Names Epicene and Otherwise

Names Epicene and Otherwise Names Epicene and Otherwise Names Epicene and Otherwise By Maeve Maddox Until very recently, the only context I knew for the word epicene was a T. S. Eliot poem: Along the garden-wall the bees†¨ With hairy bellies pass between†¨ The staminate and pistilate,†¨ Blest office of the epicene. T.S. Eliot’s Mr. Eliot’s Sunday Morning Service I thought the word was just one of Eliots intriguing but impractically arcane terms until I came across it in a mainstream context: a Wikipedia article about naming practices: A unisex name, also known as an epicene name, is a given name that is often given to either a boy or a girl. Cody, Cory, Jodan, and Morgan are epicene names. Epicene entered English around 1450 as a grammatical term for nouns that can denote either masculine or feminine gender. An example in English would be horse, as contrasted with gender-specific stallion or mare. The meaning expanded to mean characteristic of both sexes (1601). It is sometimes used with the meaning of effeminate. It would seem that naming ones child would be a choice left to parents, but some countries have or had until recently, laws to limit names to an approved list. France had such a law until 1992 and that countrys current naming laws make it difficult for people to change a given name once they have it. Since banning Muslim girls from wearing headscarves at school, French authorities find themselves having to deal with a surge in requests from young people with North African roots to change European names like Nadine and Jacques to names like Zoubida and Abdel. French authorities see these requests as a rejection of French culture. Germany requires parents to give children a gender-specific name. If the child has two given names, one may be gender-neutral, but the other must be gender-specific. A girl may not be given a boys name, and vice versa. The only exception is the name Maria which may be used with boys, ex. Rainer Maria Rilke. The name must not be a product name, the name of an object, or any other name perceived as absurd or degrading. In September 2007 Venezuelan lawmakers were considering a law to limit parents to an approved list of 100 or so government-chosen names. Exceptions would be made for Venezuelan Indians and foreigners. Of particular concern was the banning of names that generate doubt about the bearers gender. New Zealand has a law that bans names that may cause offence or lead to bullying, but it doesnt seem to be too stringently enforced. One child got to be eleven years old before a judge stepped in and changed her name. Her parents had named her Talula Does the Hula From Hawaii (ABA Journal). The law did prevent another New Zealand couple from naming their baby 4real. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Dialogue Dos and Don'ts41 Words That Are Better Than GoodHow to Punctuate Introductory Phrases