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Interstellar asteroid given the Hawaiian name ‘Oumuamua

This artist’s impression shows the first interstellar asteroid, `Oumuamua. 

An asteroid that visited us from interstellar space is one of the most elongated cosmic objects known to science, a study has shown. Discovered on 19 October 2017, the object’s speed and trajectory strongly suggested it originated in a planetary system around another star. Astronomers have been scrambling to observe the unique space rock, known as ‘Oumuamua (pronounced oh MOO-uh MOO-uh), before it fades from view.

The asteroid’s name, ‘Oumuamua, means “a messenger from afar arriving first” in Hawaiian. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) also approved an official scientific designation for ‘Oumuamua: 1I/2017 U1.

‘Oumuamua was first spotted on Oct. 19, by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. The smallish object was first classified as a comet but then regarded as an asteroid, after further observations revealed no evidence of a coma (the fuzzy cloud of gas and dust that surrounds a comet’s core).

Find out more about this amazing asteroid in this BBC News article!

 

Call for Papers: Nicolaisen Essay Prize

The Scottish Place-Name Society is now accepting submissions for the annual Nicolaisen Essay Prize in honor of the late names scholar, Professor Bill Nicolaisen. Interested applicants are invited to submit an original work (ca. 5,000 words) on any topic of onomastics. The deadline for receipt is the 31st of December 2017. The winner will be invited to present a paper at a conference at the Scottish Place-Name Society. Submissions should be sent to the Society’s Convener, Professor Carole Hough: carole.hough@glasgow.ac.uk

Property prices lower on streets with silly names in Australia

House prices on streets with silly names are significantly lower than houses on nearby streets, a study by Victorian school students has found. High school girls at Sacred Heart College (SHC) in Geelong, a city in Melbourne, Australia, conducted the research with guidance from the school’s head of science, Adam Cole.

The students identified 27 streets in Victoria with silly names, including Butt Street, Wanke Road and Fanny Street. (American readers: “fanny” has a different meaning in the UK and Australia/NZ than it does in the US!)  They found that property prices in streets with silly names were about 20 per cent lower than properties in the normally-named roads. As the report notes, that amounts to a $140,000 saving on a median-priced Melbourne house.

Read this article at ABC News to find out more – and if Australians would take advantage of the savings!

The most popular girls’ names in Tudor England

The “Darnley Portrait” of Elizabeth I (c. 1575)

What were the most popular names for girls in England during the 16th century? This was one of the questions examined by Scott Smith-Bannister in his book Names and Naming Patterns in England 1538-1700.

A large section of Smith-Bannister’s research was to follow the records of baptisms found in 40 parish registers spread throughout England. By following their records from 1538 to 1700, the author was able to get a sample of 122,710 names. Here is a sample from his lists:

Years: 1538-49

1. Joan
2. Elizabeth
3. Agnes
4. Alice
5. Anne
6. Margaret
7. Mary
8. Jane
9. Margery
10. Edith

Click through to this post at Medievelists.net to see the rest of the results!

WIll Olivia Garton get free breadsticks?

Justin Garton/Twitter

One Olive Garden–loving couple has decided to give their new daughter a name bearing a striking resemblance to the restaurant, both confusing and delighting the Internet at the same time: Olivia Garton.

Both Jordan and Justin grew up eating at Olive Garden, but it wasn’t until shortly after their wedding in 2015 that their enthusiasm turned into outright love. After purchasing a $100 never-ending pasta pass, the Arkansas couple ate their fill at Olive Garden every day for weeks. “We committed to eating there every day for six or seven weeks to get our money’s worth,” Justin told ABC News. “It saved us several hundred dollars when we really needed it.”

They decided to go with Olivia instead, claiming that they “immediately” felt like it was perfect for their little girl. “We were able to make the joke, but a little more subtle, and it’s still a pretty name,” said Justin. “It was definitely an easy decision.”

Click through to this article at CafeMom to see how the internet reacted!

About Names: Walter weathers name’s ebbs, flows

Walt and Lillian Disney departing from Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen 1959

Dr. Cleveland Evans writes about names for the Omaha World-Herald. In his December 5th column, he looks at the history of the name Walter.

Walt Disney (1901-1966) was born Walter Elias Disney 116 years ago. After creating Mickey in 1928, he made “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937), the first successful animated feature. He won 22 Academy Awards, the most by one person, and created the theme parks Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

The name Walter comes from an ancient Germanic name combining “wald” (ruler) with “hari” (army). The form Walter was brought to England by Norman conquerors in 1066. Around 1380, Walter ranked eighth for English men. It was especially common in Devonshire. There, Walter of Cowick, a 12th century monk who had visions of purgatory and wore bearskins, was revered as a saint. Back then, Walter was pronounced “Water,” and its nickname was Wat. Family names Walters, Watt, Watts, Watkins, Waters and Waterson show descent from Walter. After 1600, as literacy increased, people started pronouncing the “l.”

With such a long stretch of popularity, there are scores of famous Walters besides Disney. Poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892) and basketball star Walt Frazier (1945) are two known by the nickname.

 

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

In Memoriam: Sheila Barry, children’s literature publisher

The award-winning publisher of Groundwood Books, Sheila Barry, died on November 15 at Mt. Sinai Hospital due to complications from cancer. An advocate for children’s literature that championed the rights of children and adolescents, the Newfoundland native was the publisher of Canadian children’s literature was a trailblazer in the industry. Among the many critically-acclaimed works she helped to bring to the market over the course of her impressive career was the New York Times’ 2017 pick for Best Illustrated Children’s Book: Town is by the Sea by Joanne Schwartz and Sydney Smith. Barry’s passion, positivity, and light will be sorely missed but never forgotten.

Debate over changing the name of South Africa

The Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, inadvertently started an onomastic earthquake this year when he suggested that South Africa’s name be official changed to Azania.  According to the Minister, the toponymic makeover would be a fitting reflection of the significant cultural and political changes the country has undergone since the ending of Apartheid.  While some have applauded the suggestion, others have criticized that the geographic rebranding is not only unnecessary but would be prohibitively expensive.  More details about the onomastic debate can be found in this article at the Independent Online.

Call for Papers: TOTh 2018 (11th International Conference on Terminology and Ontology), Chambéry, France, June 7-8, 2018

From the 7th to the 8th of June 2018, the international conference, “Terminology and Ontology: Theories and Applications” (TOTh2018) will take place in Chambéry, France at the University Savoie Mont-Blanc. The purpose of TOTh is to bring together researchers and practitioners who work on terminology, language, and knowledge engineering. The annual events that TOTh organizes include a conference, a training session, and a Workshop. Under the patronage of an international scientific committee, the TOTh Conferences cover an extensive field of studies and research concerning terminology and/or ontology. The conference languages are French and English; and the deadline for abstracts is January 26, 2018. Interested in learning more? Details about the conference can be found at the website, and the call for papers can be downloaded here.