BALKANS WATCH : Linguistic Finesse

Greek objections to an independent, mostly Slavic state calling itself Macedonia--a name already in use for a region of Greece--deserve a more respectful hearing than they have received.

Twice in this century, during the first and second world wars, Bulgaria, whose Slavic language is the closest living relative to Macedonian, overran the adjacent, northern Greek region of Macedonia, whose population is almost entirely ethnic Greek. The Greeks fear this might happen again. That fear was not lessened when Bulgaria rushed to recognize independent, ex-Yugoslav Macedonia at a time when the rest of the world was (as it still is) hesitating.

American recognition of Macedonia should be accompanied by the strongest acknowledgment of the real differences between the two Macedonias (or the three, if you count “Pirin Macedonia” in Bulgaria). Reassurance in that form ought to count more than the flimsy reassurance entailed in Macedonia’s renaming itself Skopje, for its capital, or Slavic Macedonia. The non-Slav, Albanian minority in Macedonia would rightly object to that name. Fortunately, a reasonable compromise is within reach.

Since antiquity, the names Macedon and Macedonia have been interchangeable. Our modest proposal is that the new nation call itself Macedon.

Niger and Nigeria have coexisted happily for years. Brittany, a province of France, and Britain have shared for even longer. Perhaps, with just a little goodwill on both sides, Macedonia and Macedon will be able to do the same.