What do the Irish call the British Isles

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 02:25 PM

I disagree. As an American who has visited both southeastern England and the west of Ireland, I found the cultural differences to be considerable in some ways, such as the social manners, and virtually nonexistent in others, such as foods eaten, clothes worn, entertainment, etc.

It depends upon one's experience (or lack thereof) negotiating cultural differences, I think. Anyone who lives, works, and/or plays in more than one culture group (as some of us Americans in big cities do) knows that while the food and clothing customs can be very important, it is really the difference in social manners which ends up causing the majority of cultural conflicts and misunderstandings. If one is travelling and oblivious to those differences, then one is pretty culturally insensitive anyway.

Like someone else said--Irish people refer to Britain as Britain, to Ireland as Ireland, and to the political state encompassing the northern six counties of Ireland and the island of Britain, as the UK. Just as the British do. And as Declan says, it has nothing to do with superiority/inferiority. It has to do with practicality, and the need to refer to the geographic and political areas correctly. British Isles isn't geographically or politically correct, so people don't use the term British Isles at all. I can't even think of that many Americans who use the term any more, to be honest, even journalists in the mass media don't use the term very often. It is either Britain (even when what they are actually referring to is the UK) or Ireland, British or Irish.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 01:57 PM

Ok Declan I think you probably lived there all the time, but if you lived all your life in Minnesota USA or Perth Au and then travelled around the Islands the differences would be hard to list.

The entire place from Kent to Clare still looks and feels pretty similar to a stranger, and I am confident a central European fisherman/trader would have the same experience way back when it was called 'Pritany'

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Declan
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 12:41 PM

Grab,

I don't know of anyone who would describe themselves as a "West Brit" as the term is generally considered to be an abusive one. Therefore its something that other people might call you rather than something you'd call yourself.

Sorefingers the reason why people would call people from the two islands different names is because they are two different places. Given that I live in one and am a regular visitor to the other, I am very much aware of how different they are. This is, I hasten to add not a claim of superiority for one or the other but a simple statement of fact. Anyone who has spent time in (say) the South East of England and the West of Ireland will know what I'm talking about.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 10:21 AM

Any mention of woad is going to get blue pretty quickly.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Grab
Date: 22 Oct 02 - 09:54 AM

As far as the "southern west Brits" goes, I assume that's only what Irish people call a group of Irish people. It certainly would never, under any circumstances, be what anyone coming from Britain (England, Scotland and Ireland) would call them, because that area is not part of Britain.

So in other words, if you come from Ireland and call yourself a "southern west Brit", you are by definition not British!

Graham.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,sorefingers
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 04:38 PM

To be that far and/or long away from it I suspect they call it 'home'.

I never heard the expression Britain used to not mean Ireland as well as the rest, and assume it to be a cultural rather than political tag.
But I could be mistaken. Besides despite what some think, Penny is absolutely right, the term began to be used off shore in the European mainland to describe the place. I do not think they knew or cared to separate one island off from the rest; indeed, if they did I would be really interested to know why.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Penny S.
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 03:28 PM

Actually, Pretani is geographical as well. The Preta part of the name is related to Creta, as in chalk and the Cretaceous period in which it was laid down. The word was in Celtic languages, one in the P Celtic, the other in the Q Celtic form. So the Pretani live on the chalk land aka Prydain, Albion (white?) etc. Since Ireland has chalk, it's not too inappropriate as a geographical description.

Penny

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Brian F. Hannon of FREE LOUGH NEAGH web
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 09:25 AM

I know why for Sure . Allowing for Spelling . It was The Romans who refered to the The Inhabitants as The Pretiani aka of The Pretian Isles . I just dont know where or when somebody changed the P to a B. I feel sure some of yez will let us all know . Surely you have heard tell of the Saying " GET OUT THE WOAD " that does not step aside for someone or vechicle coming through . Woad is a Plant .

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Hrothgar
Date: 20 Oct 02 - 05:26 AM

And we'll still beat 'em.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 10:55 AM

I once raised this in another post. The correct name for the Rugby Union team that represents the whole of these islands is The British Isles. The team was commonly known as The British Lions (as in British Isles not Great Britain).

But recently this has changed to The British and Irish Lions, no doubt it will become The British Irish and Welsh Lions and then The British Irish Welsh and Scottish Lions, then maybe The British Irish Welsh, Scottish and Manx Lions, next will come The British Irish Welsh, Scottish, Manx and Channel Lions. Then the English will decide they are a better team on their own and tell the others to piss off.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: InOBU
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 10:46 AM

McGrath!? If the confederate states had won the US civi war, would they be the Former Union Commonly Known as the United States,,, F**KUS? My, my my... Larry

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Gurney
Date: 19 Oct 02 - 05:31 AM

Don't think you can use football as an excuse for disliking your neighbours. Most cities have MUCH more partisan fans than that, like Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool etc. wearing the wrong colour scarf can get you in a worrying situation sometimes. "are ye a RANGERS supporter then, Jimmy?" "NO, mate I'm a Peterborough fan, just borrowed the scarf to keep warm!"
To add to my earlier post, The Norman invaders of Britain in 1066 were descended largely from 'Norsemen' who had settled in 'Gaul' earlier.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 01:56 PM

I'm not saying they always get on with each other up in Scandinavia, but they managed to split up without endless bloodshed and wrangling. And Scandinavia is a neutral and inoffensive term in a way that British isn't at present.

Maybe when the Union finally goes the constituent parts will be referred to Yugoslav style - "the Former United Kingdom Republic of Scotland - FUKROS"...

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 08:49 AM

Don't agree with you there Joe - when Scotland were reasonably good with the likes of Souness, Dalgleish, Hanson, Nicholas, McAvennie etc. all playing (successfully) in England, there was still a general attitude of dislike. Also all the French team play in England & they're disliked just as much as Scotland.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Moleskin Joe
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 05:37 AM

GerMan, the reason the English have a different attitude to the Irish football team is that they know the players, since virtually all of them play in England. The Scottish team usually contains a significant number of players unfamiliar to them.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: greg stephens
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 04:51 AM

You should hear what the Norwegians say about the Swedes when they've had a few of the very expensive drinks they have there.

Subject: RE: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 18 Oct 02 - 02:22 AM

Hmmm, NH Dave please see the newly released film "Skins" and/or read Ian Frazier's book "On the Rez" (If kinder and gentler means we ain't shooting them (much) any more, I agree)

As fer me I was born a yankee and progressed from that to copperhead to bushwacker to rebel to confederate and then to injun fighter and cowboy and then cattleman and sheepherder and prospector and I'm back pumping gas at the local QT, looking over my shoulder fer snipers and wishing I wuz holed up in the mountains with a ten year supply of Black Jack and a limber woman.

CB

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 01:20 PM

McGrath, I seem to recall quite a few Scandinavian feuds as bloody as much of Scottish and Irish history in the books I have read. Danish friends still talk of sending the Swedes packing a couple of hundred years ago.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 01:09 PM

It's a shame there isn't a non-contentious term for the whole set of countries, like the Scandinavians have. And they managed to divide up when it seemed appropriate without all the fighting and rancour that has disfigured the history of "these islands".

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: dermod in salisbury
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 12:33 PM

According to Churchill's history, the word Britain derives from Pretani, a pre-Roman tribe. The term, British Empire, shows that the constituent nations have not always squabbled among themselves for pride of position. Or maybe it was because it singled none of them out for particular blame. Today, the term British Isles is mainly used by television weather forecasters. This enables them to put rain cloud symbols over the whole of Ireland without causing political offence. The Irish, I believe, do not have a special word the other islands in the group. I think this is because they had already colonised all of them before British history proper began - with, of course, the normans.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 11:00 AM

Declan's post is the sort of internal discussion I was visualizing when I asked the question. I never realized that there were so many shades of opinion about this issue, but I had a feeling that it was certainly not as simple as a simple geographic designation.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: NH Dave
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:52 AM

While we may have gotten the names for Britain, Ireland, stc., from the Romans, it seems they bear amazing similarity to the Cymric name noted early in this thread, so I submit that these may have been the Romanized versions of the names the locals called themselves, "way back when."


We have a similar problem her when referring to "Native American" tribal names, since the early explorers frequently got them from other locals who were NOT on friendly terms with the people in question, and were given names that were derogatory, but stuck. The other problem in this instance is that many of the tribal groupings referred to themselves as The People, in their own tongue, implying that others were "not people." Thus those we have called the Sioux, from the French trader times, should actually and are now being called Lakota, one of their words, rather than Sioux, which I believe to be a francophiled version of what another tribe called them.


Of course back in the times when we were most involved with the Indians, no one much cared what they were called except dead, but we live in a kinder gentler times now and are trying to right some of the old wrongs.


Dave

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:47 AM

GerMan--we fought harder and longer to get rid of them, is why. And still they won't bugger off.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,GerMan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 10:15 AM

What puzzles me is why the English (in particular) have this attitude towards Ireland but not Scotland & Wales.

English tend to rejoice in the Scottish being not very good at football (although some claim this is because "they don't like us so we don't like them") rather than adopting the paternal attitude they have towards the Irish football team.

Having lived in both England & Scotland I wish we could all just get along!

Interesting to hear your ideas on Germany & Austria though. Maybe it will change as Europe becomes more integrated (we can livein hope!) & we'll all club together to gang up on the Americans!

Thread creep here but I regard myself as European first, then British, then from the county I live in, then the town etc. (I think I'm in a minority though).

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Fiolar
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:31 AM

In passing the Irish differentiated between the Danes and the Norwegians. The Danes were called "Dubh-Gall" and the Norwegians "Fionn-Gall." (Black Foreigners and Fair Foreigners). For a greater explanation see "The Story of the Irish Race", by Seumas MacManus. (Chapter 30; The Vikings in Ireland). Regarding the use of the word "mainland", I understand that the word was first used by Margaret Thatcher in order to give the impression that Ireland was nothing more than an extension of Britain.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:06 AM

Yes, GerMan, I think it is a more general phenomenon.
Take Germany and Austria, one big and one small country, close to each other geographically.
Germans feel closer to Austria than to, for instance, France though both border to Germany. Germans in their feelings are kind of inclusive (in sports: if none of us can win, we shout for the Austrian) and somewhat paternalistic. It just doesn't feel like going abroad when going to Austria. The feeling is: yes, we know in principle you have your own country but admit you are half Germans.

Austrians, on the other hand don't reciprocate these feelings of closeness. They want to demonstrate their independence by being explicitely anti-German. So in sports, seeing a German loose is nearly as good as seeing an Austrian win.

Do I exaggerate. Yes, of course, and for many individuals on both sides of the border it is different. But what you describe about Britain/Ireland reminds me in some aspects of Germany/Austria. I think the big/small country difference with an in parts common history can explain a lot.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Mr Red
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 08:38 AM

Well I'm with the pedantic semantics on this one not the romantic sychophantics.

Geographically Ireland is part of the British Isles, ideologically there is no logic - only opinions, bigotry and not a little institutionalised propaganda. But that is only my opinion.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Mikey joe
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 08:37 AM

Pied piper


South Western Brits refers to people from the Republic of Ireland who reside in that part of the island known as West Britain (viz. The Pale aka the counties on the eastern seaboard) which tends to be more anglecised than the rest of the country. By this I take into account various factors like number of tea rooms per head of population and other important factors

Is mise le meas

Mj

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,GerMan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 08:17 AM

I find the the constant fawning towards Ireland by the British media mystifying especially when the feeling isn't reciprocated. I get annoyed when British people support Ireland at football because "thier our nearest neighbours". The majority of people in England (if not Britain) were probably born nearer to France than Ireland yet there's a general attitude of loathing towards France for some reason. I'd imagine this is just as annoying for the Irish (as Declan suggests above) especially all the stereotypes that are trotted out ad nauseum - "the plucky Irish" etc. etc.

Are there any other countries where this happens?

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Pied Piper
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 08:13 AM

What's all this shouting? We'll have no trouble here.
   This flaming limey bast(i)d, is a little confused with the use of the phrase "southern West Brits". Surely you could not be referring to the Cornish and Devonians.
   I think that you actually mean the "Brits" from the south EAST (London and surrounding area).
   Here in the UK we have things called Maps, ingenious devices that show the location and shape of landmasses in an easily accessible way. They also show the orientation of said landmasses in relation to the points of the compass.
   I think you Have these in the US but they clearly only show America and Ireland.
   In the future please make use of a Map, to ensure accuracy when pontificating about events and attitudes in other peoples countries.
   Have a nice day.PP

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Gareth
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 07:38 AM

It may be the "Irish Sea" but it's also contains the "St George's Channel"

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Declan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 07:21 AM

The term British Isles is a fairly well accepted Geographic term, although when we're talking about them here we tend to say these islands. To be honest it is not something that comes up in everyday conversation here, because a lot of people don't regard the islands as a single entity and therefore in most contexts don't find a need for a collective name.

The use of the term 'mainland' to describe the island which contains England, Scotland and Wales is misleading in most cases, but it depends on the context - if you're on an offshore island off the coast of Ireland then the Island of Ireland is referred to correctly as the mainland. I have a friend who delights in referring to Britain as the intervening (as opposed to the interfering) island.

Where the term British Isles gets a lot of our hackles up is when someone from the UK comes out with the statement in the company of Irish people that "we're all British aren't we". When challenged on this (which they surely will be by the Irsih person) the usual response will be - I mean we're all from the British Isles. This has long been an irritant to a lot of Irish people and is very prevelant among British sports commentators. It's also noticable that when a sportsperson from Ireland is competing internationally that (at least according to the BBC/ITV commetators) they are British if they win but Irish when they lose.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 07:03 AM

Quite.....

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 07:00 AM

Strangely enough we call it the Irish Sea.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 06:51 AM

What do the British call "The Irish Sea"? Do they get upset about it? Jeez....

Regards

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,GerMan
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 06:05 AM

A colleague of mine said she hadn't been abroad this year but had been to Ireland 3 times!!!!

I would suggest this is how the majority of British (Scots, Welsh & English but probably not those in Ulster) view our neighbour.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 06:01 AM

'Großbritannien und Irland' - leaving out the Isle of Man once again. (But I don't imagine the Manx are too worried about that.)

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:57 AM

Rugby isn't exactly a nationalist sport in Ireland, by the way.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:57 AM

Guest- Are you the Peoples Front of Judea?

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Hrothgar
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:46 AM

Last time the rugby team came here, they were billed as the "British and Irish Lions."

We beat 'em, too.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 05:19 AM

The Protestant-Unionists refer to England as " The Mainland", and also from the troubles of the past thirty years, now use LondonDerry all of the time, previously it was Derry.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Gurney
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 04:48 AM

Read a historical novel recently, set in the time when the Saxons, the 'English,' were coming down the Rhine and settling in 'Britain.' The 'Britons,' of Celtic stock, didn't like them much and were moving out, between battles, toward Wales and Scotland. The titles are the authors', not mine.
And I always thought the Scots were an Irish tribe who settled in the lands of the Picts.
If this is all true, I suppose it only matters to pedants what you call them/us. Just call in good time for dinner.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 04:20 AM

I know I was not asked to respond, for I am not Irish, but...

I googled to find out the relative frequency of the terms used in English and German and the result came out to a big surprise for me, for in both cases I would have made the opposite prediction:

'Great Britain and Ireland' is less common than 'British Isles', but 'Großbritannien und Irland' is much more common than 'Britische Inseln'. The last term being used mostly in geography.

As for queens, it is easy in German though not very consistent. We say 'die Königin von...' and insert the country, except when we speak about the English (and some other parts of the world) monarch. Then we say not only colloquially but even in the evening news 'die Queen' (pron.: kveen). Seems natural to us.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Fibula Mattock
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 03:26 AM

Norse, LtS, Norse! The Danes settled in England, the Norse in Ireland!
;)

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 03:14 AM

But I thought Dublin was Danish?

(grinning madly and reaching for the door.....)

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: The Pooka
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 12:00 AM

Greater Ireland.

:)

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Big Tim
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:25 PM

My father called it/them "across the sheugh".

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Brían
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:19 PM

They also made our language intelligible...

Brían

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 09:18 PM

Roads, some placenames, some domestic archaeology. If they gave us the bagpipes, nobody seems to have noticed for the best part of seven hundred years.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Popular Front of the Palestinian Liberation
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 09:02 PM

What have the Romans ever given us anyway? Other than the bagpipes...

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: diesel
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 08:19 PM

I am born and bred Dublin, our school atlas when growing up showed Ireland to be an Island of the British Isles and most people I know wouldn't bat an eyelid to hear or use the term 'British isles'in the context of the initial question.
Some object for Republican and anti-everything-British sentiment.One I know also never lets you finish a sentance if you say 'the Queen' in it - before she asks which Queen ? Of Englan or the Netherlands
?
Now calling us British is a totally different argument - But lets not go there.

A humoruos story - well it was at the time - I was in a pottery shop in Malahide (kind of posh Dublin suburb - West-Brit and all that) when I over heard an elderly lady ask the sales person 'Do you have any British or is it all foreign ?) I couldn't resist I just had to interject - 'I'm sorry ! I thought British was foreign....? )

Oh for the look on that ones face ....

rgds

Diesel

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 08:17 PM

When the Scots get their independence that should solve the problem.

The term Britain and British Isles will revert to being purely geographical expressions, and noone will have any excuse for thinking the contain an implied divisive political meaning.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:50 PM

Well said, John. Bloody Romans! That'll do me.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:50 PM

When making reference to the nation currently under the political union of England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland, I use the term UK. If I am referring to the geographical island which contains the political states known as England, Scotland & Wales, I say Britain. If I am referring to the geographic island which encompasses Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, I say Ireland. If I am referring to both geographic islands, I say Britain and Ireland.

I never say "British Isles" because it isn't an accurate description of the geographic or geopolitical realities of the region. I would also suggest that most others in Britain and Ireland generally follow this same usage. There are many euphemisms and colloquial terms used by people in different regions, but those I've listed are the ones you would most likely hear used by British and Irish citizens, both at home and abroad.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Snuffy
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:48 PM

"The British Isles" is a purely geographical expression, like "the American Continent"

The United Kingdom is part of the British Isles, like the United States is part of the American Continent.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: smallpiper
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:46 PM

Since the term Britain is Roman, I think most people call them the British Isles. Its nowt to do with ethnicity at all, and since most of us are mongerals anyway - I am Irish and can trace my ancestry back to elizabeth the first of englands time (I stress this as most people dont realise that the current queen liz is queen liz the 1st of scotland)- so the islands are names by some roman git an dunless some one can come up with the pre roman name then thats what we are stuck with. So shall we settle on blaming the romans for all our troubles.

Yours extremely inebriated
John

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:39 PM

It's a purely geographical term, as explained earlier by "Boring Guest". No value judgements attached; no political agendas, though seriously misunderstood by people who haven't bothered to think it through. Maybe the people Liz knows who have a problem with it would also prefer not to be considered part of Europe.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:12 PM

It's usually unprintable in a decent forum...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Gareth
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 06:50 PM

British Isles - No ! British Lions is wot they tour under,

which reminds me of the South Wales joke.

Where did the Welsh first beat the All Blacks on a neutral Ground ?

Roukes Drift - oops un PC.

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Peter from Essex
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 05:20 PM

The answer is to get an Irish atlas and see what it says at the head of the page that shows the entire island group.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:43 PM

Now no one's mentioned the Isle of Man, which isn't part of either of the big islands, and isn't part of the United Kingdom either, but is part of the British Isles, or whatever you call them. Actually since the Isle of Man sits slap bang in the middle, maybe a good name for the whole shebang would be "The Isles of Man".

Historically Great Britain means exactly the same as Britain, and refers to the island with England Scotland and Wales on it, which was been called Britannia by the Romans. The French refer to it as Grande Bretagne to distinguish it from Bretagne, Brittany, and Great Britain is just a translation. The use of the term "Britain" to refer to the United Kingdom seems pretty recent and dubious. I doubt if anyone ever referred to Ireland as a whole as being part of "Britain" before Partition.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: RolyH
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:38 PM

When they tour every four years or so the Lions rugby union team go under the title 'British Isles'.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: HuwG
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:22 PM

Welsh terms:

Cymru - Wales
Lloegr - England
Yr Alban - Scotland
Iwerddon - Ireland / Eire
(Iwerddon Gogledd = Northern Ireland)
Prydein - Britain / The British Isles

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:15 PM

And then again, I was born and raised in Minnesota, of 100% German ancestry. I am a native American. (as opposed to Native American)

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: weerover
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:13 PM

Can't speak for all Scots, but I don't often think of "The British Isles" as a concept either. I generally think of each of its constituents separately; is asked for my nationality I generally say "Scottish" even though that currently doesn't have status as a nationality for international purposes. In the course of time, though...

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:12 PM

I think the *correct* geographical term is something like the "North Atlantic Islands".

What Irish people call them depends on political orientation. Unionists and southern West Brits call them the British Isles; republicans and liberals both tend to say "these islands".

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: GUEST,Boring Guest
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:08 PM

One of the problems is that there are a number of different concepts that get confused. As a Scot living in the USA it is amusing and frustrating to hear what many "Americans" think they are.

Basically, the split is as follows:

British Isles - Geographical term referring to all the islands sitting immediately off the coast of Europe, excluding Faeros, Iceland (and a couple of others) and including Ireland (Republic and Northern) and the Orkneys and Shetlands. Not one that is used vrey much anymore anyway - regardless of where in the British Isles you come from.

Great Britain and Britain - This is the island containing only Scotland, Wales and England and again is a geographic term.

United Kingdom - this is more of a geo-political entity. The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (before 1921 it was "and Ireland". Sometimes it is said to be the United Kingdom of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland as Wales was a principality under England rather than a kingdom that entered into the Union (technically only Scotland entered into the Union although you have to rememebr that we were "Bought and sold for English gold").

Finally, if you are from the island that is Great Britain, you would be British (some of the people in Northern Ireland might refer to themselves as British as well which based on the British Isles is correct although tenuous, I would say) and if you come from the island that is "Ireland" you would be Irish.

A similar situation exists in North America - you have people who reside in Canada, Mexico or the USA, and refer to themselves as Canadians, Mexicans or Americans respectively. However, technically they are all "Americans" as they are from the continent of North America. This is further confused as "native Americans" may reside in any of these countries.....

Nuff said!

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: weepiper
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:51 PM

Erm. I don't ever remember referring to the whole lot as anything... 'The British Isles' as a concept doesn't usually come up in conversation here.

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: MMario
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:36 PM

I think the question was - the island cluster off the coast of Europe which include that geographical feature on which England, Scotland, etc reside PLUS Ireland - PLUS numerous other small islands; are usually designated as "The British Isles".

Is there another name by which it is known in Scotland and/or Ireland?

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: Amos
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:32 PM

Or, sometimes, those flaming limey bastids...depending on your temperament! :>)

A

Subject: RE: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: weepiper
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:30 PM

Depends what you mean by British Isles. Ireland is a republic not part of Britain, except for Northern Ireland. I'm Scottish and I generally call the rest of it (Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland) the UK or Britain.

Subject: BS: What do the Irish call the British Isles
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:28 PM

Considering the issues of ethnic identity and nationalism we have been discussing lately, what do the Irish, Scots, Welsh, etc. call what we call the British Isles?