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Tuesday, January 08, 2008

Time for a name change?

The name of our fair country has evolved in the 366 years since Abel Tasman clapped his eyes on it. Firstly, Staten Landt, Nieuw Zeeland and finally New Zealand.

The isles upon which we reside in early days were never apparently known as one country, but as individually named parts.

Somewhere in between we were told by romanticists that the official pre-colonisation name was supposedly the Land of the long white cloud, or more commonly, Aotearoa. This, as discussed here, is a mere fiction, long overdue for removal from our lexicon.

Now that could upset some, romanticists and radicals have long used the name to define a point of difference. True romanticists are few and far between these days, so every time I see the word used, I know what is coming next - some supposedly hard done by needing a larger cut of my tax dollar has his hand out.

Like my passport says, this country has a name, it is New Zealand, nothing else.

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