Sergey Borisov: Europeans are inventing a nick for euro

Twelve European currencies have fallen into oblivion in 2001. Next year the euro is to set in on the European market. Profit of Europe’s economy from the innovation has not been defined yet. Introduction of the new currency will touch not only upon economy. Linguists are also concerned about the problem of the euro’s introduction.

Every currency acquires a nick-name instead of its original name rather quickly. International Gerald Tribune wrote that some Austrians already named the new notes “Kalinas”, by the name of the euro designer, Robert Kalina. But the name will hardly go beyond the Austrian-Hungarian bounds.

Slang of the French streets usually turns words back to front, that is more likely to be applied to the euro as well. Linguists admit that the name “popo” my be used as a nick-name for the euro. Europeans will have to give up the past of the nation for economic unity. The French franc has a 600-year history. Its nick-name “balles” may be also used for the euro in France. It is more likely, a peculiar French name will be used for the eurocent as well. The French still use the coin name of sou, although the coin is out of use since 1947.

The name euro is neutral and will be applied to the singular as well as to the plural number. The name is to be spelled with a small letter, except for the Germans who write all nouns with the capital letter. The euro will have different pronunciation in all countries.

International Gerald Tribune says, the name euro has been chosen not for its beauty, but because it is eligible for everybody. It was also offered to name the new currency “ecu”. This was the name for an old French coin. By the way, it is an abbreviation for the European Currency Union. But the name was declined by adherents to the French language. The name could also become symbol for French-German reconciliation.

Old software has no symbol for euro, as for dollar ($), that is why bankers recommend to put down three capital letters – EUR. It will be more problematic for Italians to get accustomed to the new currency, as they have had thousands and millions of liras for many years already. For the first time since the 30s Italians will put down commas – 2,20 EUR.

The euro is to compete with the dollar in the economic and cultural spheres. I wonder whether the European people will invent a nick-name for the euro to be as well-adopted as the buck for the dollar.

Sergey Borisov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Maria Gousseva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2001/12/20/34983.html

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