ON Nomenclature

   As you will know, whenever one of the titles in MM contains the prefix "ON", you realize you are in for a tough slog about a serious topic (see, for example, "ON Worms" and "ON Barfing.) You will also know that I have been consistently critical of the "Naming Warriors" who want to change most of the names we know, if the name belongs to someone they don't like. Bird names are now at the top of their lists.
   Such simple virtue signalling is really rather complex and the good news is that those involved are likely to be engaged in this endeavour for a very long time. Unfortunately that will keep them from doing anything really important, but at least they won't be meddling with other unimportant symbolic gestures which accomplish very little and create a lot of unnecessary hostility.
   There are thousands of names to be changed and the sorting out of 'bad' names is complicated. For example, what if a bad person was only bad part of the time and then turned good, or vice versa. Aung San Suu Kyi won a Nobel Prize, but now some want it revoked. She has a bug named after her (Cretopiesma suukyiae), what is one to do?

  On the other hand, bugs aren't particularly flattering so perhaps it fits. The Australian Death Adder is named for the Prime Minister of Australia, Robert Hawke, (Acanthophis hawkei). Is that because he was a slimy snake of a person or because he was a conservationist? (the latter.) As you will see, in the list below, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld, have beetles named after them. Is that because they were bad guys or good? (surprisingly, the latter.) Could detestable critters we don't like, be given the name of people we dislike? I could go on.

   Instead, I will provide a brief list compiled from very long lists of things with names. All kinds of things are named for all kinds of people. There are musicians, politicians, artists, athletes and authors and men and women who have their names on many types of organisms. The sorting out of all these names will not be easy. Here are just a few samples of people who may be good or bad, or both, for you to scrutinize. 

Earl Scruggs
Acanthobunocephalus scruggsi 
Catfish
Named after Earl Scruggs, a prominent American banjo player known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, also known as "Scruggs style", which is characteristic of bluegrass music. The name of the species also makes an allusion to the common name given to aspredinid species in general (banjo catfishes), and the remarkable resemblance of the new species with this musical instrument.
[If you are wondering if any other player of blue grass music had something named after him, the answer is "YES". Doc Watson has a Beetle named after him: Anillinus docwatsoni.]

Mick Jagger (note - Canadian content)
Aegrotocatellus jaggeri
Trilobite
Aegrotocatellus is a genus of trilobite in the order Phacopida, which existed in what is now Nunavut, Canada. It was named by Adrain and Edgecombe in 1995, and the type species is Aegrotocatellus jaggeri, a species named after British musician Mick Jagger.
[There is also a sea snail named after him - Anomphalus jaggerius - and Keith Richards has his own trilobite as well: Perirehaedulus richardsi.]

George W. Bush
Agathidium bushi 
Beetle
This beetle was named by Quentin D. Wheeler, and President Bush was pleased with the gesture, even calling Wheeler to thank him for the honor. Because of the problematic public image of Bush and his cabinet, and the fact that this is a slime-mold beetle which feeds on decaying fungi, some interpreted the naming to be intended as an insult; however, Wheeler clarified that this species, as well as A. cheneyi and A. rumsfeldi, were meant as homages: "We admire these leaders as fellow citizens who have the courage of their convictions and are willing to do the very difficult and unpopular work of living up to principles of freedom and democracy rather than accepting the expedient or popular". Co-author Kelly Miller said "We intended the names to be honorific... We were two conservatives in academia working together (which is not common). It was early in the Iraq war period, and we were both in favor of intervention there... And finally, we love our beetles! We wouldn't name a new species after someone we didn't like.
[ Cheney - Agathidium cheneyi. Rumsfeld - Agathidium rumsfeldi ]

John Updike
Agrilus updikei 
Beetle
A species of jewel beetle that mimics flies, "named in honor of the late writer John Updike. Although Updike published sparingly on Neotropical beetles (1963), his use of metaphors, widely admired by critics, recommends this honor because, in a sense, a species which mimics another is a kind of metaphor for the mimicked species and benefits by being confused for its model by uncritical predators."

Lionel Messi

Acanthogonatus messii
Spider

"In honor of Lionel Andrés Messi, an Argentine professional footballer and one of the greatest players of all times, unique winner of seven (now eight) Ballons d’or."

                                            Some Women

Carole King

Anacroneuria carole
Stonefly

The species name [...] honors singer, songwriter, environmental advocate, Carole King in recognition of the music career, a pearl by any standard." (This species belongs to the family Perlidae)

Joni Mitchell (note - Canadian content)
Cortinarius jonimitchelliae

Mushroom

"The epithet is in honor of the Canadian singersongwriter Joni Mitchell. She has written many songs for the protection of nature. Her most famous album "Blue" suits well for the color of this species"

Dolly Parton
Dollyphyton 
Fossil

A fossil genus from the Ordovician of Tennessee, USA. "The generic name is in honor of Dolly Parton, whose Dollywood resort is near Douglas Dam" (where the fossils were found)

Joan Didion
‘Ganaspidium didionae 
Wasp
The wasp's range includes deserts of the American Southwest, setting of several of Didion's works.

[There is also a wasp named for Shakira - Aleiodes shakirae]

Sources: 
   I stumbled upon a source which provided all of this information and was the stimulus for this post. See if you can find it. I will say, that none of the material in the list of people was created by me and there is a source for it. 

Simple Solutions

   I have been busy for a bit and the weather is nice, but it is time to post something. I will again rely on the creativity of others, which you readers will find reassuring since I, myself, so far have demonstrated little of it. Here I will present two solutions to the problem that arises, when people who are more sensitive than I, come across something horrible or frightening when they are reading or watching in the privacy of their home or out walking in the public square. 

Caveat Lector

    I will keep this simple because it is and because I have touched upon it before in, for example, the appropriately titled, "WARNING."  This simple headline summarizes it all: "Only Trigger Warning Needed: Caveat Lector," and it is at the top of an an article in the National Post (June 29, 2023.) The solution occurred to the author, William Watson, who thought of it after watching Casablanca. In it Ilsa refers to the black piano player as the "boy." Since Ilsa (or Ingrid) were likely not racists and since the film otherwise embraces and exhibits values the sensitive will appreciate (anti-fascism, for example), does the movie really need to be banned or severely edited? Mr. Watson, thinks not, and notes that "the harm done by giving offence to some readers or viewers is outweighed by the benefit from the work itself."

  I agree and implied as much when I discussed in "WARNING"  the new propriety pronouncements being produced on Turner Classic Movies.  Mr. Watson suggests that Caveat Lector is better than "Contains Explicit Language" because generally we like language to be clear. I argued that "Viewer Discretion Advised" be placed before all films since now something in them will be offensive to someone. To be safe and to ensure the sensitive are not harmed perhaps all films and books be labeled with all of the warnings: Caveat Emptor, Caveat Lector, Caveat Auditor, Contains Explicit Language and Viewer (Reader) Discretion Advised. And, rather then ban or bowdlerize all older books and films or have librarians affix the above labels, a general public pronouncement, like the one found on beaches, should be widely promulgated indicating that all books or films produced before 2000 are to be approached cautiously: Danger: No Censors On Duty.

                                                     "Retain and Explain"

BEFORE

AFTER

   

   The solution to the problem of what to do with statues in squares or names on buildings which are problematic for those more sensitive than I, is encapsulated in the phrase, "Retain and Explain", which does have a nice ring to it. Rather than eliminate or subtract items and names from the landscape, we should add to them other objects or explanations which provide the historic context, as well as the present one which calls for the change. I will explain that the photos above portray the current view of many who believe that one should "Abolish and Remove." That is the statue of Edward Colston being dumped in the river in Bristol.

  "Retain and Explain" is an English suggestion, but I learned about it in an American article. I will provide the citation here since it helps explain things and because one reader told me they never look at the sources I usually dutifully apply at the bottom: "A Philosopher and a Slaver, But No Longer a Name on a Library: No One Disputes That George Berkeley Was Among Ireland's Greatest Thinkers, But He Was An Unapologetic Slaver. Now Trinity College Dublin Is Taking His Names Off One Of Its Buildings," Ed O'Loughlin, New York Times, May 8, 2023. Although his name is being removed from the library, "students will still encounter Berkeley in the form of a 19th century stained-glass window commemorating his life in the college chapel. The school decided to keep the window in place, but add information about the controversy -- adopting a so-called retain and explain approach." 

   "Retain and Explain" does sound nice, but it is not so simple. An explanatory plaque adjacent to a very large colonizer on a huge horse, would probably not be sufficient and the arguments over the statues would be endless. as would the debates about who should do the arguing. There would be other things to consider, but this day is a nice one and I will leave you to do the considering and will supply the sources to assist, although I know no one will read them. Do have a look at The Bonus, however, since it lists naming problems on the horizon. 

Sources: 

  This quotation -- "We believe that the right approach to statues, however contentious, is to retain and explain their presence" -- is found here: "Listing Controversy II: Staues, Contested Heritage And the Policy of "Retain and Explain", in Law & Place.

"Monumental Error: The Plan to 'Retain and Explain' Statues," Alexander Pelling-Bruce, The Spectator, April 10, 2021.

"The Times View on the Fate of Controversial Statues: Retain and Explain," The Times, Jan. 18, 2021.

"Retain and Explain is a Woke Trap To Rewrite History," Zareer Masani, The Sunday Telegraph, June 20, 2021. Here is his conclusion: 

"What such examples show is the near-impossibility of explaining in short captions what are often complex and contested reputations. Public spaces belong to the public, the vast majority of whom have little appetite for seeing monuments defaced by sanctimonious disclaimers. While most of us would back the policy to retain, must we really suffer it being accompanied by simplistic health warnings similar to those on cigarette packs? By all means let's also explain, but ensure those who do the explaining have the necessary expertise."

The Bonus:

   In the American article that started all of this it is noted that Berkeley came to America and that the University of California, Berkeley is named for him, but that the University is not changing the name. Yet.

  I have produced several posts about names, naming and statues and you likely will have read none of them and I won't bother pointing them out. A related one that you surely did not read was my year-end rant a few years ago. In it, you will note my prescience, in that I predicted that the names of some universities will be problematic for the sensitive ones (remember Ryerson?) Here is that small portion from a post that was too long:

The larger issue relates to the complete university not just the structures on the campus. What if the name applied to the entire university is tainted? I feel that it is my duty to alert you to some possible problems. In short, you would short the following colleges and universities if they were stocks or securities. The alphabetical list by institution includes the name of the person along with the alleged ‘crime’. 

Alcorn State (James L. He was a Confederate. Alcorn is largely black!)

Austin Peay  (Austin Peay. Like Jefferson, fathered a black child.)

Clemson ( Thomas Green. Married Calhoun’s daughter - see Yale above.)

Drake (Francis Marion. Killed a few Pawnees.)

Duke ( James Buchanan. Tobacco.)

Furman (Richard. The slave thing.)

George Mason (George Mason. The slave thing. See my related post - ASSOL)

Hofstra (William S. Lumber business - open to the charge of despoliation.)

Lamar ( Mirabeau Buonaparte. Slave trader AND Cherokee/Comanche killer.)

Marshall (John. His papers are online at the UVA. Find the problem yourself.)

Rice (William Marsh. Guy was a capitalist and died a rather messy death.)

Stanford (Leland Jr. The son of a robber baron.)

Tulane (Paul. Confederate donor.)

Vanderbilt (Cornelius. Rich - “unmannered brute.”)

Yale (Elihu. Corruption charges. Elis may become as rare as Jeffs.)

    Many colleges in the U.S. were founded by religious leaders and those named for such figures may be assumed to be safe from onomastic scrutiny (Wesleyan, for example) or maybe not (Oral Roberts). Otherwise if you are sending your sons or daughters off to college and you want them to have a ‘safe space’ , then perhaps you should consider a plainly-named land-grant university like the University of Iowa where the students are also likely to be less flighty. 

    As far as Canada goes, less work is required if you are trying to choose or avoid a university because of its name. Select one with a geographically-based name like ‘Toronto’, or  ‘Western’ which could exist anywhere and is surely not offensive. You could simply avoid any college that is named for a person unless she is Emily Carr. In the east, for example, I would not choose Dalhousie without thoroughly vetting the Earl. In the far west the choice is easy.  Go to UBC. It is clear that you should avoid Simon Fraser which will likely be attacked in the near future for reasons that are obvious. 

The source for the above, where there is even more, is my cleverly disguised post: "This Is NOT About Mariah Carey."

Old Beatrice & Uncle Tom

 

   It has been two weeks since I last posted and it is raining so I will attempt one now. It will be based, I think, on stories I just read in the Sunday papers. You will be relived to know that they are not "news" stories, since most such stories are rather bad these days.

  I will begin with the benign one about Beatrice. The picture above is from the North Sea off the coast of Scotland where the oil rigs, like the one on the right, are being replaced by the wind turbines on the left. There will be over 80 of them and the 50 square miles will be known as "The Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm." Her name was also on the old oil rigs. 

  You will not be surprised that I noticed the name "Beatrice", since I have written often about such names, mostly because they are being replaced. You will also know that I am not generally in favour of such replacements since the history behind them is often more interesting and illustrative than the monikers manufactured by the new toponymic totalitarians among us. 

  Although HRH Prince Charles of Wales reigned over the official opening of the "farm" in the Moray Firth, Scotland, old Beatrice is not British.  She was the wife of old T. Boone Pickens, who has his name all over the campus at Oklahoma State University. Old T. Boone was very rich and his story is more interesting than this post (see below for sources.)

  At this time I don't think anyone is suggesting that Beatrice be removed, but remember that the hummingbird "Anna" is being attacked for being named after the wife of a French naturalist. "Uncle Tom", as in "Uncle Tom's Cabin,"  is causing problems, even in Germany where "Onkel Toms Hütte" is the name of a subway station in Berlin. Blacks would be very much offended by being referred to as an "Uncle Tom" and the one pictured above objects to the station name as do many others. She is not alone and the naming authorities will probably have to re-name a Bauhaus housing development and the street, Onkel-Tom-Strasse. Just as I did not say much about T. Boone, I will say little more about the Uncle Tom controversy in Germany, since it is the type of  "news" story, of which there are already too many. If you can't figure it out, sources are provided, along with some other interesting bits.

Sources:
   For information about Beatrice see: "Giant Wind Farms Arise Off Scotland, Easing the Pain of Oil’s Decline," Stanley Reed, New York Times, Nov. 27, 2022.
   For Boone Pickens see the very interesting Wikipedia entry. The money he has given to OSU could save Laurentian U. and revitalize the entire industry of higher education in all of Canada. If you are a golf fan you will finally understand why so many of the foreign (and domestic) top PGA tour professionals ended up in Stillwater rather than, say in San Diego. 

  Information about the "Onkel Toms Hütte" controversy is found in this article, from which the illustration above was poached: "A Berlin Subway Stop is Called ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin.’ Some Black Germans Want Change," Meena Venkataramanan, The Washington Post, Nov. 27, 2022.

The Bonus:
   There is no doubt that you are still looking for something better to read on this dreary Sunday. Here is a suggestion, which allows me to plug some of my old posts. When discussing the various naming controversies, I have usually mentioned George R. Stewart. His name and book were mentioned in this article which also contains many other good book suggestions: "BY THE BOOK: Douglas Brinkley Would Like to Invite Thoreau to Dinner," New York Times, Nov. 27, 2022. Here is his answer to this question:
"What's the last great book you read?"
"During the pandemic I was transfixed by George R. Stewart’s “Earth Abides,” perhaps the most frightening doomsday thriller of all time. Most of American civilization collapses because of a strange disease, but a Berkeley ecologist is one of the rare survivors of the epidemic. Stewart wrote the book about 75 years ago, but his description of empty cities and the power of nature unleashed seem very contemporary in a world of Covid and climate change. It holds up well, and Kim Stanley Robinson wrote a fine introduction for the 2020 edition."
For more about Stewart and some of his other books see: George R. Stewart (1895 - 1980)
 My last post about geographic name changing is:  "British Columbia or Sasquatchia?" There are many more which surprises me.  

British Columbia or Sasquatchia?

 

Should The Name Be Changed? 

   

   At some point in the near future, the name of the province of British Columbia may be changed. Although right now a majority of the people who reside there do not want to change the name, those in the vocal minority are likely to make the call to do so and it will be done. 

   There are two major problems with the name: 1) the word "British" and 2) the word "Columbia".  They are both now noxious. 

    Don't worry. If the name changes and you miss the news, you will still be able to find the province. For example, if you google the "Queen Charlotte Islands" you will now automatically learn from the Wikipedia entry that this group of islands is known as "Haida Gwaii." I suppose future google searches will also find Galiano Island and Mount Garibaldi under their new names. And, for that matter, Prince Edward Island. 

   I was recently in British Columbia which is why I am bringing up again, the subject of "names." I wrote "again" because I think it is mostly mistaken to yield ground to the totalitarians of toponymy who would like to vacuum clean the map, and have said so. In short, remember the children's rhyme, "Sticks and stones.." For arguably more mature reasons see, Names on the Land, No More Name Changing or First They Came For the Names. For even more about both names and words now problematic see, This is NOT About Mariah Carey, where statues are also touched upon (the puzzling title is explained by the fact that it was conjured up on a new year's eve. I would change the title, but am not unhappy with the content. You will find in it, for example, a consideration of university names which are, or will be, under the microscopes yielded by the new linguistic puritans. Remember "Ryerson University?")

   More than enough said. You can decide for yourself and probably already have. Below are seven sources relating to the name "British Columbia." The last one is my favourite. Citations are provided in case the links rot. 

Sources:

“Renaming Places: How Canada is Reexamining the Map: The History Behind the Dundas Name Change and How Canadians are Reckoning With Place Name Changes Across the Country — From Streets to Provinces,” Robert Jago, Canadian Geographic, July 21, 2021. This is an interesting piece and in it one learns that in 1858, there was consideration given to the idea that an “Indian name should be sought out and adopted in a translated shape.” Columbus is thoroughly denigrated and the author asserts that: "The name British Columbia is unquestionably offensive in this or any era. The name was never meant as anything but a placeholder, disliked at its own inception; it became the name of the colony, and then the province, because time and distance prevented the founders from finding their preferred choice — an Indigenous name.”

“Should British Columbia Change Its Name? As We Reckon With History, Some Say It's Time,” CBC NEWS, AUG. 2, 2021

“There's been a national reckoning on place names and the people they're named after — and some say that conversation should include looking at the name of British Columbia, which is derived, in part, from Christopher Columbus.”

“Majority of British Columbians In New Survey Say No Way to B.C. Name Change

CBC News · Posted: Aug 31, 2021

Most B.C. residents don't want the name of their home province to be changed to reflect the area's Indigenous heritage, according to a survey created by Research Co. 

“A New Name For British Columbia? Here Are a Few Ideas,” Vancouver is Awesome, Jack Knox, Jan, 28, 2018. 

“First, let’s get real: Nobody is going to change the name of British Columbia. Good idea or bad, it isn’t going to happen. It’s an intriguing proposal to debate, though, as proven by the response to last Sunday’s column.”

It’s an intriguing proposal to debate, though, as proven by the response to last Sunday’s column. After we asked readers to submit alternative names, more than 300 poured in. Some were serious, some frivolous, some thoughtful, some racist, some anatomically challenging.

All were in response to an idea first advanced a decade ago by Victoria’s Ben Pires, who argues the province’s current name is neither historically accurate (direct British rule didn’t last that long) nor inclusive. Thinking about that perspective was the real point of the exercise.

“Rename British Columbia: The Province’s Name is the Shameful Holdover of a Colonial Past," Stephen Collis,  The Walrus, June 16, 2020.

“It Is Time to Rename British Columbia: Changing British Columbia’s Name is an Idea That Has Been Percolating for a While. A Notion That is not as Far Fetched as it Sounds or Without Precedent,” Jennifer Cole, Toronto Star, June 29, 2021.

“No, Don’t Change British Columbia’s Name,” Mark Milke, The ORCA, May 24, 2021.

This is a good article to read if you don’t think the name should be changed. The basic argument is presented briefly below, after which the author discusses slavery on the West Coast, that is, the practice of slavery in Indigenous societies.

“To wit, if the argument for changing British Columbia’s name rests on the notion of past colonial imperfection, that misses the big picture as well: Everyone’s ancestors fail by modern standards. And others, even out-of-step on some matters, had redeeming qualities on others.

But when ideologues look back, they see only extremes in black-and-white, and never the full spectrum of colour. They engage in cartoonish history.”

The Bonus: 

Forget about the politics and have fun. Read this fascinating book:

For more about the author, George R. Stewart, see: "George R. Stewart (1895 - 1980).

First They Came For The Names

   My stance on the subject of name changing has been made clear - I am against it and have posted about it. The only reason I am bringing it up again is because the situation is about to get worse. The reasons why are provided at the bottom, as are links to my related remarks on this subject - if you wish to see how wrong-headed one can be. I turn now, however, to the subject of the next purge - OFFENSIVE ADVERTISEMENTS.

Next It Will Be The Advertisements

  I am not a fan of advertisements and 'tape' just about every TV program to avoid them. I stopped watching the U.S. evening news, mostly because of them. We also don't need to be encouraged to buy more things and I would be pleased if the one pictured above was never to be seen again. These are current ads, however, and about purging them I am ambivalent.  The ones I am concerned about, are the older ones, particularly those in print, which some fragile person might stumble upon, in what used to be the safe spaces provided by libraries. 

   It did not take me long to find ones that are no longer appropriate and it will not take long for the posses of the politically correct to ask that they be removed, or that huge WARNING signs be placed in periodical rooms. Here are a few and they don't even include the really offensive ones that do not have the right mixture of races, genders, etc. You read it here first and in a few months my minuscule audience will be praising me for my prescience in predicting the next purge. 

   That should be enough. It is perhaps a good thing that General Motors stopped making the Pontiac, because they would have had to change the name in any case.

Sources: 

  The reason I am focusing on this again is because the U.S. Department of the Interior, just issued this press release: Secretary Haaland Takes Action to Remove Derogatory Names From Federal Lands. Surely a giant eraser soon will be rubbing across the more northerly part of the continent. 

   For earlier pronouncements: Names on the Land. And, No More Name Changing. 

The Bonus:

  If you haven't done your Christmas shopping, you can buy this book AND it will convince you that toponymy should not be tampered with: Names on the Land: A Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States, George R. Stewart.

  Those of you who are familiar with FIRST THEY CAME FOR.... will be aware of the totalitarian trends from earlier times. If you are not see here. 

No More Name Changing

 Sticks & Stones

"Sticks and Stones" is an English-language children's rhyme. The rhyme is used as a defense against name-calling and verbal bullying, intended to increase resiliency, avoid physical retaliation and to remain calm and good-living."

   "Sticks and Stones" - Wikipedia

"A common childhood chant meaning hurtful words cannot cause any physical pain and thus will be ignored or disregarded."

   My suggestion for solving the problem of problematic names is that we simply relearn the rhyme mentioned above, rather than relearn all names. And, it is far easier than eliminating all eponyms. I stated my position on the matter of names in this post - Names on the Land - and it has not changed, nor am I now embarrassed about what I wrote, or how it is written. Even if I was someone defined by an acronym such as, BIPOC, I don't think I would be traumatized by seeing the signs for Dundas Street or Plantation Lane.

Birds & Bees

   Those of you who have somehow been able to avoid the debates over toponyms will surely be surprised that the arguments now extend to the naming of birds and even insects (there are other "nyms" by the way. For example, it is proposed by some that the name of "British Columbia" should be changed and I think that BC is an example of a choronym. Other choronyms will need to be examined for excision, as will astionyms such as "Vancouver." Those of you who want to be among the first to display your self-righteousness over an old name newly discovered, as well as those of you who are beginning to worry about the amount renaming to be done, can start here.") I have already done more work than I planned, so here are the basics about the Birds and the Bees.

Bird Names for Birds

Awful Anna

 

   

You will find all you need to know at the link above (Bird Names for Birds.) It contains a spreadsheet of: 1) bird names, 2) who the bird was named for and 3) who it was named by. Biographical profiles are provided and here is why Anna's Hummingbird is up for elimination:

"Anna’s Hummingbird was named by René Primevère Lesson, a French naturalist in the early 19th century.  This bird was named to honor Anne d’Essling, wife of François Victor Masséna, Second Duke of Rivoli, who also has a hummingbird named for him by Lesson.

I am personally very fond of this bird species.  This is a bird that used to visit my feeders almost every day all year long in Phoenix, AZ.  I feel very attached to these chunky little hummingbirds, their beauty, their feisty behavior, and their spectacular courtship dives.

My problem with naming this wonderful bird for Anne d’Essling is that she really has nothing to do with this bird other than her husband’s ornithological interests.  Anne probably never saw a live hummingbird and it is unknown if she was even interested in them.  Surely she appreciated their beauty, but that is not known for certain."

Audubon, by the way, was an awful fellow. 

The Better Common Names Project

   For bugs, see the link above . I will just say here that the entomologists have moved into the field of etymology. Among the derogatory names the Task Force is currently examining is Gypsy Moth which is offensive to some Romani people. The Crazy Ant is also under the etymological microscope. 

   Rather than worrying about the elimination of the names of some insects, we should be more worried about the extinction of them. For that see: Insect Elegy. 

Post Script:

   To complicate matters I will introduce you to Stigler's Law of Eponymy which "holds that scientific laws and discoveries are never given the names of their actual discoverers.” It is a good reminder of just how collaborative and complex the processes of scientific discovery really are - the point here isn't so much that the wrong person gets credit as it is that the very idea that a single individual can get credit for a discovery is, well...a bit ridiculous."

   The same could be said about naming generally which was usually "collaborative and complex." Names were applied to the land by people who were often scoundrels, to honour people who were even worse and sometimes to satirize them. Some were attached in seriousness, others as a joke and not a few were chosen by those who may have been inebriated.  If the names are eliminated so is the history. Read Names on the Land before you discard Dundas. 

Sources: 

   "This Moth’s Name Is a Slur. Scientists Won’t Use It Anymore:The Entomological Society of America Will No Longer Refer to Common Species of Insects as “Gypsy Moths” and “Gypsy Ants,” Because Their Names are Derogatory to the Romani People." Sabrina Imbler, The New York Times, July 9, 2021.

   "Scientists are Renaming the ‘Gypsy Moth’ as Part of Broader Push to Root Out Offensive Monikers," Caroline Anders,  Washington Post, July 11, 2021.

   For Stigler's Law see the very good: "Stigler's Law: Why Nothing in Science is Ever Named After Its Actual Discover," Alasdair Wilkins, Gizmodo. 7/13/11

[It's hard not to think of Sayre's Law in this context: "In any dispute the intensity of feeling is inversely proportional to the value of the issues at stake."]

The Bonus:

   Country renaming has been continual over the centuries and some of the name changes are both reasonable and understandable. I was reminded of that fact by this recent headline and it is unlikely that you will recognize the name of the country: "Africa's Last Absolute Monarchy Convulsed by Mass Protests," John Eligon, NYT, July 2, 2021. The country is Eswatini, which was formerly known as "Swaziland." Other changes are noted in the article:

Nyasaland became Malawi on achieving independence in 1964. Months later, Northern Rhodesia achieved nationhood as the new republic of Zambia. In 1966, Bechuanaland was reborn as Botswana, and Basutoland changed its name to Lesotho. Rhodesia, following a 14-year period of white-minority rule that was not internationally recognized, became the new nation of Zimbabwe in 1980.

But several former British colonies in Africa — like Uganda, Kenya and Gambia — did not change their names upon gaining independence.

The Bonus Question: 

   Of all the country names on the planet, which one is in most need of reconsideration?
The United States.

Think about it. 

As soon, however, as the emergency of the war [ the American Revolutionary War] had grown less, the inadequacy of the name became apparent. United States of America was greatly lacking in that it applied no good adjective or term for the inhabitants of the country. It was unwieldy, inexact, and unoriginal. Although it rolled well from the tongue of an orator, not even the sincerest patriot could manage it in a poem or song."

Names on the Land, p.171.

Names on the Land

   

   There are more examples this week of linguistic puritans roaming the countryside looking for names to be erased and eliminated from the geographic vocabulary. I don't think they should be. Rather than treat established place names as bits of graffiti that should be painted over, perhaps they should be looked at as we do pictographs and petroglyphs and regarded as something from which we can learn.

 Let Them Be

   The current problem is named 'Squaw's Tit' which is pictured above and located near Canmore, Alberta. Even though the word 'squaw' is an indigenous one, it is now regarded as a racist term and when situated next to 'tit' it is doubly offensive because it is clearly misogynistic as well. It will surely be changed. The half as offensive 'Squaw Valley' in California is going soon and clearly we are more 'woke' than the Americans.  Shame on you if you ever skied there.

   I am not a racist or misogynist, but I am also not a toponymist so I am unlikely to be able to convince you that we should not so quickly erase what has been labelled over a long period of time and for many different reasons. Before you join the protests of the puritans, or sign the petition to have the name of your street changed, pause and read these two books.

   The first one is Names on the Land, by George R. Stewart, who also wrote, Names on the Globe and American Place-Names, as well as other books and novels. From him you will learn to appreciate names, no matter how crude or offensive. Consider this:

   The land has been named, and the names are rooted deep. Lake Mead may fill with silt, and Lake Michigan again spill south to the Gulf -- but the names may still remain. Let the conqueror come, or the revolution rage; many of our names have survived both already, and may again. Though the books should be burned and the people themselves be cut off, still from the names -- as from arrowheads and potsherds -- the patient scholar may piece together some record of what we were. 

   The second book is, From Squaw Tit To Whorehouse Meadow: How Maps Name, Claim, and Inflame by Mark Monmonier. So far, this book has not been burned, nor has the author been forced to erase the title (he almost called it, Fighting Words). Although this book is about applied toponymy and is by an academic, it is written in prose the rest of us can understand.  Here is what the publisher's blurb indicates. The publisher is the University of Chicago Press:

“Brassiere Hills, Alaska. Mollys Nipple, Utah. Outhouse Draw, Nevada. In the early twentieth century, it was common for towns and geographical features to have salacious, bawdy, and even derogatory names. In the age before political correctness, mapmakers readily accepted any local preference for place names, prizing accurate representation over standards of decorum. Thus, summits such as Squaw Tit—which towered above valleys in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and California—found their way into the cartographic annals. Later, when sanctions prohibited local use of racially, ethnically, and scatalogically offensive toponyms, town names like Jap Valley, California, were erased from the national and cultural map forever. 

From Squaw Tit to Whorehouse Meadow probes this little-known chapter in American cartographic history by considering the intersecting efforts to computerize mapmaking, standardize geographic names, and respond to public concern over ethnically offensive appellations. Interweaving cartographic history with tales of politics and power, celebrated geographer Mark Monmonier locates his story within the past and present struggles of mapmakers to create an orderly process for naming that avoids confusion, preserves history, and serves different political aims. Anchored by a diverse selection of naming controversies—in the United States, Canada, Cyprus, Israel, Palestine, and Antarctica; on the ocean floor and the surface of the moon; and in other parts of our solar system—From Squaw Tit to Whorehouse Meadow richly reveals the map’s role as a mediated portrait of the cultural landscape.”

  See especially Chapters 3, "Purging Pejoratives," and 4, "Body Parts and Risqué Toponyms." It is an enjoyable book.

Bonus Material: (from the book):

   Some officials chose the toponym "Naughty Girl Meadow", for an area in Oregon, but the locals protested and it was changed back to "Whorehouse Meadow", "officially recognizing the historical and cultural significance of the established local name for the area."

   Even original, indigenous names are not safe: "Another Indian name to bite the dust is Paska Township (in Ontario)—although paska means “shallow” in Cree, the province changed the name after a local Finnish family objected that a word with a similar sound means “shit” in Finnish."

   When the word "gay" began to mean something other than "happy", the locals in Gayside, Newfoundland decided they were more comfortable with Baytona. 

Post Script: 

    For now, Dildo is still in Newfoundland and Swastika is still here in Ontario. 

Sources:

   "Lawyers Hope to Erase Racist and Misogynistic Nickname of Mountain Landmark: Momentum is Building to Properly Name the Landmark, Which Can be Seen From Canmore, Colette Derworiz · The Canadian Press · Posted: Sep 06, 2020.

   For the Squaw Valley name change see this FAQ:

After extensive research into the etymology and history of the term “squaw,” both generally and specifically with respect to Squaw Valley, outreach to Native American groups, including the local Washoe Tribe, and outreach to the local and extended community, company leadership has decided it is time to drop the derogatory and offensive term “squaw” from the destination’s name.

Work to determine a new name will begin immediately and will culminate with an announcement of a new name in early 2021. Implementation of the name change will occur after the winter season concludes in 2021.

To learn more about Professor Monmonier, who is worth learning about see:

His website:

The official faculty link at Syracuse.

To order your copy of From Squaw Tit... and for more of his books, including, Bushmanders and Bullwinkles, see the University of Chicago Press website. 

Some Good News For a Change

Amit Chakma Engineering Building

     I mention this because you may have missed it.  The Chancellor of Western University, Jack Corwin, surprised the president of that university by announcing that he is donating $5 million and asking that the new engineering building be named in honour of President Chakma. He remarked that: "Some of you may not know that Amit is also an engineer, and a faculty member here in Engineering,” Cowin told guests at the opening. “His passion for the profession and field makes this the perfect tribute to his time as Western’s President.”

     I also mention it because you may recall that I recently suggested in a post that when the names of people are attached to buildings, rooms, chairs, scholarships, etc., it would be good if we could quickly learn more about them. I would be surprised if my suggestion is considered and I would be even more surprised if anyone even read this blog. But, if anyone did want to know about more about the story behind the naming of the Amit Chakma Engineering Building, the source provided below would be the place to begin.

Sources: 

"Chancellor Donates $5M to Engineering, Honours, President," Cory Habermehl,  Western News, Oct, 12, 2018.
"New Engineering Building Renamed to Amit Chakma Engineering Building," Liam Afonso, The Gazette, Oct. 12, 2018.
"Officially opened today, the formerly named ThreeC+ Engineering Building will be renamed the Amit Chakma Engineering Building, announced Western University on Friday afternoon."

Post Script:

For my post about this subject see: Western University Names

This is not the first time a donor at Western has made a donation in honour of someone else. The Allyn & Betty Taylor Library is named for a former Chancellor and his wife and the donor was anonymous. That library does a good job of identifying those who have supported it. See "Supporters of the Allyn and Betty Taylor Library".

I have discovered a couple of other useful links in relation to names that appear on campus.
The International Centre for Olympic Studies identifies clearly the names related to the holdings in the ICOS archive. See the descriptions for the Brundage, Lenskyj and Worrall collections which is found here. 

For a list of Centres & Institutes on campus see here. At the bottom of the list one finds this sentence which is unclear to me: "* Please note some names reflect legacy naming conventions and do not conform to above-mentioned definitions."

MORE GOOD NEWS FOR WESTERN/IVEY
     As I was writing this it was announced that a $7 million gift had been received at Ivey and that there will be new 'Names' on campus that will need to be explained. See: $7-million Gift Creates John F. Wood Centre for Innovation in Business Learning," Western News, Oct. 16, 2018.