Justice
Czechs Not Exactly Thrilled About 'Czechia'
The country’s new English name just "doesn't go in my mouth," complains one government minister.
As of this Monday, the Czech Republic has an official new English name: Czechia. Freshly registered with the U.N. on July 11, the name Czechia won’t entirely replace the old one, but will now be the go-to name for the country when promoting Czech sports, culture or tourism. Think of it as a snappier alternative to the wordier official name, one that can fit legibly onto T-shirts, caps and beer steins without squishing up the writing.
The shortening makes some sense—not many country names reach five syllables without some shorter form taking hold for daily use—but it’s not going to be easy to make it catch. The biggest obstacle may be Czechs themselves. Because they seem to hate it.