On Mon, 2005-06-20 at 09:52 -0400, Greg Neumann wrote: > Simple: > "I live in United States of America." or "I live in United Kingdom of > Great Britain and Northern Ireland.", is not correct English. The > official name of the US IS "The United States of America" (as in, "We, > the people, of the United States of America ...). At least thus I was > taught way back in my earliest youth. (LONG time ago! ;-) ) I suspect > the same is true on the other side of the pond.
It draws the distinction between some united states eg Texas and Kentucky might have things that unite them and then they would be united states of America but when referring to The United States of America it makes it clear that its the specific entity that we are referring to as a noun not just any old states that happen to be united. The kingdom of Norway could be united but it would not be The United Kingdom we specifically mean when referring to England, Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland. So I live in England does not need a definite article before England because its unambiguously a specific place - only one country called England but I also live in The Uk not just any old united kingdom. Other cases are The United Arab Emirates, the European Union, the Republic of China. Where the name is made of adjectives and nouns "the" appears first to show its a single entity because words like European, Republic, United are descriptions that can apply generically to many things. Well that's how it appears to me but I'm not a linguist so I could be entirely wrong :-) -- Ian Lynch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ZMSL
