textbook recommendation

[Kenneth Brostrom]

>No, you were right first time. Avoid the PC cringe. Why should the
>mistaken linguistic sensitivities and ignorance of English of various
>nationalists be allowed to dictate standard English usage (the classical
>pretension of Rumania is another example). And why should this be in any
>way indicative of political beliefs? There is nothing offensive about
>the English definite article. It is THE Netherlands, THE Philippines,
>THE Falklands, THE Congo, THE United Kingdom, THE Sudan, THE United
>States of America, and THE Ukraine . . . >If there is anything offensive
>about the name of the Ukraine it is not the
>English definite article but the word Ukraina itself which implies, from
>a Muscovite perspective, that it is a mere fringe of (Muscovite) Russia.
>Why not use Kiev Rus'?

"Avoid the PC cringe."  Doesn't that say it all?  Insistance on this
extremely narrow understanding of English usage could justify almost any
kind of abusive terminology.  If Ukrainians who know English well feel
strongly that 'the Ukraine' implies recognition and tacit approval of a
historical subordination of their homeland to Russia, why should we not
honor their preferences?  After all, this is not a simple matter of English
grammar. To state the painfully obvious, usage is extremely complex--and
here it is burdened with negative historical and cultural associations.
Rather than introducing a number of analogous usages that are unmarked by
such associations (at least in my English), Will Ryan might have discussed
the appropriateness of Americans referring to the English as 'Brits,' or
more to the point, as 'Limeys.'  This is the linguistic region in which
'the Ukraine' exists for many Ukrainians.  And to be honest, I "cringe"
when I use the term 'Limey.'  Alyssa Dinega, I appreciate your sensitivity
to this issue, and I think others who would like to see 'Russia' and
'Ukraine' as terms equal in linguistic status among speakers of English
will applaud your apology, despite this minor quarrel from the linguistic
peanut gallery.

Ken Brostrom

Kenneth Brostrom
Assoc. Prof. of Russian
Dept. of German and Slavic Studies
443 Manoogian Hall
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
Telephone: (313) 577-6238
FAX (313) 577-3266
E-mail: kenneth.brostrom at wayne.edu

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