Google is OHA ??

[John Dunn]

A fairly rapid and superficial search did indeed come up with examples only of Microsoft/Майкрософт as indeclinable and with feminine agreement, though I wouldn't like to guarantee that other possibilities never occur.

An analogous instance is the name of the country Бангладеш, which is also feminine and indeclinable.  The only explanation that I have ever come across for this is that the gender was determined by the generic term республика.  As far as I know (and, as ever, I wait to be corrected), it remains the only country name ending in a consonant to be treated in this way.  Even more recently coined names, such as Кот-д'Ивуар (which seems to have replaced earlier Берег Слоновой Кости) appear to be declinable: сборная Кот-д'Ивуара (and not, bearing in mind a previous discussion, *Кота д'Ивуар!).

John Dunn.
 
________________________________________
From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu] On Behalf Of Mark Kingdom [k2kingdom at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: 18 October 2010 11:03
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Google is OHA ??

Google is a company. Okay. Makes sense. So, is the word truly feminine?
Like:

Google? Я люблю *её* систему поиска!

And are all companies therefore feminine? For example, is Microsoft
feminine?
I'd be tempted to say, Я купил новую программу Майкрософт*а*.

...but if it's feminine, I guess it wouldn't decline?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------