[Marxism] Could Socialists Not Use "Great" before Britain!

Einde O'Callaghan einde at gmx.de
Sun Nov 4 15:06:56 MST 2007


Bill Quimby schrieb:
> On origins...
> 
> If we go back to the latin Magna - as suggested by several in this
> thread - then the transformation to "Great" Britain is in error. The
> Latin Magna meant "greater" as in "the land over there", "the land
> beyond", "the land that lies outside this land". In that sense the
> lands colonized by the early Greeks on the Italian boot were known as
> "Magna Graecia" see
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_graecia
> 
The explanation you give isn't supported by the article you cite. It 
also explains the word "magna" in "magna Graecia" as meaning "greater 
Greece", so called by the Romans because it was so densely populated by 
Greeks.

Can you cite any reputable Latin language source that defines "magnus" 
as referring to anything other than size or status? My vague memories of 
Latin from my schooldays sugest that you are mistaken.

Einde O'Callaghan



More information about the Marxism mailing list