Czech Republic, seeking a snappier name, considers a change(nytimes.com)

14 pointsby acheronvor 10 Jahren17 comments

nytimes.com

Czech Republic, seeking a snappier name, considers a change

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/15/world/europe/czech-republic-seeking-a-snappier-nameconsiders-a-change.html

6 comments

drallisonvor 10 Jahren

I think the current name is superior to all of the choices proposed.

euljivor 10 Jahren

They should consider a snappier flag as they were kind of lazy with it.

jordanbvor 10 Jahren

Their flag is awesome. It's a fractal.

abrownevor 10 Jahren

I disagree. It's simple, but the triangle is fairly unique.

Piskvorrrvor 10 Jahren

Not really unique. Simplest of the flags with a triangle, though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_style_of_...

abrownevor 10 Jahren

OK, not unique in the world, and I know some people think "unique" should be an absolute like "pregnant" – you can't be "fairly pregnant" – but it is much less common compared to vertical or horizontal stripes. And it is unique in Europe according to that list and my memory.

Rotten194vor 10 Jahren

Would it be pronounced Check-ia/ʧɛkiə or more like Sheck-ia/ʃɛkiə? The second is much easier for me to pronounce, personally, though if they removed the ending dipthong in favor of just ə they both roll off the tongue.

bobwaycottvor 10 Jahren

The article says "CHECK-ia".

panarkyvor 10 Jahren

If they do this, Czechia will be forever confused with Chechnya.

Piskvorrrvor 10 Jahren

Business as usual, then. The most frequent question I was answering in 1999 was "how do you feel about Russians invading your country?" followed by "you mean there's two of those?"

sratnervor 10 Jahren

But... Russians did invade your country.

Piskvorrrvor 10 Jahren

None of the people asking have meant 1968 ;)

emp_zealothvor 10 Jahren

In Poland we sometimes call them Pepiks - quite snappy (although the chechs might not like it :p)

excel2flowvor 10 Jahren

Yes, but that is denotation of inhabitants, the same way Pšonci is for Poles :)

kruczekvor 10 Jahren

Well, denotation of the country is Czechy; nobody in Poland would use full Republika Czeska (unless in some official documents). So I guess if the name gets changed, at least Poles won't have to change their convention :)

Piskvorrrvor 10 Jahren

I feel that's the point of the change: it codifies actual use.

iliaznkvor 10 Jahren

That's what we call it in Russian - Чехия