This next source is an encyclopedic source from Encyclopædia Britannica and is written by Ladislav Zgusta who was a linguist and lexicographer. The Britannica site itself is known to be a reliable source with articles written by credible authors and unlike Wikipedia is not open to the general public for edits and modifications. This source material could be particularly useful for my topic paper as it provides general definitions and explanations on the science of onomastics, the study of names, which is extremely relevant. It is especially useful for my first paragraph and my final paragraph as well. The text also provides useful vocabulary and their meanings as is pertinent to my subject. For some examples, I thought the term onomastics referred to the study of all names but it really actually focuses on personal names. Toponymy is the study of names of places such as rivers, mountains, cities, etc. But, even in toponymy there are more specifics, such as hodonymy which is used for names of roads, and chrematonymy which is the term for object names. The article then goes on to thoroughly explain the concept of personal names and their structure which generally includes a surname and a first/given name. The author then briefly explains some variations in this pattern such as the addition of middle names or the order in which names are presented for example whether one culturally presents their name by their surname first or their given-name.

Zgusta, Ladislav. “The Science of Onomastics.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/topic/name/The-science-of-onomastics.

This source is from Youtube. It is a Ted Talk by Graci Kim Cribbins from October 2019. Graci Kim Cribbins is a diplomat, an entrepreneur and a fantasy author. She discusses her experience with labels and names placed upon her and then how she got to choose a pen name for herself when she started writing. She picks a name that has personal meaning to her but also one that would be strategically more enticing to the public. She then goes on to tell us of the time she went with her husband to Korea, her place of origin, to the place where her specific clan of Kim family originated. Learning the history triggers memories of her own experience with her name and the identity associated with that name and the racist backlash that came from others because of it. She realizes that by creating her westernized pen name she was hiding a part of herself; hiding her history, her family, and her identity. She concludes with her recounting her realization of the great honour it is to have her name through the stories and people that shaped and fought for it. Graci is very articulate and her talk was very interesting and entertaining to listen to. Her story would be a great source to use in my paragraph about names and personal identity.

TEDxTalks, director. YouTube, YouTube, 2 Nov. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIqsZIfaiMY&list=WL&index=16. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.

This Ted talk dated March 2021 is by Heidi Breaux a social worker and social work instructor at Tulane University. The talk as a whole discusses the oppression transgender individuals, especially people of colour, suffer from in America both in the past and present. Heidi expresses how even within the LGBTQIA+ community, transgender people face discrimination and invalidation. She discusses the subject of pronouns and how a person’s appropriate pronouns can change over time or even change daily and how it’s important to respect these pronouns. However, she highlights that the pronouns one chooses to use do not automatically disclose gender identity. She uses the example that a trans woman may use they/them pronouns instead of the more expected she/her pronouns and that this is completely valid. The take-away from this talk is to not make assumptions about other people and to respect the names, pronouns and labels that others use. When these aren’t respected it can leave the individual with feelings of devalidation in their own identity and frustration at not being accepted for who they are and how they identify. This source would fit well into my paragraph on personal names and identity as it discusses how influential they can be in the transgender community.

TEDxTalks. YouTube, 26 Mar. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=PXU1BArrnx4&list=WL&index=2&t=784s. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.

This Ted Talk is given by Erikan Obotetukudo who is a keynote speaker and businesswoman. In this talk Erikan argues that knowing one’s name and one’s identity is necessary to becoming successful. One needs confidence in one’s heritage and to wear these roots proudly and unapologetically. She then proceeds to explain how gaining this confidence can be a difficult journey. She recounts tales of growing up in California where her name stood out and where teachers wouldn’t even make an attempt to say it. She elaborates how these subtle but powerful rejections of her name made her question whether she should change it to make it more convenient for others and avoid sticking out. She also talks about how people make automatic assu,ptions just by hearing her first or last name. An example she gives is when she goes home to Nigeria and enters a car where her driver says she must be American after mistaking her name as Erika. She discusses how difficult it can be to correct people when they do make these assumptions or mistakes in her name, how sometimes it just seems easier to let it slide so she doesn’t have to deal with the confrontation. She concludes with her finding pride and empowerment in her name and what it means to her loved ones, her history and herself. This is a good source to use in a paragraph about the connection between names and identity and complements the Ted Talk by Graci Kim Cribbins, “ The Hidden Power Behind our Names".

TEDxTalks. YouTube, 20 June 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ0kF8ot2E8&list=WL&index=17&t=124s. Accessed 7 Mar. 2022.

This source is an academic article in the journal California Studies in Classical Antiquities published by the University of California Press in 1972. It is written by Norman Austin who is an author, a classics professor and was Head of the Department of Classics (1980) at the University of Arizona. The article discusses the interesting uses of names in The Odyssey with specific focus on Odysseus’s name. He discusses word play used by Homer with the greek verb “odyomai” which bears close resemblance to the name Odysseus. He discusses Odysseus’ use of withholding his name numerous times in the epic as characterization of his cunning and trickery and cleverness for which he is so renowned. He discusses not only Odysseus’s omission of his name but also the careful avoidance of using it by other characters such as his crew, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachos, some gods and nymphs, etc. The source discusses specific plot points and how Odysseus’s name or omission of his name directly influences the plot and enhances the understanding of many characters. The text itself is not too difficult to follow but it does use terms and language very specific to onomastics and does discuss some greek words for comparisons and arguments which aren’t always specifically defined and thus requires a bit of background in classics studies.

“Odysseus’s boast and its consequences are a clear moral on the disasters contingent on the indiscriminate utterance of a name.” (p.g 4)

“If Odysseus is the man whom friends will not name, he is also the man whose name is everywhere known, respected and feared.” (p.g 10)

Austin, Norman. “Name Magic in the ‘Odyssey.’” California Studies in Classical Antiquity, vol. 5, University of California Press, 1972, pp. 1–19, https://doi.org/10.2307/25010630.

My research project was to investigate the impact of names in our day to day lives. Whether it be personal names or simply titles of objects, names are ever-present. I chose this topic because names really intrigue me, their many meanings and the power they can hold. I find further interest in this subject as I have changed my own name since discovering and embracing my gender identity. While I didn't place any major focus on names affecting transgender individuals in my project, it was still interesting to research and explore the topic of names in general from this perspective. Although, I did learn a lot about how names affect our sense of identity by listening to first hand accounts from Ted Talks. Those were the most interesting and educational from my point of view. To hear real people relating their stories of their names and how personally affected and molded their journeys through life. I also discovered how named affect our senses and our anticipatory reactions. Just from titling something in a different way, you can affect a person's mood, sense of smell, heart rate, etc. I also explored multiple ways in which names influence literature. A characters name can indicate the type of personality they have and can even foreshadow their future later in the work of writing. Overall, it was very interesting to study a subject that we so often take for granted and brush aside easily. It made me realize how influential the smallest things can be in our lives.