Name, place, and emotional space: themed semantics in literary onomastic research

This research uses literary resources as evidence against the argument that names are potentially semantically meaningless entities. A secondary goal is to highlight and discuss the value of onomastics from both a literary and linguistic perspective. The thesis proposes a methodology for the assessment of literary sources based on genre, arguing that names, and genre in turn, may be defined through their respective engagement with thematic considerations, providing a relevant critical structure by which to assess the application or construction of names within fiction. The proposed methodology is first used to assess the placenames within dystopian literature, taking Orwell’s 1984 (1949), Huxley’s Brave New World (1931), and Zamyatin’s We (1924) as exemplar texts for the genre. The emblematic themes identified within the onymic patterns (propaganda, classification and regulation) all share a common thematic root: power and control. In order to assess the validity of this approach, the fictional worlds depicted in a selection of other dystopic texts are also examined. A special study is made of terrapsychology and fictional ontology, as well as of three distinct subgenres of the gothic. Case studies of the latter are each focused around a different ontological mode (fictional, part-fictional, and non-fictional placenames), covering the fantastic world of Peake’s Gormenghast setting (two texts published in 1946 and 1950), Lovecraft’s variant New England county (six texts, 1922 to 1936), and the representative contemporary setting of Brook’s World War Z (2006), respectively

The power & politics of naming: literary onomastics within dystopian fiction

This research will examine the use of names within a particular genre of literature, in order to investigate the role of onomastics in shaping the characteristics of dystopian literature. Texts of this genre are unique in regards to the authoritarian and controlling nature of some ruling force, with this power manifested in a variety of manners, all of which feature important onomoastic manipulation in their composition. The control exercised over such naming is a major feature of the genre, but has received little scholarly attention. As a specialised genre, the number of core novels used to define the boundaries is relatively small, and thus allows research as a series in order to buil an interpretation that covers the genre as a whole

Mindcrafting:The Semantic Characteristics of Spontaneous Names Generated as an Aid to Cognitive Mapping and Navigation of Simulated Environments

Background. This study explores the extent to which names are formed to serve the development of mental maps to enable efficient navigation of unfamiliar terrain, conducted within a simulated landscape. Purpose. The primary aim of this study was to examine the semantic properties of spontaneous naming systems, and investigate their potential waypointing influence in personal route mapping. Method. Participants were tasked with the exploration of a closed-environment in MINECRAFT to find a designated goal, and return to the starting point in as short a time as possible, verbalizing their active thought process throughout. All instances of names were recorded. Results. The 12 participants created 61 names across 13 distinct sites. The environment had not been cultivated to predispose these points to be of interest, allowing a dedicated discussion of the factors that influence or are complemented by name-derived semantics. A strong negative correlation (−0.88) was found between the number of names generated and speed of task completion, which was calculated to be significant. Conclusion.Name development is shown to play a role in efficient cognitive mapping, with consistent semantic developmental patterns identifiable, formed equally around interpreted poetics of a space and the observable physical form

Alts, Abbreviations, and AKAs:historical onomastic variation and automated named entity recognition

The accurate automated identification of named places is a major concern for scholars in the digital humanities, and especially for those engaged in research that depends upon the gazetteer-led recognition of specific aspects. The field of onomastics examines the linguistic roots and historical development of names, which have for the most part only standardised into single officially recognised forms since the late nineteenth century. Even slight spelling variations can introduce errors in geotagging techniques, and these differences in place-name spellings are thus vital considerations when seeking high rates of correct geospatial identification in historical texts. This article offers an overview of typical name-based variation that can cause issues in the accurate geotagging of any historical resource. The article argues that the careful study and documentation of these variations can assist in the development of more complete onymic records, which in turn may inform geotaggers through a cycle of variational recognition. It demonstrates how patterns in regional naming variation and development, across both specific and generic name elements, can be identified through the historical records of each known location. The article uses examples taken from a digitised corpus of writing about the English Lake District, a collection of 80 texts that date from between 1622 and 1900. Four of the more complex spelling-based problems encountered during the creation of a manual gazetteer for this corpus are examined. Specifically, the article demonstrates how and why such variation must be expected, particularly in the years preceding the standardisation of place-name spellings. It suggests how procedural developments may be undertaken to account for such georeferential issues in the Named Entity Recognition strategies employed by future projects. Similarly, the benefits of such multi-genre corpora to assist in completing onomastic records is also shown through examples of new name forms discovered for prominent sites in the Lake District. This focus is accompanied by a discussion of the influence of literary works on place-name standardisation – an aspect not typically accounted for in traditional onomastic study – to illustrate the extent to which authorial interests in regional toponymic histories can influence linguistic development

Mapping Digitally, Mapping Deep:Exploring Digital Literary Geographies

This 'Thinking Space' piece considers the relationship between distant and close approaches to reading literary geographies. Specifically, it outlines recent developments in digital literary mapping, and suggests how the incorporation of these technologies in literary studies can advance new insights in the field

The Psychosocial Ramifications of Videogame Naming and Representation in the Early Years of The Simpsons

The Simpsons is a parody of suburban American life, and, as one member of the titular family is a 10-year-old boy, videogames make a number of appearances. This article is a comprehensive overview of every occurrence or reference to gaming made within the first decade (1989–1999), and will assess the stereotypical aspects of both games and gamers made throughout the series. The majority of entries are not actively depicted on screen, but provide names that match the exaggerated over-the-top violent nature of those that are, which forms a consistent satirical depiction of the hobby. This study seeks to add a new voice to the argument for names possessing semantic content, especially artistic onyms, in the ongoing critical debate

The Rocket’s Red Glaringly Apparent Intent:The Dazzling Effects of Firework Naming

This article provides a preliminary investigation into the naming practices of a unique product group: pyrotechnics. It is conducted through a comprehensive survey of units made available in the UK marketplace (of 2015) during peak seasonal availability (end of October through early November), when fireworks can easily be purchased from non-specialist retailers. The semantic content underpinning effective branding is shown as being predominantly focused on the sensory impact of the explosions, which provides the primary naming impetus. The analysis is conducted through a statistical assessment against thematic grouping — this approach is typical for the statistical assessment of brand names linguistic categorisation. The author introduces a range of twelve thematic categories that correspond to the semantic fields used as the associative basis for each name. This analysis features a dedicated assessment of two specific categories: Rockets (which provide a statistically-representative snapshot of the entire range) and Sparklers (which were omitted from the quantitative data). The article shows that most often firework names are retrieved from military and cosmic thematic groups and point mainly to the expected visual effects. Besides providing relevant quantitative data, the paper demonstrates the qualitative linguistic versatility of firework names, arguing that they hold significant analytic opportunities for examining the role of associative semantics in the commercial naming of entertainment products