The Philippines, the country of my birth, has struggled with its name for more than a century. It comes from “Islas Felipinas,” conferred on the islands by explorers from Spain in honor of the then heir to the throne of the country: The future Philip II, who would send that armada against England in 1588. It’s an ironic legacy from a colonial power that oppressed the archipelago for 300 years.
Several decades ago, there was an attempt to rename the country “Maharlika,” a pre-Spanish word denoting nobility. While some nationalists were enthusiastic, it came from too far in the past to catch on. Filipinos have instead warmed to the slangy, slightly irreverent “pinoy” to describe themselves. Perhaps some portmanteau national name can be manufactured with that to reflect the country’s character.
A BABEL OF COUNTRY NAMES
Or maybe it doesn’t matter. Maybe the better part of valour (and value, if you need to worry about a branding budget) is to be confident in your identity and to live with the name you have or with a babel of them.
The Germans call their country Deutschland but the Poles call it “Niemcy,” the French “Allemagne,” the Chinese “Deguo” and the Danes “Tyskland.” The Germans (once East and West themselves) are still very German no matter the designation.
Confoederatio Helvetica is not a font but the constitutional name for Switzerland, the Latin papering over the country’s four official languages. The Alpine nation isn’t about to be mistaken for someplace else. Even Spaniards know the difference between someone from Suiza and people from Suecia (Sweden).
China doesn’t insist on being called Zhongguo by non-Chinese speakers. You don’t have to refer to Japan as Nihon-koku (unless you want to).
As it is, the Turks have always called their country Türkiye; and Bharat is already in widespread use in the country also known as India. Those names can coexist with what the rest of the world uses.
There’s no need to force universal compliance. At least not immediately. Give the rest of us time to come around.
Source: CNA
