at the hands of the soviet's in the Holodomor(forced famine in 1932/1933), and fought with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army(UPA) during World War Two for the freedom of his homeland. He had a hard life and for many Ukrainians the "the" ties us back to our soviet roots, which since 1992 we have been struggling to break free from. So yes, maybe in the case of other countries its not a big deal, but to us as Ukrainian-Canadians its a big fucking deal from where we have came from and our roots.
/rant
 
KerryBlue said:
As a Ukrainian Canadian I'm going to throw my two cent's into this ring. You know what it is a big fucking deal to us, and it's a big deal to us because Ukraine is no longer a Soviet Republic. The word "the" in the case of Ukraine brings back a lot of bad memories for us as it was usually preceded by the Soviet Republic(of the Ukraine.) My grandfather suffered at the hands of the soviet's in the Holodomor(forced famine in 1932/1933), and fought with the Ukrainian Insurgent Army(UPA) during World War Two for the freedom of his homeland. He had a hard life and for many Ukrainians the "the" ties us back to our soviet roots, which since 1992 we have been struggling to break free from. So yes, maybe in the case of other countries its not a big deal, but to us as Ukrainian-Canadians its a big fucking deal from where we have came from and our roots.
/rant

We understand your discussion point. However it would be more effective without the invective.

Keep Calm and Chive On.

---Staff---
 
Another translation of Ukraine is Edge -- as in The edge of something or The borders of something.  Ukraine is not just the borderlands, or the edge, of Russia, the USSR or even Europe.  It is a separate, distinct country.  That is the reason I was given by my Ukrainian friends for the strong feeling they have towards the use of the word "The".

 
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