Grammatically the countries seem identical and baffled why these few countries have “the” especially since it’s not like there are many other Netherlands/USA/Congo out there which then demands an article to clarify we are taking about THE USA not just USA.
In: 5344
If you’re looking for consistencies in language, don’t go looking for them in English, my friend!
In germany we have something similar confusing:
Since our Nouns have a gender (der (m)/die (f)/das (n) instead of the) our rivers are female or male.
For example is “der rhein” a Male River, but “die Donau“ or „die Mosel“ are female ones.
I don’t know the exact reason, but I read that it depends on who named the river, if it were the German tribes, the name of the river would be female, and if the Roman’s named it /we kept the Roman’s name, then it would be male.
In germany we have something similar confusing:
Since our Nouns have a gender (der (m)/die (f)/das (n) instead of the) our rivers are female or male.
For example is “der rhein” a Male River, but “die Donau“ or „die Mosel“ are female ones.
I don’t know the exact reason, but I read that it depends on who named the river, if it were the German tribes, the name of the river would be female, and if the Roman’s named it /we kept the Roman’s name, then it would be male.
In germany we have something similar confusing:
Since our Nouns have a gender (der (m)/die (f)/das (n) instead of the) our rivers are female or male.
For example is “der rhein” a Male River, but “die Donau“ or „die Mosel“ are female ones.
I don’t know the exact reason, but I read that it depends on who named the river, if it were the German tribes, the name of the river would be female, and if the Roman’s named it /we kept the Roman’s name, then it would be male.
Generally, “The” before a name is there to pull together [edit: and by this I mean distinctly identify] a plurality of entities or before a collective noun which turns the collective into a singular entity.
We don’t say “give it to the Joe” when talking about giving something to someone identifiable, but we do say “give it to the Joes” when talking about giving something to a collective.
Similarly, I am going to “the Europe” sound silly, because there is only one. But “I am going to the east” does not, because there’s lots of east to choose from.
So “The United Kingdom” is there because there are different entities united.
“The Republic” is used because a republic is a plurality.
“The Ukraine” is because Ukraine means borderland, and “land” is a collective noun.
Generally, “The” before a name is there to pull together [edit: and by this I mean distinctly identify] a plurality of entities or before a collective noun which turns the collective into a singular entity.
We don’t say “give it to the Joe” when talking about giving something to someone identifiable, but we do say “give it to the Joes” when talking about giving something to a collective.
Similarly, I am going to “the Europe” sound silly, because there is only one. But “I am going to the east” does not, because there’s lots of east to choose from.
So “The United Kingdom” is there because there are different entities united.
“The Republic” is used because a republic is a plurality.
“The Ukraine” is because Ukraine means borderland, and “land” is a collective noun.
Generally, “The” before a name is there to pull together [edit: and by this I mean distinctly identify] a plurality of entities or before a collective noun which turns the collective into a singular entity.
We don’t say “give it to the Joe” when talking about giving something to someone identifiable, but we do say “give it to the Joes” when talking about giving something to a collective.
Similarly, I am going to “the Europe” sound silly, because there is only one. But “I am going to the east” does not, because there’s lots of east to choose from.
So “The United Kingdom” is there because there are different entities united.
“The Republic” is used because a republic is a plurality.
“The Ukraine” is because Ukraine means borderland, and “land” is a collective noun.
It’s because it, like so many incredibly arcane rules of many languages, is a shibboleth to tell whether or not you grew up in a particular culture.
There are no good rules for this, so the only way to actually know whether or not a “the” is there is to grow up or otherwise experience it one way or the other. After some time it will sound “right” and the other way will sound “wrong”.
Ukraine is a prime example. The (imho correct and respectful) way of saying it is “Ukraine”, mainly because the people there have made it so to differentiate itself from the various forces who would have it another way. But we didn’t generally know about those issues until recently, so it was in the US “The Ukraine” for a very long time, and would have sounded weird the other way. We show our respect (and thus pick a side) by saying one or the other.
It’s because it, like so many incredibly arcane rules of many languages, is a shibboleth to tell whether or not you grew up in a particular culture.
There are no good rules for this, so the only way to actually know whether or not a “the” is there is to grow up or otherwise experience it one way or the other. After some time it will sound “right” and the other way will sound “wrong”.
Ukraine is a prime example. The (imho correct and respectful) way of saying it is “Ukraine”, mainly because the people there have made it so to differentiate itself from the various forces who would have it another way. But we didn’t generally know about those issues until recently, so it was in the US “The Ukraine” for a very long time, and would have sounded weird the other way. We show our respect (and thus pick a side) by saying one or the other.
It’s because it, like so many incredibly arcane rules of many languages, is a shibboleth to tell whether or not you grew up in a particular culture.
There are no good rules for this, so the only way to actually know whether or not a “the” is there is to grow up or otherwise experience it one way or the other. After some time it will sound “right” and the other way will sound “wrong”.
Ukraine is a prime example. The (imho correct and respectful) way of saying it is “Ukraine”, mainly because the people there have made it so to differentiate itself from the various forces who would have it another way. But we didn’t generally know about those issues until recently, so it was in the US “The Ukraine” for a very long time, and would have sounded weird the other way. We show our respect (and thus pick a side) by saying one or the other.
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