Scientists have discovered a new species of octopus. This pink fist-sized creature is so cute they may call it “Opisthoteuthis Adorabilis.” This wouldn’t be the first species to be named with “adorabilis.” Click here for more information.
About Names: All about Horace
Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. This week’s column explores Horace.
Workshop on Surnames, University of Leipzig, July 1 2015
On the 1st of July 2015, the University of Leipzig will be holding a workshop on onomastics. The topic of the workshop will be on Leipzig Surnames which originate in a romance language (e.g. Italian, Spanish, French, etc.). The workshop will be held in German. The primary lecturer for this workshop will be Professor Dieter Kremer.… Read More
Funded PhD at the University of Glasgow: ‘Protocols for the use of name evidence in lexicography: comparative analysis of onomastic and non-onomastic data for historical and contemporary Scots’
Submit your application for a funded PhD on the use of name evidence in lexicography, based at the University of Glasgow, Scotland.
The studentship is offered under the AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award program with Scottish Language Dictionaries (Edinburgh) and will be co-supervised by Professor Carole Hough, Dr Wendy Anderson (University of Glasgow), and Dr Alison Grant (Scottish Language Dictionaries).
The studentship is funded for three years, beginning in October 2015. The deadline for applications is Monday, 29 June 2015. Interviews will be held on Thursday, 23 July 2015.
Click here for more information and to apply.
“My Treasure” is the most popular pet name among German couples
In a representative nationwide study conducted in Germany, researchers have identified the top ten pet names which couples use to call one another behind closed doors:
“My Treasure” takes the top spot, with about 35% of Germans using a variation such as:
- Treasure (Schatz)
- Little Treasure (Schatzi/Schatzlein/Schätzle)
- Big Treasure (Riesenschatz)
- Cuddly Treasure (Schnuckelschatz)
Animal names account for second through fifth place. In order, these zoonymic names of affection are:
- Mouse (Maus)
- Hare (Hase)
- Bear (Bär)
- Sparrow (Spatz)
In tenth place is the now internationally recognized onomastic evergreen Liebling.
Here is a list of other favorite German nicknames for your sweetheart.
Online Workshop: Methodology for Terminology Work, Sept. 2-3 2015
From the 2nd of September to the 3rd of November 2015, the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, Spain will be holding an online lexicography and language documentation workshop on “Methodology for Terminology Work”.
The focus of the workshop is on carrying out terminological projects based on the Communicative Theory of Terminology (CTT). All the phases of carrying out terminographic work will be presented, from project conceptualization to database construction and management. The minimum level of education required for participation is a MA.
Click here for more information.
Video: cross-correlations of American baby names
Check out these videos that analyze baby names to demonstrate the changing cultural areas within the United States over time.
These videos are provided by the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The following description comes from their website:
… Read More“For each year, we assigned colors to the states according to the method explained in SI Text, Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Clustering.
Onomastics and Terminology 4: Personal Names and Public Administration, Budapest, July 17 2015
On July 17th, 2015, the fourth annual interdisciplinary workshop entitled “Onomastics and Terminology 4: Personal Names and Public Administration” will be held in Budapest, Hungary. Dedicated to Hungarian-related legal issues of personal names, the workshop is being co-sponsored by the Terminology Council of the Hungarian Language, and the Society of Hungarian Linguistics, among others.
Topics include the basics of the Law on Personal Names, regulations governing Christian name choice and family name changes, the use of personal names in minority communities. Talks will be given by academic scholars and executives of public administration.
The language of the workshop is Hungarian. Click here for the conference program in Hungarian.
Abstract Submission Deadline Extended to July 31st for the American Name Society Annual Meeting
Have you been studying names this year?
Submit an abstract for presentation at the American Name Society Annual Meeting:
- January 7-10th, 2016
- Washington, D.C.
The deadline for submissions is July 31st. Click here for more information.
U.S. Olympic Committee willing to revise record to show Caitlyn Jenner as winner of 1976 Olympic decathlon
In the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, US athlete Bruce Jenner captured international headlines after winning the gold medal for the decathlon. Now, almost 40 years later, the Olympian has made world-wide news again by telling the story of a personal transgender transformation.
In honor of this journey, Jenner has adopted the new female first name, Caitlyn. According to Patrick Sandusky, spokesperson for the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), the organization would consider substituting the name Bruce with Caitlyn on all official records, if a formal request by the athlete is made.
See this article for additional information.