Today in Social Studies, we took a quiz on the geography of South Asia. One of the most diabolically fun things about my job is that I get to make my pupils learn whatever geographical locations and features I think are important. Few moments here in Korea have given me greater pleasure than the time I leaned back in my chair, steepled my fingers, and with a faraway gleam in my eye, said to myself..."Yeessss...very good...they will be required to learn the locations of the Indus and Ganges rivers. The Brahmaputra will be extra credit. Mwahahahahahaha. Mwahahahahahaha! MWA-HA-HA-HA-HAH!"
But I digress.
South Asia includes such countries as Bhutan, and such national capitals as New Delhi, Kathmandu, Thimphu, Dhaka, and such landforms the Brahmaputra river, etc. Of course, all these silent aitches present a challenge to memorization. So correcting the quizzes, I've seen a lot of Dehli, Thimpu, Dakha, etc. The most entertaining is when they throw a silent aitch into a country name that has none. I have seen both "Bhurma" and "Burmha" given as names for Burma (the country immediately to the east of India whose oppressive military government would rather that people called it Myanmar).
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Just by way of filling out the whole picture, Daniel, see below: your students aren't the only ones spelling Burma with a silent aitch (admittedly in a different position).
ReplyDeleteON TO MANDALAY.; THE BRITISH COMMANDER IN BURMAH ORDERED TO PUSH FORWARD.
November 14, 1885, Wednesday
Page 1, 230 words
CALCUTTA, Nov. 13.--Lord Dufferin, Viceroy of India, has ordered Gen. Prendergast, commander of the Burmese expeditionary force, to invade Burmah forthwith and proceed with all haste to capture Mandalay. The British forces will cross the frontier immediately.