Month: October 2017

Call for Papers: PCCS3: Poznań Conference of Celtic Studies, Poznań, Poland, July 9-10 2018

The third Poznań Conference of Celtic Studies (PCCS3) will be held from the 9th to the 10th of July 2018 in Poznań, Poland. The conference will be hosted by the Centre for Celtic Studies at the Faculty of English, Adam Mickiewicz University. Interested researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts for thematic sessions or general session papers (max. 300-350 words plus bibliography) for talks of 20 minutes plus ten minutes of discussion; the call for papers can be found here. The deadline for submissions is 31st March 2018. Also invited are thematic sessions proposals of of 3-9 presentations.

Selected papers will be published in the second volume of Studies Celtica Posnaniensia and Celtic Studies journal launched by the Center for Celtic Studies and published by deGruyter.

What are Princess Charlotte’s middle names?

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have officially announced that they are expecting their third child. Although the expected date for the new royal’s arrival has not been announced, the speculation has already begun on possible names. For their first two children, the couple selected two Hanoverian names that were particularly popular during the 18th century. Whether the proud parents-to-be continue this trend or perhaps pick something a little more modern remains to be seen. For all you fans of the British monarchy, here is an onomastic riddles: What are the 2 middle names of Prince George’s baby sister, Princess Charlotte? Want the answer? Click through to this article at the UK Telegraph to find out!

Call for Papers: NACAL 46, North Atlantic Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics, Long Beach CA, June 1-3 2018

California State University, Long Beach will be hosting the 46th annual meeting of the North Atlantic Conference on Afroasiatic Linguistics (NACAL 46) from the 1st to the 3rd of June 2018. NACAL is a annual meeting which focusses on linguistic topics relevant to the languages of the Afroasiatic phylum (Berber, Chadic, Cushitic, Egyptian, Omotic, and Semitic). Topics related to phonological, morphological, syntactic, and epigraphic aspects of Afroasiatic languages are welcome. Comparative and sociolinguistic approaches are also encouraged. Interested researchers are asked to send anonymized abstract proposals for presentations and/or posters by January 15, 2018. The call for papers can be found here.

About Names: Kevin a name with Irish roots, everyman appeal

Phoebe Cates and her husband Kevin Kline

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his October 24th column, he looks at the history of the names Kevin.

 

 

The actor Kevin Kline turns 70 today. Kevin is the English form of Cáemgen, ancient Irish Gaelic for “beautiful birth.” In the sixth century, former hermit St. Kevin founded a large monastery in Glendalough, Ireland. Legend says a blackbird laid an egg in one of Kevin’s outstretched hands when they were raised in prayer, and he held it until it hatched.

In the late 19th century, the name Kevin was revived by Irish nationalists. By 1900, it was common in Ireland, though still rare among Irish-Americans. It was used only by recent Irish immigrants and a few highly educated parents with Irish ancestry — such as the wealthy Seattle father of actor Kevin McCarthy (1914-2010).

Want to know more? Read on to find out more about Kevins in history!

Call for Papers: EURALEX 2018: Lexicography in Global Contexts, Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 17-21 2018

From the 17th to the 21st of July 2018, the 18th Euralex International Congress will be held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. This international conference brings together lexicographers, publishers, researchers, software developers and others interested in dictionaries of all types. The scientific theme for this year’s conference is “Lexicography in Global Contexts”. Researchers who are interested in presenting a scientific paper at this event are encouraged to submit extended abstract proposals with a maximum of 800 words (excluding references, tables and figures) by the 1st of December 2017. The call for papers can be found here.

Conference: Words, Life, and Linguistics: Tracing Language Change with Today’s Technology, Kalamazoo, Michigan, May 10-13 2018

From the 10th to the 13th of May 2018, language researchers are invited to an innovative forum called “Words, Life, and Linguistics: Tracing Language Change with Today’s Technology”. The event will be will be held in Kalamazoo, Michigan as a part of the 53rd International Congress on Medieval Studies and is hosted by the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University. The purpose of the session is to address the use of digital technology to trace lexical, phonological, morphological, semantics, pragmatics, and syntactic developments to date manuscripts. More information about the session as well as the 53rd International Congress on Medieval Studies can be found here.

New Zealand wasp named after Lucius Malfoy

A native wasp in New Zealand has been named “Lusius malfoyi” to highlight that the insects – like the character in the Harry Potter series – are not all harmful and can be “redeemed”.

Tom Saunders, a researcher at the University of Auckland, said he wanted to show that the wasp, which he named after the Lucius Malfoy character in the JK Rowling books, is not as evil as its reputation suggests. Despite the insect’s fearsome reputation, New Zealand’s 3,000 species of native parasitoid wasps do not sting and do not live in colonies.

“I used the name Lusius malfoyi because Malfoy is a character in the books with a bad reputation who is ultimately redeemed and I’m trying to redeem the reputation of our native wasps,” said Mr Saunders.

“Negro Bill Canyon” in Utah to be renamed

After years of debate, a U.S. government board has voted to rename Utah’s Negro Bill Canyon, overruling a recommendation by Utah officials to keep the name. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names decided to rename it Grandstaff Canyon to get rid of an offensive name.

The new name honors black rancher and prospector William Grandstaff, whose cattle grazed there in the 1870s. “His name was Grandstaff; it was not Negro Bill,” said Wendi-Starr Brown, a member of the federal board who is Native American. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how he wanted to be addressed in life.” Brown is a member of the Narragansett Indian Tribe who represents the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the federal board.

A year ago, the federal Bureau of Land Management changed signs to say “Grandstaff Trailhead” instead of “Negro Bill” trailhead. “I think we have to look forward,” said federal board member Elizabeth Kanalley, manager of National Geospatial Services at the Forest Service.