13th Conference on Jewish Names: “What’s in a Jewish Name?”, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Aug 7 2017

On Monday, August 7 2017, the Seventeenth World Congress of Jewish Studies will host the Thirteenth International Conference on Jewish Names. The day-long conference will take place in the Rabin Building, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus Campus, Israel. The topic for the conference is “What’s in a Jewish Name?: Something for Everyone: Identity, Heritage, Stigma & Literature” and the complete program may be found here.

All participants must register for the 17th World Congress of Jewish Studies.

Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) Online

The Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE) is often described as the American version of the world-famous classic, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). Since 1965, the DARE has provided, linguists, lexicographers, and onomasticians detailed information about regional variations in the use of American English words, phrases, and pronunciations. Initially, the plethora of linguistic information offered by the DARE was only available in book form. However, today, word-lovers can find use the resource online. The digital edition features audio, interactive maps, and insights into the DARE Survey.

Nicknames for unborn babies can help parent/child bonding

You probably know that many parents give their children nicknames before they’re born – but did you know that they can actually help parents bond with their babies? These “noms de womb” are often sweet and amusing, but they can also be a way of using gender-neutral language for the child.

When the question of in-utero nicknames was put out on social media by ABC Radio Hobart in Tasmania, some common themes started to show. “Peanut”, “bean”, and “jellybean” were popular nicknames, as were “Cletus the foetus” and “George”. And sometimes a name given to the unborn baby might be intended as their forever name — until the baby arrives, as happened for one set of parents who nicknamed their baby “Xena” and were more than a little amused when a boy was born.

The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) Session, New York, NY, August 8-17 2017

From the 8th to the 17th of August 2017, the 11th United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names will be held in New York, New York.

The purpose of UNGEGN is to provide encouragement and guidance to countries without an official nationwide system of standardization of geographical names. It also serves an over-arching clearing house function by collecting information on the techniques, systems, and procedures used by the member states in the standardization, dissemination, and transliteration of geographic names.

For more about this professional group, the upcoming conference in New York or other related UNGEGN events, see the official website.

Crowdsourcing a name: Trainy McTrainface

IMAGE: MTR SWEDEN

Remember Boaty McBoatface?

A public vote to name four trains running between the Swedish cities of Stockholm and Gothenburg has resulted in one of the four being called Trainy McTrainface in an echo of the name chosen by the British public for the new polar research vessel.

Trainy McTrainface received 49% of the votes in a poll, jointly run by Swedish rail company MTR Express and Swedish newspaper Metro. That placed it well ahead the other three options: Hakan, Miriam and Poseidon.

Get more details about the other interesting train names in Sweden in this Guardian article.

Call for Papers: 45th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference, 45th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference, June 28-30 2018

The 45th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference will be held from the 28th to the 30th of June 2018 at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The exact theme of the conference is “Refreshing Waters: Eternal Springs, Winding Rivers, and Other Literary Oasis.” As a part of the conference, a special panel focused on Germany is planned for the conference. Interested researchers are asked to submit abstracts (max. 500 words) with professional bios (max. 250 words) dealing with any aspect of German children’s literature. Abstracts should be sent to the International Committee, Children’s Literature Association, at vanessa.joosen AT uantwerpen.be with the subject line “International Committee Paper Submission.” The deadline for submissions is September 15, 2017.

Call for Papers: “What is a word?” workshop, Zurich, Switzerland, Dec 14-15 2017

From the 14th to the 15th of December 2017, a workshop devoted to the question “What is a word?” will be held in Zurich, Switzerland. From formal grammar to comparative linguistics, the workshop will examine this question from a variety of different research perspectives. Among the confirmed list of guest speakers are Professor Heather Newell (Université de Québec à Montréal), Dr. Eric Lander (Göteborgs Universitet), and Professor Götz Keydana (Universität Göttingen). Detailed information about the workshop can be found at the website of The Zurich Center for Linguistics at the University of Zurich. The deadline for abstract submissions is the 31st of August 2017.

What will the next Swedish royal be named?

Princess Sofia and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden are expecting their second child. The expected birth month is this coming September. As with royal tradition, the baby’s name has not been released. However, that has not stopped enthusiasts of the Scandinavian monarchy from guessing name will be chosen for the sixth in line to the Swedish crown. With baby names like Estelle, Oscar, Leonore, and Nicolas, many of the names chosen by Swedish Royals have proven to be exceedingly popular throughout the northern nation. Whether or not the proud parents will continue in this tradition or will select a name that is comparatively unusual remains to be seen. For a look the top 100 boys and girls names in Sweden for the year 2016, check out Nameberry’s list.

Perchance to dream: The names of mattress companies

You’ve probably heard about Simmons, Sealy, and Serta, but what about Casper? Eve? Leesa? There’s a new wave of mattress companies out there and the names aren’t what you might expect. In this engaging and thoughtful post, professional namer Nancy Friedman takes a look at the current array of mattress company names and their etymologies. (NB: If you listen to podcasts, you definitely know about Casper!)

Call for Papers: 20th International Conference on Cartography and Geoinformation Science (ICCGIS), Paris, France, Jan 25-26 2018

The 20th International Conference on Cartography and Geoinformation Science will be held in Paris, France from the 25th to the 26th of January 2018. The purpose of the conference is to provide an interdisciplinary research forum to discuss the most recent trends, innovations, and challenges in the field of Cartography and Geoinformation Science. Researchers working within the areas of cartography and toponymy are invited to submit an abstract by the 31 of July 2017. Detailed information about the conference, requirements, and the event timeline can be found at the website.