A question for the Canadians

axio · Post by **axio** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:23 pm

If you are called Canadians...why isn't Canada called Canadia?

EH??? EHHHHHH???

Plasmodium · Post by **Plasmodium** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:24 pm

Does it really matter?

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:25 pm

*slaps head*

axio · Post by **axio** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:29 pm

Originally posted by Galvatron91
*slaps head*

watch out you might poke out an eye

Sir Auros · Post by **Sir Auros** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 10:31 pm

I called it Canadia in a post once, I think that's why it was closed...

Post by **Denyer** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 11:08 pm

Originally posted by LiquifiedTiger
If you are called Canadians...why isn't Canada called Canadia?

EH??? EHHHHHH???

Well, from an international perspective... I think it's because the education systems of other countries can handle phonetic exceptions in their vocabulary...

Galvatron91 · Post by **Galvatron91** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 11:10 pm

*snickers quietly at Denyer's response waiting for the whelps to ask for a definition of terms*

Shrapnel Clone · Post by **Shrapnel Clone** » Sat Aug 24, 2002 11:39 pm

Well, I'm just glad I don't live in Dutchyland or something....

Cyclone Prime · Post by **Cyclone Prime** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 4:42 am

And why do people that live in USA call themselves Americans??

Shouldn't it be "United-staters", or something of that effect?

America is a continent, not a country

axio · Post by **axio** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 4:55 am

Originally posted by Cyclone Prime
And why do people that live in USA call themselves Americans??

Shouldn't it be "United-staters", or something of that effect?

America is a continent, not a country

no they are the United (as in one) States (as in... states.. duh) of America... therefore: Americans

Post by **Sades** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 6:43 am

United States of America... but, we Canadians also occupy a part of North America... does this make us Americans, too?!?

..... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! the nightmare's true... it's true... *whimpers*...

*runs and hides under bed*

[edit] Ooh... I am now aware that this joke came at the wrong moment... but I'm not retracting it, because I make just as much fun of my own country as I do of others. Why should anyone be immune?

Now, git outer mah flowahbeds! *shotgun*

Post by **Denyer** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 7:21 am

Mmmm, yes... US citizens are Americans, whilst Americans may not be US citizens...

Dictionary (again, Princeton University) lists both:

"A native or inhabitant of the United States."
...and...
"A native or inhabitant of America."

Retroactive continuity isn't just for comics, it seems.

Savannahtron · Post by **Savannahtron** » Sun Aug 25, 2002 2:09 pm

I guess it is like is like ppl from OHIO are called Ohioans, not Ohiaians...

Probably some silly little grammar rule from way back when.

axio · Post by **axio** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 12:18 am

Originally posted by Savannahtron
I guess it is like is like ppl from OHIO are called Ohioans, not Ohiaians...

Probably some silly little grammar rule from way back when.

Funny, I always called then Buckeyes

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 12:24 am

Doesnae really matter anyway... most places have a 'native' word for their population, and others have versions of that modified for their language; for instance, what almost everyone outside calls Swansea (in Wales) is Abertawe...

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 12:28 am

Abertawe being the Welsh name of the city.

For those interested, it means 'Estuary of the Tawe', 'aber' meaning 'estuary'.

In the same way, Aberystwyth means 'Estuary of the Ystwyth'.

So now you know

-Ss

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 1:14 am

Yeah, picked it up within a short while of getting to both places... on a related point, do you reckon that amongst the reasons for Swansea very rarely being referred to by its cymric title is that everyone abbreviations Aberystwyth to Aber? Or is it simply that the Swansea/Neath area doesn't seem to have very many residents who actually speak Welsh?

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 1:37 am

Well, Swansea's a bigger city than Aber. I would guess that the reason is that the English businessfolk don't want to have to learn the pronounciation of a Welsh word for a place which is (comparitively) big business. I reckon this is the reason that Cardiff isn't referred to as Caerdydd either.

So yeah, outsiders come to the area who don't speak Welsh, and prefer to use an English word that they can pronounce (although anyone who can't pronounce Abertawe is as thick as two short planks, and shouldn't be let out of their house unsupervised.) That'd be my guess.

-Ss

Post by **Denyer** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 2:18 am

I take the point, but since most Welsh people are with the entire rest of the globe in not speaking more than a few words of the language, I wonder at times just how many of them support the kind of local government policies which allow someone to opt for all-Welsh correspondence but only provide bi-lingual versions as an alternative, with double the paper wastage...

Abertawe sounds better, and actually makes sense. Even 'Cardiff' as an anglicisation isn't that bad... but 'Swansea' seems to follow the same naming patterns as many Transformers; stick two pins into a dictionary...

Sixswitch · Post by **Sixswitch** » Mon Aug 26, 2002 2:35 am

Actually, it was named after a viking Warlord who's raiding party landed here, ages, and ages ago. I don't remember the details now (I don't much care, to be honest), but that's where the name originates.

Most Welsh people I think actually support bilingualism (is that a word), and the language. I do reckon that they could do bilingual correspondence better (IE: ask people if they want bilingual mail).

I just used the word bilinguage three times in two sentences. Hmm..

-Ss