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"United Kingdom" or "Great Britain" | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| elvisrules Tetraglot Senior Member BelgiumRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5468 days ago 286 posts - 390 votes  Speaks: French, English*, Dutch, Flemish Studies: Lowland Scots, Japanese, German | Message 17 of 31 02 March 2010 at 3:42pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
You're not from the UK, so I don't think you're qualified to judge whether or not one is too sensitive on this issue or not. This is an old and complex issue. And I'm sorry, but it's not a clear way of communicating an idea because of its obvious ambiguity. So many people I've met think Scotland is a region within England, which as a Scot, is of course a constant frustration to me. In my coursebook for European Literature here in Flanders, Walter Scott comes under this section "England and Ireland", which I find absurd. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| The Blaz Senior Member Canada theblazblog.blogspotRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5599 days ago 120 posts - 176 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Swahili, French, Sign Language, Esperanto | Message 20 of 31 02 March 2010 at 5:14pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
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So...
United Kingdom is a Country England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland are national units making up the UK Great Britain is an island British isles is a politically charged grouping of islands right? Edit: according to Wikipedia, the UK is a sovereign state, and England, Wales, etc. are countries. Also England doesn't have a government, but Scotland et al. do... Edited by The Blaz on 02 March 2010 at 5:17pm 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| tommus Senior Member CanadaRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5865 days ago 979 posts - 1688 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Dutch, French, Esperanto, German, Spanish | Message 22 of 31 02 March 2010 at 7:10pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
By this definition, Northern Ireland is not in the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee uses "Great Britain". http://www.olympic.org/en/content/National-Olympic-Committee s/great-britain/ The British Olympic Association calls the team "Team Great Britain". http://www.olympics.org.uk/home2.aspx However, the BOA states that: "Team GB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team". That seems to be a very awkward nomenclature. I guess "Team United Kingdom" just doesn't sound as good. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Paskwc Pentaglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5676 days ago 450 posts - 624 votes Speaks: Hindi, Urdu*, Arabic (Levantine), French, English Studies: Persian, Spanish | Message 23 of 31 02 March 2010 at 7:12pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
At what point does correctly communicating ideas come into the equation? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||||||||
| Johntm Senior Member United StatesRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5421 days ago 616 posts - 725 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 24 of 31 02 March 2010 at 7:55pm | IP Logged | ||||||||
I guess I didn't word my post correctly to say exactly what I meant :\ Well, I have never met an actual Englander/Welshman/whatever else, so that's why I said "I don't care." I imagine what a Brit would do if I used the wrong term would correct, like I would do if I was called a "Canadian" or "yankee." I don't plan on visiting any of the British Isles, though. Ireland, but nothing else up there. And I wouldn't call a Welshman an Englishman, because I know the difference between the countries. But I meant that when generally refering to that area, I use "England" as opposed to Great Britain/UK/whatever would be correct. But if I knew that a person was Irish/Scottish/Welsh, I wouldn't say "English." Here in the U.S. Great Britain, the UK, and England are exchangeable with each other. Or at least where I live. And I'm sorry if I offended anyone with my original post in this thread. Like I said, I didn't word it good... 1 person has voted this message useful |
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