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Subject:RE: the Netherlands vs. The Netherlands From:"Johan Hiemstra" <webmaster -at- techexams -dot- net> To:"'T K'" <tvk_tw -at- yahoo -dot- ie>, <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, <techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk> Date:Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:36:56 +0200
Hi,
The correct spelling of the 'name' (not term...) is The Netherlands. Writing
it without the cap in The is simply incorrect.
Johan Hiemstra
The Netherlands :)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+webmaster=techexams -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+webmaster=techexams -dot- net -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On
> Behalf Of T K
> Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 18:25
> To: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com; techcomm -at- user -dot- itconsult -dot- co -dot- uk
> Subject: the Netherlands vs. The Netherlands
>
> Hi,
>
> I have a question in relation to the correct spelling of the term "The
> Netherlands". If the word "The" is at the start of a sentence there is no
> ambiguity but if it occurs mid-sentence I am seeing conflicting opinions
> as to whether it should be "...of the Netherlands" or "...of The
> Netherlands".
>
> Would anybody be able to advise?
>
> I apologise if this seems like a very basic question, but I am unable to
> find a conclusive answer on sites such as the ISO list of country names
> (http://www.iso.org/iso/en/prods-services/iso3166ma/02iso-3166-code-
> lists/list-en1.html),
> and indeed searching various websites throws up a mixture of both
> capitalisation and non-capitalisation so it would seem I am not the only
> one who is unsure.
>
> Wiktionary says that the proper noun is "the Netherlands"
> (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Dutch) and indeed the Wikipedia naming
> conventions page indicates "of the Netherlands" and "of The Gambia" so it
> would seem that Wikipedia acknowledges that some countries can have the
> definite article capitalised mid-sentence, but not the Netherlands.
>
> I guess my question becomes how authoritative a source is Wikipedia?
>
> The official title seems to be "Kingdom of the Netherlands" (rather than
> "Kingdom of The Netherlands") so it would follow that it should be "...of
> the Netherlands". However sites such as Ethnologue omit the definite
> article and refer to terms such as "Languages of Netherlands" - see
>http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=NL
>
> Thanks,
> Thomas.
>
>
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