# In the media: Magna Carta vs. The Magna Carta - ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 15, 2015, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570 "2015-06-15T11:08:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/1 "2015-06-15T11:08:18Z")
With the 800 year anniversary of the signing, it is in the news a bit. It is just me, or is it being referred to differently than it had been in the past? I recall it being referred to as THE Magna Carta, but I see it referred to as Magna Carta. Has something changed, either in general or in the U.S. media, or was I just missing it? Okay: Magna Carta, Ukraine, Eurhythmics, but still The Hague. Got it. šŸ˜• ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/2 "2015-06-15T11:17:52Z")
Eurythmics. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/3 "2015-06-15T13:15:16Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > With the 800 year anniversary of the signing, it is in the news a bit. It is just me, or is it being referred to differently than it had been in the past? I recall it being referred to as THE Magna Carta, but I see it referred to as Magna Carta. Has something changed, either in general or in the U.S. media, or was I just missing it? > > Okay: Magna Carta, Ukraine, Eurhythmics, but still The Hague. Got it. šŸ˜• Its proper name is just ā€œMagna Cartaā€. It is all about Latin and definite forms. > **[Magna Carta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magna_Carta#Usage_of_the_definite_article_and_spelling)** > > Philosophers > Works ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/4 "2015-06-15T14:03:35Z")
Ah - shouldā€™ve thought to see if the Wiki listing commented on that. Thanks! I guess I just never noticed it referred to without the definite article much before this recent wave of articlesā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/5 "2015-06-15T17:34:41Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > The Hague In Dutch, itā€™s called ā€œDen Haagā€ and I believe that the ā€œdenā€ is the equivalent to ā€œtheā€. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/6 "2015-06-15T17:52:29Z")
No doubt, that if Magna Carta is considered a Latin phrase, there is no "theā€™. But after 800 years, certainly this could be considered a term that has entered the English Language. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2015, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-the-media-magna-carta-vs-the-magna-carta/722570/7 "2015-06-15T21:00:17Z")
Things changeā€¦ It used to be The Ukraine. Hell, it used to be The Lebanon. But I agree with **DrDeth** : itā€™s an English phrase as much as a Latin one.