Turkey to change official name to Türkiye in hopes of ending association with hapless yet delicious bird

In Finnish it’s Turkki (fur) and turkey is kalkkuna from the dutch kalkoen.

the oddly specific Dutch word kalkoen, which, as a contraction of Calicut-hoen, literally means “hen from Calicut,” a major Indian commercial center at the time.

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Even thought it would be hilarious that foreigners had to say Suomalainen instead of Finnish and Suomi instead of Finland it would get old fast.

I don’t think I could ever pronounce Zhōngguó (China).

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As I mentioned above, that goes back to language - endonyms and exonyms. The ways in which languages were used to describe places changed over time, just as borders and the people within them changed:

It can be difficult to get external references changed and accepted. When I was in school, maps showed Burma, Ceylon, Holland, and Rhodesia. Now they are Myanmar, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe. I’m not going to repeat the term, but some members of indigenous groups like the Sámi find references that are still commonly used to be offensive:

So, what people external to a country use for names can vary widely - depending on language. Exploration, conquest, colonialism, migration, and cultural shifts have influenced which names were chosen, discarded, accepted, and/or disseminated throughout history.

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That was done officially to immigrants coming into Ellis Island. No surprise there.

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As an American who was constantly giggled at by a professor i worked with when trying to pronounce the umlaut in her name I believe the exact opposite. The name was Müeller.

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It was likely Müller or Mueller but not both

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Who did so? I just reminded that English is the language of certain countries, while there are billions of people merrily talking other languages.

Here, have muh jar of pickles.

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TIL

Englishis the most common official language, with recognized status in 51 countries“

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It’s also the official language of the air travel industry and the de facto language of international diplomacy (replacing French, which held sway there for centuries until WWII). One also has to have some English to work in international finance and shipping.

Certain languages in history gain lingua franca status for a time before ceding the spot to another, with some form of hard or soft imperial power driving things. Mandarin will probably be up next late in this century.

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It was actually Büller, hence the giggling.
Ferris Buellers Day Off GIF

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One of my oldest French professors used to say that while English is the language of business, French is the language of culture. Due to colonization, the “snob” factor, or the popularity of fashions, food, and film, French is sometimes spoken in places where English is not*. That’s based on my travels as a tourist, and may be a reflection of what’s emphasized in schools or among people able to afford foreign language classes for themselves or their children.

*or is not spoken as in-depth, beyond a few words or basic phrases

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And plumbing!

Oh, and diplomacy.

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The Francophonie is also a major factor. France puts active effort into preserving the language as an international binding agent.

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What the ell are you talking about?!?
Ca n’est pas une pipe!

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Two words: Diametre Nominal.

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“Pickles” would be a great name for a new country.

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Ah, but would people relish the opportunity to live there? Will this renaming of Turkey lead to internal strife between the forces of stuffing and dressing? :turkey: :poultry_leg: :thinking:

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