[KS] Korean War (other terms)

Cwiertka, K.J. K.J.Cwiertka at let.leidenuniv.nl
Mon Nov 21 03:47:05 EST 2005


I think we have to consider linguistic features of languages when we discuss terms such as 'fatherland' and ' motherland'. In some languages nouns have a gender depending on their ending. For example, in Polish (and if I remember correctly the same holds for Russian), all nouns that end with "a" are feminine. Because the Polish name for Poland is 'Polska', it automatically becomes feminine and it would be illogical to refer to it as 'fatherland'. I think that this also explains why Russians refer to Russia as 'motherland'.

 

I hope this does make sense; I am not a linguist myself, but this just occurred to me when I was reading Doc Rock's (?!) message.

 

Katarzyna

Katarzyna J. Cwiertka, PhD 
Centre for Japanese and Korean Studies 
Leiden University 
P.O. Box 9515 
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The Netherlands 
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http://www.koreaans.leidenuniv.nl/index.php3?m=13&c=42 <http://www.koreaans.leidenuniv.nl/index.php3?m=13&c=42>  

________________________________

From: Koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws [mailto:Koreanstudies-bounces at koreaweb.ws] On Behalf Of Dr. Edward D. Rockstein
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 3:33 AM
To: Korean Studies Discussion List
Subject: [SPAM-BA] - Re: [KS] Korean War (other terms) - Bayesian Filter detected spam

 

But, on the other hand, it is mother Rus!

Doc Rock

Henny Savenije <webmaster at henny-savenije.pe.kr> wrote:

At 05:02 AM 11/19/2005, you wrote:

>While I agree that we often think of Germany in 
>the "Fatherland" context, I suspect that the 
>DPRK is echoing the Soviet Union's "Great 
>Fatherland War" (1941-45) rather than Nazi Germany.

I guess that would be a typical Anglophile 
reaction, since in Dutch it's also Fatherland, 
(and not motherland) and I guess the Scandinavian 
countries do the same. Germans still speak about 
Vaterland in a political sense, for instance für 
Fürst und Vaterland, while Heimat is more used in daily life.


The French speak about Patrie and Spanisch and 
Italians about patria, but I have no idea if they 
have the same sentiment against the word fatherland.



Henny (Lee Hae Kang)
-----------------------------
http://www.henny-savenije.pe.kr Portal to all my sites
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(in English) Feel free to discover Korea with Hendrick Hamel (1653-1666)
http://www.hendrick-hamel.henny-savenije.pe.kr/indexk2.htm In Korean
http://www.hendrick-hamel.henny-savenije.pe.kr/Dutch In Dutch
http://www.vos.henny-savenije.pe.kr Frits Vos 
Article about Witsen and Eibokken and his first Korean-Dutch dictionary
http://www.cartography.henny-savenije.pe.kr (in 
English) Korea through Western Cartographic eyes
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http://www.oldKorea.henny-savenije.pe.kr Old Korea in pictures
http://www.british.henny-savenije.pe.kr A British encounter in Pusan (1797)
http://www.genealogy.henny-savenije.pe.kr/ Genealogy
http://www.henny-savenije.pe.kr/bboard Bulletin board for Korean studies





 

 

Dr. Edward D. Rockstein 
Language Instructor & Team Leader
Language Learning Center (LLC) 
891 Elkridge Landing Road, Rm 301 
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 
Office 410-859-5672

Fax 410-859-5737 
ed4linda at yahoo.com 

  

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