<img src=»smiley/smiley1.gif» /> <a href=»http://www.livejournal.com/users/rydel23/»>rydel n23</a>
Current music: Nena — 99 Luftbaloons
Current book: Adam Hlobus — Post Scriptum
After more than 10 years since Belarus has gained its independence most of the English-speaking writers, journalists and even webmasters have learned to <a href=»articles/art_belarus_name.html»>call our country by its proper name</a> and even use the correct adjective: Belarusian or Belarusan (check out <a href=»http://www.belarus-misc.org/bel-one.htm»>this page with background information</a> on using this adjective in English).
Alas, the Germans with the irrational stubbornness continue to call our country «White Russia,» and our language the «White Russian.» Ten+ years was not enough for them? Well, I am weary of waiting–the time is up. From now on, in all of my writings, speeches and conversations I will refer to Germany exclusively as «White Netherlands» or «White Holland.» Also I will dub the German language as «White Dutch.»
After all, calling ze Germans «White Dutch» makes so much more sense than calling Belarus by the name of our historical external enemy ( der Todfeind ) which brought us so much suffering and death in the last 600 years. If the Germans enjoy being so weirdly creative, I can also suggest to their linguists calling Albanian «White Serbia», Pakistan «White India», Ireland «White England», and Israel «White Palestine.»
Examples of usage:
The White Dutch poet Goethe
The White Holland government of Helmut Kohl
Berlin, the White Dutch capital
<span class=»small»><a href=»http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=rydel23&itemid=48466»>original post in English on livejournal.com</a>
<a href=»http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=rydel23&itemid=45678»>original post in Belarusan on livejournal.com</a>
<a href=»http://www.livejournal.com/talkread.bml?journal=linguaphiles&itemid=111091&view=1186291#t1186291»>another related thread on livejournal.com</a></span>
- Uladzimir Katkoŭski