The Anglo-Celtic Isles

The ever-pedantic and usually-correct James questions,

didn't the term "Great Britain" originate to distinguish the island of the Britons --what is now England, Wales, Cornwall, and Scotland--from "Lesser Britain," the no-less-British peninsula of Britanny? In that case, it would seem the "Britain" would be a more, not less inclusive term than the more specific "Great Britain."

This seems to be true, historically. Indeed, there was a time when the island of Ireland was known as 'Little Britain': yeh-but-no-but-yeh-but-don't-give-me-evils!

My attempt to simplify the complicated matter in an earlier post caught me in the classic bind of all those who deal with the issue: are we describing geography or politics or common understanding?

For those who care, here's one of several Wikipedia sections on the subject:

List of islands comprising the 'British Isles'

Great Britain

• Northern Isles (including Orkney, Shetland and Fair Isle)
• Hebrides (including the Inner Hebrides, Outer Hebrides and Small Isles)
• Islands of the lower Firth of Clyde (including the Isle of Arran and Bute)
• Anglesey Welsh: Ynys Môn
• Lundy
• Isles of Scilly
• Isle of Wight
• Lindisfarne

Ireland

• Ulster: Rathlin Island, Arranmore, Tory Island
• Connacht: Achill Island, Clew Bay islands, Inishturk, Inishbofin, Inishark, Aran Islands
• Munster: Blasket Islands, Valentia Island, Cape Clear , Sherkin Island, Great Island
• Leinster: Lambay Island

Isle of Man
Channel Islands
Rockall
Many other small islands are not listed.

Problems with modern usage
Today the term British is usually used to describe people or things belonging to either Great Britain or the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However the whole island of Ireland, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are still commonly included in the 'British Isles', despite the fact that the greater part of Ireland has, since 1922, been independent of the UK as the Republic of Ireland, and that the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not a part of the UK but crown dependencies.

Many Irish people, as well as some Scottish, Welsh and Cornish nationalists, find the term British Isles proprietorial and unacceptable as being inconsistent with the modern meaning of the word British, and, as such, offensive. However, Unionists in Northern Ireland attach great importance to their 'British' identity.

The term British Isles is no longer used in Irish state documents, has been abandoned in schoolbooks in the Republic of Ireland and is being phased out of textbooks. Its usage is also decreasing in official British state documents, out of sensitivity to the concerns of some Irish, Scottish and Welsh people and the evolving geo-political relationships.

Alternative terms
Many have suggested replacements for the term British Isles but none has yet won universal acceptance. In cases where what is being referred to is the two largest islands, the term "Great Britain and Ireland" can be used.

In the context of the Northern Ireland peace process the term Islands of the North Atlantic (IONA), a term initially created by former Conservative Party MP Sir John Biggs-Davison, has been used as a neutral term to describe the 'British Isles', but in a wider context the term might be misunderstood as including Iceland, Greenland, the Azores and other islands.

A more geographically accurate and slightly less ambiguous phrase, "North-Western Europe", is starting to find favour, especially in Ireland. The phrase "North European Archipelago" is somewhat whimsical, but even more accurate. The phrase "Great Britain, Ireland, and surrounding islands", is also occasionally used, but lacks brevity.

The phrase "the Anglo-Celtic Isles" has also been suggested and is in some use, being both ethnically and geographically accurate and elegantly concise.

Well, I'm all for being ethnically and geographically accurate and elegantly concise. I have a celebratory cup of tea whenever I manage it.