"The" Philippines

[Jonathan Lighter]

Current usage, at www.ukraine.org for example, is "Ukraine" rather than "the Ukraine."  "Ukraine" is the official name of the republic.

"Ukraine" itself means "border" or "frontier" in Polish and Russian; hence, presumably, the definite article in English.

JL


FRITZ JUENGLING <juengling_fritz at SALKEIZ.K12.OR.US> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: FRITZ JUENGLING
Subject: Re: "The" Philippines
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Thanks, JL. I think I hit on United States when I discussed German.

>>> wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM 03/30/05 02:59PM >>>
Relax, Fritz. I missed "the Bronx." And then there's "the United States."

JL

FRITZ JUENGLING wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: FRITZ JUENGLING
Subject: Re: "The" Philippines
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Heck, how could I have missed that one!! It's right up the road. BTW, its pronunciation is not the same as the city in Texas. It rhymes with 'pals.' And it always has 'the' in front of it.
Fritz


>and "The Dalles" (Ore.), not to mention "The Bronx"


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