On the Prowl
In the jungle of names
By Bernadette Calonego
Recently I had the opportunity to write another travel article about the Great Northern Peninsula. When Swiss or German editors read the local names, they often ask me about their origin. Namely the ones that sound French, Like L`Anse aux Meadows. Where do these names come from?, they want to know. So I try to explain how the French settled along this coast and then were expelled by the Brits. When I first came here, like all newcomers, I struggled with the name Quirpon. St. Lunaire-Griquet was a tongue twister, too.
Today it is not a problem anymore. But some names are still a challenge. Especially the modern kids names. Many of them are inspired by American TV shows, I have heard. Other names remain a mystery to me. I used to mix up Brayden with Shayden and Charleen with Shayleen. I sometimes wonder: Is it Deena or Dinah or Dayna or Diane? I finally can keep Wavey and Winnie apart (at least most of the times), and Milc and Meanie. And Arleen and Darlene. And Flossie and Phyllis and Faye. And Lona and Mona.
But Viona and Vianne and Ivy and Viney remain a riddle. Have pity on me, folks!
Shona, Shianne and Sheena still confuse me. I regularly fail at Lelvie, Filis, Drucilla and Virtue.
These names are not easy for a person who grew up with Swiss names. But on the other hand, my name is a hurdle for Ca-nadians, too. Tit for tat. (And yes, Bernadette is French and I am named after a Catholic girl turned nun who had apparitions of the Virgin Mother. But I am okay with my name, as long as I don`t have to spell it all the time.)
When I was writing a short story about Newfoundland, I went in search of old names. I found biblical names like Nimrod or Zacharias, Absalom and Aloysius.
Despite my fruitless efforts to remember some local names, I love unusual ones (unusual for me!) like Idella or Phyllis and Primus, Maimie, Pleeman, Aquila or Teraceta.
Some place names in Newfoundland have it in them, too. Nameless Cove and Savage Cove and Deadmans Cove and Bird Cove. And so on. When I tell Europeans about Dildo and Come By Chance and Heart`s Delight, I always have an interested audience.
When a baby is born, everybody is curious to learn what name the parents have chosen. And how they chose it. Did they go through a special book with names? Did they think of the names of their ancestors? Or did they choose a name that is all the craze right now? Pet names can be a similarly serious matter like baby names. The five rescued kittens that the group Help the Strays St. Anthony and Area is fostering right now, have already gotten their names. Their future owners found them very quickly once they had decided which kitten they wanted. There are Gus and Sadie. And there is Mittens. The names Salt and Pepper did not last long, they were replaced by Tuka and Moo.
I wanted to have some creative impact too and suggested Stella as a name for the momma cat. No chance – I was voted down. Her name is Lily. Which I quite like, I have to admit. As long as the names are easy to remember, I can be persuaded of anything. A friend of mine in Norris Point named one of her dogs Iyatzuk, sorry, Iiatzuk, sorry, Yatzuck? Whatever – it is an Innu word for I-cannot-remember-anymore. Now my friend has a new dog. I am glad to hear that its name is Nuka. At least, I can spell that.
This cannot be said for some seemingly easy names of humans. One day, I hope I will not have to look up the name Darrell anymore (Darell? Daryll?). Or Braydon (Braiden? Brayden?).
Last year, a friend in Vancouver cut out a newspaper article for me about the lighthouse on Quirpon Island. It was spelt Quirpun.
Here we go. It happens in the best families.
Photo Beverly Manuel
