Avotaynu, a Jewish genealogy and family history publication, has recently adapted the article The Jews of Crimea and their Names, originally published by Igor Kotler in its Spring 1989 edition. This article uses onomastics and genealogy to try to illuminate the origins of the Krymchaks (Crimean Jews).
At Oberlin College, band’s gig canceled over its name, says ‘Viet Cong’ is ‘deeply offensive’
A Canadian band with the name VietCong has sparked international controversy. The Band took its name from the name of the Viêt Công political organization and army which fought against the US during the Vietnam War from 1959 to 1975.
The controversy surrounding the Canadian Indie band’s name choice came to a head when authorities at Oberlin College in Ohio decided to cancel a scheduled show at The Dionysus Disco, a student-run night club on campus. The university cancelled the performance on the grounds that the group’s name was injurious and deeply offensive. While some defend the band’s right to name themselves as a necessary and sacred expression of artistic freedom, others feel that the teenage band is an exploitative and insensitive ploy to gain public attention.
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Swedish prince named Nicolas Paul Gustaf
On June 15, 2015, at 13:45 CEST, Princess Madeleine, the Duchess of Hälsindland and Gästrikland, in Sweden, gave birth to a healthy baby boy. On the 17th of June, Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf announced the official name and title of his grandson: Nicolas Paul Gustaf, Duke of Ängermanland.
Although the name Nikolas is a very common Swedish name, the spelling Nicolas is rather unusual and may reflect the heritage of the newborn’s father, the American-British financier, Chris O’Neil. The newest member of the Swedish Royal family, the little prince is the sixth in line to the Swedish crown—one step behind his older sister, Princess Leonore Lilian Maria Bernadotte, Duchess of Gotland.
It remains to be seen whether the names of the Prince and Princess will have a significant effect on personal naming patterns in Sweden.
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Annual Conference of the Welsh Place-Name Society, Llanelwedd, October 3, 2015
On Saturday, the 3rd of October 2015, the Welsh Place-Name Society will be holding its Annual Conference and General Meeting at the Royal Welsh Showground in Llanelwed.
The aim of the Society is twofold:
- to promote the awareness, study, and understanding of Welsh Place-Names
- to increase interest in and appreciation for the history, culture, and language of Wales
To become a member of the Society, complete the Membership Form. For more information, click here.
France’s UMP party changes name to The Republicans
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has decided to run again for his old office. In an effort to reignite voters’ interest, Sarkozy announced that the opposition party would be changing its name from “Union for a Popular Movement” (UMP) to Les Républicains.
The name change has created quite a bit of controversy. Supporters have praised the move as a savvy and elegant way to attract voters who have moved far left of center while shedding the Party of old, unwanted political baggage. Critics worry that the move may help to strengthen and/or legitimate right extremism.
It remains to be seen how the onomastic make-over will affect the 2017 Presidential race.
Grexit and Grecovery
As economists and politicians argue whether or not Greece should exit the European Union, onomastic experts have watched the birth and spreading popularity of a new political name.
A clever blending of the place name “Greece” and the verb “to exit”, the name Grexit has become a part of the everyday vocabulary throughout the EU and beyond. The onomastic antonym to Grexit, namely Grecovery (a blend of the words Greece and recovery) does not seem to have made as much headway.
The difference in frequency and recognizability between the two names would seem to be a telling barometer of Europeans’ predictions for the future of Greece within the EU.
International Congress of Celtic Studies, Glasgow, July 13-17 2015
Registration closes today for the 15th International Congress of Celtic Studies, taking place from the 13th to the 17th of July 2015 at the University of Glasgow. Among the many outstanding presentations to be given are several papers on onomastics.
Three examples include:
- Timothy Bridgeman (Binghamton University), “Names and Naming Conventions of Celtic Peoples in Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia”
- M. Joseph Wolf (University of Glasgow), “Exploring Manx Saint Dedications and Place-Names in the Wider Irish Sea Context”
- Ken George (Cornish Language Board), “Assibilation and palatalization in Cornish: the evidence of place-names’
Click here for more on the congress and registration.
Pink octopus so cute it may be named ‘adorabilis’
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