Herzegovina

The name of the region Herzegovina is pronounced in RP with the first syllable like 'hurts', or like the German Herr (near English 'hair'), the second a shwa, and the third (which carries the primary stress) like 'of': IPA: /ˌhɜː (*or eə) ^rts ə ˈgɒv ɪn ə/. In its own language (Serbo-Croat, Hercegovina is pronounced similarly, with a slightly 'longer' '-i-': /ˌh (or χ) ɜː (*or eə) ^rts ə ˈgɒv in ə]].

Herzegovina forms about a quarter of what is called informally Bosnia. The country is formally Bosnia and Herzegovina, abbreviated as BiH (i is Serbo-Croat for 'and') or B&H.

Etymological note: Herzegovina is derived from the German Herzog, or Duke, the title assumed in 1448 by Stjepan Kosača .