To 'The' or Not to 'The'

[Myasishchev]

I've heard Ukrainians who don't like "the Ukraine." They say it makes it seem like it's just a geographical feature, and not a nation.

 

[SchwEnt]

^^^ I learned about that in high school. Ukraine is spoken of as we would speak of a state i.e. I am from Ohio (not I am from the Ohio) I am from Ukraine (not I am from the Ukraine).

 

[StarryEyed]

I'm not bothered by "the Earth". After all, Earth is not the name of the place, its just a description. The planet named Terra is the Earth, the Soil, the Ground for us.
Timo Saloniemi

I don't hear Earth referred to as "Terra" too often. In any event, it makes absolutely no sense in the Trekverse. All races surely have a reverence for their homeworld. Singling out one to put a "the" in front of just smacks of arrogance.

What do you think of "The" Donald Trump? I personally think the man is a buffoon, a pompous ass. Bill Gates is many times richer and has accomplished so much more but doesn't make a fool out of himself by refering to himself as "The Bill."

 

[AJBryant]

It's been my observation that ships are *normally* "the."

The Roosevelt, the Enterprise, the Saratoga, the Prinz Eugen, the Tirpitz, the Bismarck, the Royal Oak, the Bon Homme Richard, the Serapis, the Santisima Trinidad, the Golden Hind, the Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, the Mayflower, the Missouri, the Monitor, the Merrimac, the Akagi, the Forrestal....

The only reason we're "used to" simply "Voyager" is because the series is typically written by people who know how to tell stories, but not necessarily know naval traditions.

 

[Timo]

All races surely have a reverence for their homeworld. Singling out one to put a "the" in front of just smacks of arrogance.

But that's just it: all the homeworlds are named "the Earth" in their native languages! Or at least two thirds of them are.

UTs translating to English say "the Earth" when meaning the human homeworld, and "Vulcan" when meaning the Vulcan one. UTs translating to Vulcan say "the Earth" (in Vulcan, of course - it's something like "Solektra" in Vulcan if we trust these guys: http://www.starbase-10.de/vld/) when meaning the Vulcan homeworld, and "Terra" when meaning the human one. Simple and elegant...

...Now if we could just all agree to spell "Human" with a capital H, so that it doesn't stand out so sorely. Although here, too, all species no doubt call themselves human in their native language.

Timo Saloniemi