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expletive

Belgium is the rudest word in the Universe, yet by a strange coincidence, also the name of a country on Earth. In the Secondary Phase, it is stated as "completely banned in all parts of the Galaxy, except in one part, where they don't know what it means, and in serious screenplays."

It is used as a single-word expletive by Zaphod Beeblebrox and Ford Prefect in the film.

It was used in a presidential declaration that declared the Belcerebons of Kakrafoon Kappa unhoopy.[1]

The word Belgium also contains "BEL" and 1 bel = 10 decibel. The old nordwegian noun "gium" meaned "outlaw".

Caesar however referred to Belgium in his http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commentarii_de_Bello_Gallico to this as "1. Gallia est omnis divisa in partes tres, quarum unam incolunt Belgae, aliam Aquitani, tertiam qui ipsorum lingua Celtae, nostra Galli appellantur."

It means that Gallia knew three parts, where Belgae was the first part. In his third sentence "3. Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae" Caesar seems to say that the <Belgians> seemed to be the bravest, but he explains that they he said this because they stood most far from all "civilization" (to the Roman norm).

Belgium is on itself has three languages: Flemish (officially it is Dutch, but the Flemish language is rather different from the Dutch one), Welsch ("Wales", officially French, is a lot closer to French as Flemish is to Dutch), and German. "a Belgian person" sounds very strange for someone who lives in Belgium: Flemish and Walloon are more used.

PS: <bel> itself comes from the oldest Gods of war and mean "war, warrier". In French the word "belle" from "beau" could come from the beautifull warriers in ancient times that make noice also, so "bell" comes also from "clock or cloche" in a big church.

Notes and references

  1. From the sixth episode of the TV series.
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