The Off Topic Topic

[Savonarola]

Question for Spanish speakers (or anyone else who knows), why is Havana "La Habana" in Spanish?  (That is why does it take the definite article, not why is it spelled with a b rather than with a v.)

In general, the use of article in the name of a place denotes a common noun that's treated as a proper noun - it probably referred to a local feature (one theory traces it to "savanna") that was used to denote the whole place. However, given that the origin of the name is lost to time (there are many theories) it's difficult to say.

Ah, like El Paso or Las Vegas then, thanks.

[Savonarola]

I thought he'd hold on to the bitter end, but:

Emmy Award^TM winning Governor Andrew Cuomo resigns after sexual harassment allegations

[The Larch]

Question for Spanish speakers (or anyone else who knows), why is Havana "La Habana" in Spanish?  (That is why does it take the definite article, not why is it spelled with a b rather than with a v.)

Its original name when founded was "San Cristóbal de la Habana", from that it was shortened to just La Habana. Same with Los Ángeles, originally named "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles".

[grumbler]

Question for Spanish speakers (or anyone else who knows), why is Havana "La Habana" in Spanish?  (That is why does it take the definite article, not why is it spelled with a b rather than with a v.)

Same could be asked for the Ukraine, the Gambia, or the OSU.

'The' was dropped from Ukraine as preferred form in the 90s.

When Ukraine achieved independence, it stated that the country's name was "Ukraine" while "the Ukraine" referred to an area, not a country and was no longer applicable. 

The Gambia, like the Congo, retains the article because it is names after the river that flows through it.  THEE OSU is a mere affectation preferred by idiots.

[Valmy]

Why are the names so long? The Spanish didn't have paragraph long names for their towns back in Europe.

[Savonarola]

Question for Spanish speakers (or anyone else who knows), why is Havana "La Habana" in Spanish?  (That is why does it take the definite article, not why is it spelled with a b rather than with a v.)

Its original name when founded was "San Cristóbal de la Habana", from that it was shortened to just La Habana. Same with Los Ángeles, originally named "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles".

So then is Celedhring correct then that "Habana" is a word of unknown origin?

[The Larch]

Question for Spanish speakers (or anyone else who knows), why is Havana "La Habana" in Spanish?  (That is why does it take the definite article, not why is it spelled with a b rather than with a v.)

Its original name when founded was "San Cristóbal de la Habana", from that it was shortened to just La Habana. Same with Los Ángeles, originally named "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles".

So then is Celedhring correct then that "Habana" is a word of unknown origin?

Apparently it's not known for sure, yeah. One theory says that it derives from the name of the Taino chief of that area, other says that it's a corruption of the original taino name of the area, or from a local legend. To make matters worse, the word is spelled in many different ways over the years (Habana only became the final version in the late XVIIIth, early XIXth century, before that it was written Havana, Hauana or Abana.

[The Larch]

Why are the names so long? The Spanish didn't have paragraph long names for their towns back in Europe.

You start naming places after patron saints, you're bound to end up with really long names eventually. 

[Threviel]

Professional snake hunters, like in India do pretty well grabbing them by the tail.

Spending some time thinking about this (no more than 6 or 7 hours), I saw lots of people wrestle alligators as a kid (I'm from Florida) and the alligator never won. Crocodiles aren't alligators but for someone that knows what they are doing, it may not be that difficult.

Go see if you can find a video of someone wrestling a croc. Successfully that is.

[celedhring]

Why are the names so long? The Spanish didn't have paragraph long names for their towns back in Europe.

Because we didn't name them, they were hand-me-downs from the Romans/Arabs/Iberians/whatever. 

[alfred russel]

When Ukraine achieved independence, it stated that the country's name was "Ukraine" while "the Ukraine" referred to an area, not a country and was no longer applicable. 

Perhaps we should reenter "the Ukraine" in the lexicon as the area controlled by the country has shrunk a bit? "Ukraine" referring to the country while "the Ukraine" referring to the greater Ukraine territory that irredentists dream of reuniting?

[grumbler]

When Ukraine achieved independence, it stated that the country's name was "Ukraine" while "the Ukraine" referred to an area, not a country and was no longer applicable. 

Perhaps we should reenter "the Ukraine" in the lexicon as the area controlled by the country has shrunk a bit? "Ukraine" referring to the country while "the Ukraine" referring to the greater Ukraine territory that irredentists dream of reuniting?

Sure.  Go right ahead.  *Turns and runs away*

[Eddie Teach]

Chicken.

[mongers]

Well I won't forget that August 10th in a hurry, first I had to take my cat with suspected rat bait poisoning to the vets, wasn't expecting her to survive, but she's home now.

Later in the evening I had to oversee my elderly mother going into hospital, not ideal this time of year what with the local hospitals maxed out with tourists increasing the A&E wait and bed occupancy. 

[crazy canuck]

Hope your mother is ok