Thursday, July 13, 2017
Pseudononnym
A celebrity of some sort who uses the stage name Kid Rock is running for Senate. This will open new horizons in the stuffy world of Official Titles.
We've had plenty of politicians with changed names, usually because the original name was weird or hard to pronounce. Those pseudonyms were nyms. It's dramatically and grammatically different when the pseudonym is outside the realm of nyms.
The Honorable Mr Rock would be abbreviated on the nameplates used in committee hearings as Hon Rock.
What if celebrities with pseudonums like 50 Cent or Andre 3000 or E-40 run for office? Would E-40 be The Honorable Mr 40? Mr Minus Forty?
Best pseudonum of all is Cold 187um. (1) It's a pseudonumum. (2) It's a classical** pseudonumum with a Latin neuter nominative ending. Lawmakers need to know a few bits of misused and mispronounced Latin, so he'll fit right in. (3) The pseudonumum is based on a section of the California Criminal Code. Perfect name for a legislator! (4) It's a Self-Explanatory Pseudonumum! "Mr 187um, can you tell us what you will do in the Senate?" "Yo check my name dawg." And if he actually carries out his eponumumous promise, we'll all be better off.
** Strictly speaking the name should be Frigvm CLXXXVIIvm, but we'll tolerate the mixed mode for now.
Labels: Language update
¶ 3:32 AM
