XVI International Congress of Slavists, Belgrade, Serbia, August 20-27 2018

According to an announcement of the American Committee of Slavists featured on Harvard University’s Department of Slavic Language and Literatures, the XVI International Congress of Slavists will be held from August 20-27, 2018 in Belgrade, Serbia. The program can be found here.

During the six working days, papers are presented in a variety of formats in a series of simultaneous morning and afternoon sessions, each session moderated by a chair.

The International Congress of Slavists has five formats in which contributions are presented: (1) plenary papers, (2) session papers, (3) block papers, (4) round table presentations, and (5) written submissions (scripta).

  • Plenary papers are typically longer contributions presented in plenary sessions by a small number of eminent specialists selected by the Presidium following nominations from the chairs of the various national committees. Plenary speakers are given 40 minutes each.
  • Session papers are single papers grouped into sessions by the host committee according to broad theme. Speakers are given 20 minutes each.
  • Block papers are single papers grouped into a thematically linked block panel composed of five members, all coordinated by a single individual. The block panel typically has a chair functioning as moderator, two speakers who present papers, and two discussants who comment on them. Each participant is given 10 minutes. The moderator and the two speakers on a block panel must represent at least three countries (i.e., three different national committees of Slavists), at least one of which should be a Slavic country. Membership on a block panel does not count against the quota of any member country. Accordingly, the number of block panels allowed at the Congress is limited.
  • Round table presentations are shorter reports on a narrowly construed theme with considerable audience participation anticipated. They are coordinated by a single individual. Speakers are given 10 minutes each. The Composition of a round table panel must also be international, representing at least four countries. The participants on a round table do not count against the quota of any member country. Accordingly, the number of round tables allowed at the Congress is limited.
  • Written submissions are individual papers published along with those of the active delegates of a particular national delegation, but not presented orally at the Congress because the author has alternate rather than delegate status.

Placenames Workshop: Comhdháil na nDéise, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland, June 15 2017

On June 15, 2017, the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford, Ireland will be hosting a place names workshop, Comhdháil na nDéise (Waterford Conference). The first Summer Session of the Comhdháil, under the title “Port Láirge: People, Place, Identity” will take place at the Cork Road Campus. The theme of the session will be “Logainmneacha, names of places”.  The event is open to all students, scholars, and enthusiasts of Irish toponymy. Details on the presentation schedule can be found here.

Horsey McHorseface is a winner!

Horsey McHorseface, who until recently had only drawn attention for his standout moniker rather than his performances, came from behind in the final furlong to race clear and claim a first win in only his fourth start, at the Arthur Thompson Memorial Maiden Plate at Cessnock Racecourse in New South Wales, Australia.

The three-year-old gelding, trained by Bjorn Baker, got his name after a public poll in Britain chose Boaty McBoatface as the most popular name for a $300 million polar research ship.

Saint Mary’s University releases Sign Language Atlantic Provinces Place Names Map

Thanks to the ingenuity and doggedness of Environmental Science Professor, Dr. Linda Campbell (St. Mary’s University), the deaf and signing communities across the eastern seaboard of Canada have a revolutionary resource: an Atlantic Provinces Sign Language Place Names map. The interactive tool presents readers with a traditional map and accompanying videos featuring professional signers who present the indicated placenames in both American Sign Language and Maritime Sign Language. The resource is not only useful for the Deaf/signing community – it is also a fascinating instructive device for all those obsessed with discovering new and beautiful languages. Interested in learning how to sign Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island? Just click here to access the tool.

Roxcy Bolton, Feminist Crusader for Equality, Including in Naming Hurricanes, Dies at 90

Roxcy Bolton in 1972 with Robert H. Simpson, then the director of the National Hurricane Center. She helped persuade national weather forecasters not to name tropical storms after only women. Credit: Associated Press

Roxcy Bolton, a pioneering and tempestuous Florida feminist who was credited with founding the nation’s first rape treatment center and who helped persuade national weather forecasters not to name tropical storms after only women, died on May 17 in Coral Gables, Fla. She was 90.

Her crusade to include men’s names when meteorologists differentiated hurricanes placed her at the eye of an international storm.

Women, Ms. Bolton said at the time, “deeply resent being arbitrarily associated with disaster.” A generation after Ms. Bolton began her campaign, the weathermen finally capitulated. The second hurricane of 1979 was named Bob. When the 2017 season officially begins June 1, Bret, Don, Franklin, Harvey and José will be among the names immortalized.

Call for Papers: American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL 2018) Chicago, March 24-27 2018

This is a call for participation in a colloquium session on Applied Onomastics at AAAL 2018, to be held in Chicago, IL, March 24-27, 2018. Names figure prominently in our identities and interactions as individuals, families, groups, organizations, and societies. Factors as varied as geography, culture, socioeconomic status, legal constraints, and marketing strategies influence names and naming. The study of names (onomastics), including personal, place, and commercial names, among others, is both multi- and interdisciplinary. Because of the ubiquity and important functions of names, they are also of “enduring interest to the wider public” (Hough 2016), confirmed by the long tradition of collaboration between academics and non-academics in name studies. The aim of this colloquium is to demonstrate how onomastics can offer practical solutions and insights to issues encountered in a wide range of contexts. Proposals are invited on any topic relating to Applied Onomastics, including but not limited to:

names and education
names and media
names and lexicography / name dictionaries
onomastic aspects of marketing and tourism
onomastic aspects of language planning
name-related policies, regulations and laws
onomastics and forensic linguistics
onomastics and psychology or cognition
name-based data mining and technologies
names and bi/multilingualism
cross-cultural naming practices
societal trends in naming
the relationship between Applied Onomastics and Applied Linguistics
the aims of Applied Onomastics as a field

Please send proposals containing a title, key words, abstract (300 words), and brief summary (50 words) by July 10th, 2017 to Maryann Parada (mparada1 AT csub.edu). the Colloquium Organize. Notifications will be sent by July 20th, 2017.

About Names: Lion’s share of Daniel’s cachet is thanks to Bible

“You talkin’ to me? Happy weekend face. Frontierofficial is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his June 6 column, he looks at the history of the name Daniel. Daniel is a Hebrew name meaning “God is my judge.” The original Daniel is hero of the book named after him in the Old Testament. Daniel, a Jewish captive, is made chief of Babylon’s wise men when only he can interpret King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams.

Though after 1350 Daniel was rare in England, it was one of the first Old Testament names revived after the Reformation. It ranked 44th for English boys born in the 1550s, and 15th in the 1690s.

Daniel, like most Old Testament names, receded in popularity in the late 19th century, but it never became rare. Between 1914 and 1916 it ranked 55th, its lowest point, on Social Security’s baby names lists.

Read on to find out where Daniel ranks now!

 

The challenge of inventing original names

Although the creativity of the human mind is theoretically limitless, people often have incredible difficulty in finding a novel name when it comes to labelling a new Internet domain or an email account. This individual challenge is multiplied on an exponential scale when it comes to naming a new company.  In this article by Brian Hayes in American Scientist, the daunting shortage of new names – and new numbers – in many areas of business is discussed.