Ukraine/Netherlands

[Josh Macfelder]

I'm not quite sure, but can it be because of this: the Netherlands - though
it takes a singular verb - has a plural form (the S at the end), and Ukraine
is singular in both aspects?

Sincerely,

Josh Macfelder

Date:    Thu, 8 May 2008 23:23:53 -0700
> From:    Benjamin Lukoff <blukoff at ALVORD.COM>
> Subject: Ukraine/Netherlands
>
> > Date:    Thu, 8 May 2008 12:19:48 -0300
> > From:    "David A. Daniel" <dad at POKERWIZ.COM>
> > Subject: Re: Ukraine; was Re: I say Myanmar, you say Burma
> >
> > I wrote to the person below, and got the answer below (Kyiv Post is an
> > English-Language weekly newspaper in, well... Kiev/Kyiv).
> >
> > "Dear Mr. Daniel,
> > My name is Zenon Zawada.
> > I am chief editor of the Kyiv Post.
> > I am an American of Ukrainian descent.
> > The term "The Ukraine" is offensive because the
> > article implies that it's merely a territory, rather
> > than an independent nation.
> > For example, The Rhine, The Sudetenland, The Kuban
> >  are all territories (in Germany and Russia), not nations.
> > So Ukrainians in the West always viewed "The Ukraine"
> > as offensive because it denied Ukraine recognition
> > as a nation.
> > When Ukraine became independent, the government
> > appropriately assumed that position as well.
> > Placing an article in front of the region's name denies
> > its recognition as a nation.
> >
>
> Forgive me if this has already been mentioned, but....The Netherlands? I
> don't hear the Dutch complaining.

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org