Re: Beijing, Zhongguo, etc.

Benct Philip Jonsson wrote:
> On 2008-08-20 Mark J. Reed wrote:
>> Milan and Turin come down to us from Latin
>
> Not really.  They are North Italian forms, and hence probably closer
> to the local pronunciation, than Milano and Torino which are
> Central/Tuscan/Standard Italian forms.  The Latin names were
> Mediolanum and Taurinum.
Exactly! Italy was not a united country until comparatively recently. It
would, methinks, have been very perverse if centuries ago the English
had decided to disregard the native names of these two ancient cities
and to give them names in a language which would one day become the
official language of the country in which they happen to find themselves
in the 20th & 21st centuries!

There have been so many erroneous statements or half truths in this
somewhat (to me) tedious thread. Personally I do *not* find it offensive
that French people call the capital city of my country 'Londres', or the
Spanish call it 'Londra'. But then, I guess, I have a sense of history.

Besides, if one must keep updating and use the current native name, what
happens (as some have already asked) in bilingual situations? If I'm
speaking English, I call the capital of Wales 'Cardiff' but if I'm
speaking Welsh I call it 'Caerdydd'. So what should the 'politically'
correct foreigner call it when speaking his/her L1?

Must I stop calling the capital of Belgium 'Brussels' (rhyming with
'rustles')? If so, when I'm speaking _English_ should I use the French
_Bruxelles_ or the Dutch/Flemish _Brussel_? Wouldn't a Belgian be likely
assume that by dropping the traditional English name and adopting one of
the native names I was showing either pro-Walloon or pro-Flemish bias?
Need

This is all just silly. Please, francophones, continue calling my
capital city 'Londres', and you, hispanophones, carry on with your
'Londra'. Respect your languages and keep a sense a history!

--
Ray
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Frustra fit per plura quod potest
fieri per pauciora.
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