What's in a Name? The Czech Republic's Potential Change to 'Czechia

[jtbell]

The Czech parliament will vote on adopting "Czechia" as an official alternative name for the Czech Republic, which is a bit clunky for some purposes (e.g. sports team jerseys).

Czech Republic poised to change name to 'Czechia' (BBC)

Germans already commonly say "Tschechien", and a number of other languages use similar short forms, so there's a precedent. One downside is the inevitable confusion with Chechnya.

 

[mfb]

Note how basically all European languages use some variant of the shorter version already.Chechnya is Tschetschenien is German and has similar names (left sidebar) in other European countries, so this problem arises with English only.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why not "Bohemia"?

 

[jtbell]

I suspect some Moravians would get upset about that.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Maybe, but there is historical precedent. And Guam thinks of itself as American, even though it's about as far as you can get from the Americas.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

And Guam thinks of itself as American, even though it's about as far as you can get from the Americas.

They don't even get to vote

 

[Sophia]

this would definitely upset the Moravians and Silesians :-)