How come the Ukraine is refered to sometimes as the Ukraine

[JohnKleeb]

:shrug: you don't refer to Canada as the Canada, or Mexico as the Mexico. I have to admit though, the Ukraine has a cool ring to it.

[Placebo]

1. how come we're "THE united states"

why not just "united states" :P

[JohnKleeb]

3. I dunno

that's a good point but I always and I myself refer to Ukraine as the Ukraine.

[MrMonk]

2. Because it is the definite article, you might say.

[JohnKleeb]

4. the definite what now? sorry I suck at grammar, whats that mean

[MrMonk]

29. Articles, definite and indefinite

It was a pun on "article".

"A" is an indefinite article: it refers to a class of things.
"The" is the definite article: it refers to one or more things within a class.

An "article" is also a member of a class.

"The Ukraine" is thus "the definite article".

[Zuni]

5. bnecause it used to be a region of Russia and the USSR known as the

Ukraine. Now it is an independant nation known as Ukraine

[JohnKleeb]

7. but you never hear Georgia refered to as The Georgia

or Lativa as the Lativa. But what you say makes sense.

[sandnsea]

17. The USSR

There's that the again. The Soviet Union. :shrug: Weirdness.

[Zuni]

27. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

That is the proper abbreviation in english

[Tom Kitten]

6. I dunno

I do know the Ukraine officially changed its name to just "Ukraine" after it became independent, but people always call it "The Ukraine" anyways. I also think it sounds cool, for what it's worth...

[JohnKleeb]

8. Yeah I know that too

It does sound cool, glad someone else agrees. My late uncle was Ukrainian, nice guy but alcohol ruined him.

[wickerwoman]

9. You use articles when you use the full title of countries.

America but the United States of America.
England but the United Kingdom.
China but the People's Republic of China.

Some names that used to describe territories rather then countries still use the "the" like Congo, Sudan, Phillipines and Ukraine.

[JohnKleeb]

11. So it's because Ukraine's official name is Ukraine

So instead of "The Ireland" for Ireland, you call it The Irish Republic.

[wickerwoman]

19. Right. If you use the type of government as a noun

you have to include the article "the". So pretty much anything with initials uses "the".

[JohnKleeb]

20. that makes sense

thanks, I thought the Ukrainians were just showing off :D, crazy uncle punkako.

[Baja Margie]

10. Like...

we also say, The United Kingdom. I'm wondering about that definite article thing, did he mean that "the" was a determiner that indicates specificity of reference? we also say "The Baja".

[JohnKleeb]

13. Your guess is as good as mine

I am good at writing but my grammar betrays me.

[donheld]

12. Sudan's the same way

i hear "the Sudan" i don't get it. It only works for "the Netherlands"

[JohnKleeb]

14. Oh yeah I hear that too, you got a point

[Abelman]

15. It's the bitchinest

spot in Risk. I know that much!

[Tom Kitten]

16. Wikipedia says...

The country is often referred to as the Ukraine in English. However, this usage is now deprecated by many media organisations, partly for stylistic reasons (compare "the Lebanon" and "the Sudan") and partly because of its implication that Ukraine is merely a region rather than a country.

The region has also been known as Rus’ or Ruthenia, and in Russian historiography as Little or Lesser Russia (Malorossiya). This gave rise to the formal title of Russia's Tsar, the "Tsar of all the Russias" - the others being Russia proper and White Russia (now Belarus).

The current name is derived in various ways according to Slavic etymology. It may signify "borderland" or "on the edge"; alternatively, the name may be taken to mean "homeland" or "one's own land"; finally some trace the name to a verb meaning, "to cut", indicating the land the Rus' people (or Ruthenians or Ukrainians) carved out for themselves.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Off on a tangent here, but did you know the dish Chicken Kiev is not Ukrainian or Russian in origin at all, but French?

[JohnKleeb]

18. Ive never heard Lebenon refered to as the Lebenon

Ha I remembered when I first heard what Lebenon was, this kid I know is part Lebenese and he would go there, I originally thought it was candy :silly:. That makes sense, btw, thanks. Ive never heard of Chicken Kiev honestly.

[Tom Kitten]

21. me neither

But I have heard of "the Sudan", perhaps just meaning a general region as opposed to a specific country, like "The Sahara" or "The Amazon"...but never Lebanon, which makes me scratch my head...


OK, so Chicken Kiev I knew about since my Dad when he was a chef would make them at work and bring some home...What they are is a filet chicken breast flattened (sometimes with a small bone left at one end to use as a "handle"...The breast is rolled into a tube but leaving a hollow space in the middle and you fill that with chives, butter, and chopped parsley. You coat it in a batter of eggs and bread crumbs and then bake it in the oven. It is absolutely delicious! It is also almost impossible to find any place that still makes it (although I must say I do not frequent French restaurants, too expensive!) although a few years ago I found a deli in Portland that offered it for awhile.

Damn, now I'm hungry! :)

[JohnKleeb]

22. damnit you made me hungry too

my dad was in the food industry too but as a waiter not chef.

[RebelOne]

23. Because it is dumb asses who don't know any better.

It is Ukraine, not THE Ukraine. I have a next door neighbor who is from Ukraine and whenever he hears his country referred to as THE Ukraine he convulses in laughter.

[JohnKleeb]

26. I guess I am a dumbass, I admit though I do say both

[RebelOne]

28. Sorry, didn't mean to call you a dumbass.

But I did get the satisfaction of calling Neal Boortz a dumbass. I was listening to him on the radio and he kept saying The Ukraine. Well, I immediately e-mailed him to let know what a dumbass he was. And then I heard CNN newscasters also saying The Ukraine. So I also got the opportunity to e-mail CNN to tell them about the ignorance of their news teams.

[Timebound]

24. 'THE Ukraine' does sound kinda cool...

[Swamp Rat]

25. Why is it called the Earth?

...or the Sun or the Moon or the Solar System or the Milky Way or the Universe... and not the Jesus... oh wait. The Jesus was played by John Turturro in the Big Lebowski.