Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin

Abstract Where literary onomastics focuses on names in the context of a narrative, literary onomaturgy focuses on ensembles of names that share common features in their construction, over and beyond the texts in which the individual names appear. This approach gives serious consideration to wordplay...

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Main Author: Christopher L Robinson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2011-09-01
Series:Names
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/1926
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author Christopher L Robinson
author_facet Christopher L Robinson
author_sort Christopher L Robinson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Where literary onomastics focuses on names in the context of a narrative, literary onomaturgy focuses on ensembles of names that share common features in their construction, over and beyond the texts in which the individual names appear. This approach gives serious consideration to wordplay and free association that other critical perspectives would treat as irrelevant, yet maintains methodological rigor thanks to its model of name creation. It furthermore treats semantic content as an element of construction, on a par with sound and form, that can be displaced from one name to another. While many of these elements get woven into the narratives in which the names appear, others get left out of the texts, but reappear in the fabrication of other names. In Le Guin's namecraft these internominal relationships cut across different texts and imaginary worlds, are open to great variety, and possess aesthetic properties that make the ensembles worthy of study and admiration on their own merits.
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spelling doaj.art-7dd502a27645480c8e01983177b1729f2022-12-22T03:42:03ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghNames0027-77381756-22792011-09-0159310.1179/002777311X12976826704208Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le GuinChristopher L RobinsonAbstract Where literary onomastics focuses on names in the context of a narrative, literary onomaturgy focuses on ensembles of names that share common features in their construction, over and beyond the texts in which the individual names appear. This approach gives serious consideration to wordplay and free association that other critical perspectives would treat as irrelevant, yet maintains methodological rigor thanks to its model of name creation. It furthermore treats semantic content as an element of construction, on a par with sound and form, that can be displaced from one name to another. While many of these elements get woven into the narratives in which the names appear, others get left out of the texts, but reappear in the fabrication of other names. In Le Guin's namecraft these internominal relationships cut across different texts and imaginary worlds, are open to great variety, and possess aesthetic properties that make the ensembles worthy of study and admiration on their own merits. http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/1926CHINESE NAMESHAO TINGMASCULINE/FEMININE NAMES
spellingShingle Christopher L Robinson
Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
Names
CHINESE NAMES
HAO TING
MASCULINE/FEMININE NAMES
title Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
title_full Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
title_fullStr Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
title_full_unstemmed Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
title_short Onomaturgy vs. Onomastics: An Introduction to the Namecraft of Ursula K. Le Guin
title_sort onomaturgy vs onomastics an introduction to the namecraft of ursula k le guin
topic CHINESE NAMES
HAO TING
MASCULINE/FEMININE NAMES
url http://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/1926
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