Belarus or Belarus - how to speak correctly?

The debate of linguists about how to properly use the name of the Republic of Belarus has lasted for more than one year. Familiar for most Russians, immigrants from the USSR, the form "Belarus" often causes righteous anger among the citizens of this hospitable country. It is worthwhile to sort out, Belarus or Belarus - how correctly to call the neighboring state?

Origins of disputes

For the second decade since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Belarus was proclaimed an independent state, the question remains: "Belarus or Belarus - how right?"

Especially often heated debates begin to intensify before the state holidays or in the event that a public figure in his speech used this or that name of this country. But, despite the fact that both versions of the name of the state are accepted in the press, there is no actuality of the divisions. On the territory of Russia, the most common name is "Belarus", and the majority of Russian-speaking people defend this position. So whose point of view is correct?

Russian position

Despite the fact that, compared to other countries, Russian scientists are most often involved in disputes over the name of Belarus, they have different positions on the question: "How correctly - Belarus or Belarus?" The Russian Language Institute proposes the notorious form "Belarus ". The same form is considered official and is reflected in the dictionaries and reference books printed on the territory of Russia. Other sources explain that the official name of the country after all is Belarus, and Belarus is a synonym, permissible for use in conversational or journalistic style. At the same time, it is mentioned that the text of treaties, including international ones, allows the use of both names at the request of the party. So, after all, Belarus or Belarus?

None of the scientists can give an unambiguous answer. Until now, there is no consensus on how to correctly write in Russian - Belarus or Belarus. Some Russian language researchers insist that forms adopted in one state are not required to be used in another. In particular, this applies to a country such as Belarus or Belarus. As correctly noted, the name of Germany, adopted for use in the countries of the former Soviet Union, has nothing to do with its official name. However, is this not speculation?

International standards

Of course, in order to resolve the confusion with the variety of names of states, there are norms accepted in world practice. Thus, according to the "Codes for the Representation of Countries," there is no Belarus in the world. But there is a recognized Republic of Belarus. The most interesting thing is that, in addition to this official name, Belarus also has a shortened list. Needless to say, these standards are confirmed and coordinated with the position of the UN? However, this does not reduce disputes over how to correctly say - Belarus or Belarus.

Imprint of statehood

Of course, the positions of historians and linguists need not necessarily converge. Moreover, progress does not stand still, history follows its own course, the borders of states change along with their names. In the world there is a sufficient number of countries that, in addition to territories, have changed their names over time. Among them - Ceylon, which later became Sri Lanka, or Burma, which changed its name to Myanmar, and many others.

At one time, Belarusians also touched upon the issue of changing the name of their state in the world community. This happened just after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991, a law was issued to change the name of the state, which indicated - the Republic of Belarus and the abbreviated name Belarus. In addition, the law said that in other languages, these names are used according to the Belarusian sound. And the form with one "c" is considered correct. Accordingly, Belarus or Belarus - how to write correctly, there should be no doubt.

Thus, according to international law, the Republic of Belarus is a full-fledged successor to the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. Therefore, from a legal point of view, the official name of this state does not depend on historical sources, phonetic traditions or other reasons.
However, Russian scientists completely disagree with this position and even show a willingness to challenge it publicly. The scientist Leonid Krysin insists that no state, including Belarus, has the right to impose on the Russian side the duty to call another country anyway. From the point of view of international law, such an argument seems completely unfounded. The academician explains this from the position of philology in the following way: in Russian there is no postprimary vowel "a", therefore the word "Belarus" does not correspond to grammar. Therefore, according to the scientist, it does not matter how to say - in Belarus or Belarus. Moreover, he believes that the name "Belarus" does not carry any negative connotation and does not indicate dislike. Belarus or Belarus - how to use correctly, according to Krysin, depends on personal preferences.

Historical reference

Despite official explanation of the position on the use of the name of the state of Belarus, many researchers refer to the fact that such a name as Belarus has a full right to exist, since it was fixed historically. It's worth a little investigation. The roots of this name really appeared in the ancient Germanic languages. Then it denoted the land of "White Russia". Later, this name penetrated into Latin, and later into Old Slavic languages.

During the heyday of the Polish- Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Lithuanian culture practically supplanted the Belarusian culture, respectively, and the return of the Belarusians to their origins began much later. Prior to this, the ancestors of modern Belarusians called themselves "liions".

Modern theories

To date, Belarusian scientists have adopted a more loyal position. They argue that it is worth sharing the official name of the state and the tradition of calling the country an obsolete Soviet name. As for the name of the nation, then, according to the researchers, the people should be called accordingly: in this case, they see the noun "belarus" much more appropriate, and not the common "Belarusian".

Belarusian scientists are not going to dictate their opinion to their Russian colleagues, but they continue to insist that international law should be guided by UN standards, not personal considerations. However, most likely, these heated debates over what name to use - Belarus or Belarus, will not disappear in the near future.