Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Liam.… Read More
Month: June 2016
Prepare for the 2017 ANS Conference: Information about Austin
The 2017 annual conference for the American Name Society will be held in the city of Austin, Texas. If you want to know more about what this city has to offer (besides outstanding lectures on names and naming), you can read all about the metropolis and native Austinites.
My Name, My Identity
“Did you know that mispronouncing a student’s name negates the identity of the student? This can lead to anxiety and resentment which, in turn, can hinder academic progress.”
My Name, My Identity helps build positive school culture and promotes respect of students and families.
Ubiquitous nicknames defy officialdom and good taste in Philippines
The Philippines is a nation of nicknames, using someone’s full name sounds ludicrously formal.
The Australian Broadcasting Commission’s South-East Asia correspondent Adam Harvey reports from Manila how he got into trouble for taking a photograph of the US Embassy. He is confronted by the security guard who demanded to see his ID, and was asked his height, weight, and nickname.
The fight to restore the name ‘Stalingrad’
In recent years, a movement especially popular with veterans has pushed to return the city name ‘Volgograd’ to ‘Stalingrad’.
Vladimir Putin has endorsed the idea, and has even changed the name of ‘Volgograd’ to ‘Stalingrad’ on the list of Hero Cities on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. This has come at a time when remembrance of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ (World War II), as it is known in Russia, is increasing in fervor.
In recent years, Stalin has slowly been rehabilitated throughout Russia from a murderous dictator to an heroic leader. The underpinning logic of his revival is that he may have been responsible for the murder of millions, but he saved the Soviet Union from the Nazis.
Dear Coquette on Baby Names
The advice blog Dear Coquette recently answered this question on cultural appropriation of baby names.… Read More
Why do nicknames like ‘Shorty’ seem to be going extinct?
The American Name Society’s Dr. Cleveland Evans is quoted in this Chicago Tribune article investigating today’s nicknames (or lack thereof) and how they differ from those of past generations.
Naming a Thoroughbred
There are more regulations for naming Thoroughbreds than there are for naming human babies. Learn more about horse appropriate names here.
Toponyms in the Chronicle of Higher Education
Earlier this month The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article relevant to political/cultural toponymics in “The Chronicle Review,” 6 May 2016, B6-11. It is by Paul Voosen, who titled it “The Oaxaca incident: A geographer’s efforts to map a Mexican village reveal the risks of military entanglement.” The article tells of researchers’ work to map Tiltepec, Oaxaca, including geographical names for the area that only locals know, as well as the difficulties and “entanglements” that the work ran into. If you subscribe, you can read the article at the link above.
Problematic Address Names
Paypal has refused purchases with addresses containing “Isis.” This is a problem for many people with legitimate addresses containing places named for the Isis River in Oxford, England.