1. Names
For this reading passage, we have many proper names, which contain cultural background. The following websites might offer you a lot of information you may be interested in. The web site, http://www.kabalarians.com/index.htm is considered to be the best for accessing specific information on each of the names listed (or any other English language names) by the Society of Kabalarians of Canada, a society devoted to the pursuit of personal wellness. Kabalarians use the Mathematical Principle to analyze names. You can also take a look at http://www.behindthename.com, a website devoted to the etymology and history of first names. You can look up almost 9000 names, or research a name not listed. It is a great encyclopedic site about language origins, elements of names, meanings, namesakes and many other subtopics, all of which are based on historical linguistic information.
The following is a brief explanation of the names that appeared in the reading passage.
1) Debbie (f.) represents the personality characteristics of generous, understanding, honest, creative, and intense. It is a short name of Deborah originally from a Hebrew name for a woman described in the Old Testament history of the Bible.
2) Lynne (f.) or Lynn (m.) represents the personality characteristics of sensitive, deeply artistic and creative, intense, and nature-lover and comes from Welsh meaning “lake” or is a short form of Linda (Spanish), or Belinda (Italian), both meaning “beautiful.”
3) Webster (m.) represents the personality characteristics of original, inventive, friendly, positive, outspoken, and procrastinator and comes from Old English, meaning “weaver.”
4) Joe (m.) represents the personality characteristics of spontaneous, social, easy-going, warm, generous, lacking in initiative and is a short form of Joseph, originally from a Hebrew name of a famous man in the Old Testament history of the Bible.
5) Adrian (m.) represents the personality characteristics of diplomatic, friendly, lacking in energy, confidence and initiative, and a procrastinator. This name is the English form of Hadrian, the name of a Roman Emperor who built a wall across northern Britain.
6) Susan (f.) represents the personality characteristics of pleasant, easy-going, friendly, patient, social, cautious and is a short form of Susanna. It is from the Hebrew Shoshanna name for a woman in the Old Testament history of the Bible.
7) Harry (m.) represents the personality characteristics of individual, reserved, serious, stubborn, alone, loyal, and thoughtful. It is the Medieval English form of Henry, the name of eight kings of England.
8) Nigel (m.) represents the personality characteristics of imaginative, creative, inconsistent, insecure, gullible, talkative and is an Italian form of Neil, or a French name meaning “hero.” It is sometimes associated with the Latin niger, meaning “black.”
9) Bertha (f.) represents the personality characteristics of idealistic, generous, kind, caring, possessive and comes from German, meaning “bright, famous”. Bertha is well known in German legends as a character who sneaks into nurseries and rocks children to sleep.
10) Pope Mel is a humorous reference, meant to show how foolish it would be to put the two names together. “Pope” is a title given to the highest authority of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome. “Mel” is possibly a short form of either Melvin (m.), or Melanie (f.) or Melissa (f.), and is a playful name which has no meaning in and of itself.
11) Julian (m.) represents the personality characteristics of patient, careful, cautious, conservative, intense and comes from Julius, the name of the last Roman emperor.
12) Rory (m.) represents the personality characteristics of practical, logical, analytical, systematic, particular, and serious and comes from the Irish, Ruaidhrí, meaning “red king”. It is the name of the last high king of Ireland who reigned in the 12th century.
13) Elmer (m.) represents the personality characteristics of shrewd, aggressive, decisive, self-centred, and independent and comes from Old English, meaning “noble, famous”.
14) Hubert (m.) represents the personality characteristics of pleasant, diplomatic, sensitive, passive, and procrastinator and comes from German, meaning “bright heart”. The Saint Hubert who lived in the 8th Century is the patron saint of hunters.
15) Michael (m.) represents the personality characteristics of clever, responsible, serious, self-confident and independent and is from the Hebrew name Mikha’el meaning “who is like God”. The New Testament of the Bible identifies Michael as the archangel who leads heaven’s armies. He is the patron saint of soldiers.
16) Linda (f.) represents the personality characteristics of hard worker, careful, patient, independent, reliable, and practical and comes from Spanish or Italian, meaning “beautiful.”
17) Diane (f.) represents the personality characteristics of clever, responsible, friendly, serious, reliable, and independent and comes from the French form of Diana, originally from the Roman goddess of nature and fertility.
18) Barbara (f.) represents the personality characteristics of sensitive, artistic, unstable, and self-conscious and comes from the Greek, barbaros, meaning “foreign”. Saint Barbara was a woman killed by her father, who was then killed by a bolt of lightning. She is the patron of architects, geologists, stonemasons and artillerymen.
19) Carol (f. or m.) represents the personality characteristics of quiet, practical, clever, methodical, creative, inventive, analytical, studious, and moody and is an English feminine form of Carolus meaning “song” or “hymn” in English. Note that Carol used to be a masculine name as well but now it is for girls only.
20) Cindy (f.) represents the personality characteristics of idealistic, proactive, impressionable, receptive, candid, self-centred, sensitive, imaginative, visionary, and perfectionist. Cindy is a short form of Cynthi which comes from the Greek, “Kynthos”, the name of the Greek moon goddess Artemis who was named after the mountain Kynthos on which she and her twin brother Apollo were presumably born.
2. More about Names:
◦ The website at http://www.interoz.com/usr/bethed contains links to various articles and essays on the psychology of names. For example,
◦ An article entitled “Names and Personal Identity” which discusses research into how names throughout history have given humans a sense of personal identity and uniqueness;
◦ An article entitled “Names and Behaviour” which discusses research into the links between first-name stereotypes and achievement;
◦ An article entitled “Names and Personality” which discusses research into how names can affect the way people behave and how they feel about themselves.
3. The Bible
It is the holy book of the Christians, consisting of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Some web resources related to Christianity include:
a) http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/01442.html provides a clear and concise definition of the Christian Bible with direct links to similar definitions of Old Testament and New Testament.
b) The website at http://www.christ.gen.nz is a site that explains Christianity and its tenets to non-Christians and Christians alike.
c) Another interesting website at http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/bible explores the origins and formation of the Bible as well as its interpretation and authority and tells how these are affected by our world views at any particular time in history. Each of these topics is also illustrated with online videos.
d) The website at http://www.riverpower.org provides answers to questions about Christianity, tells the story of Jesus Christ, and provides an introduction to the Christian Bible (New Testament) by way of the Gospel of St. John.
4. Herbert Harari
Herbert Harari is a retired professor of psychology at San Diego State University. If you’d like to know more about his research on stereotyping student behavior, you can check out the web page at http://www.interoz.com/usr/bethed/behavior.htm. Herbert Harari is also a self-educated computer guru on MIDI music. Tune in to his website at http://www.harari.net and listen to his music on the web!
5. San Diego
The website at http://www.sandiego.org is the official travel resource for the San Diego Region. This site showcases various offerings of the area, including recreation, arts and culture, dining, and such world-renowned theme park attractions as the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, and Lego Land.
6. John McDavid
Co-author of a paper on student behaviour stereotyping. Refer to the web page at http://www.interoz.com/usr/bethed/behavior.htm that cites the work of Herbert Harari and John W. McDavid regarding the stereotyping of student behaviour based on given names.
7. Georgia State University
You can visit http://www.gsu.edu for more information about the university located in Atlanta, Georgia.
8. Dr. Thomas V. Busse
From the website http://www.interoz.com/usr/bethed/behavior.htm you can find an article entitled “Names and Behaviour” that cites the work of Dr. Thomas V. Busse and Louisa Seraydarian regarding their research at Temple University about the positive link between desirable names and IQ.
9. Louisa Seraydarian
From the website http://www.interoz.com/usr/bethed/behavior.htm you will find an article entitled “Names and Behaviour” that cites the work of Louisa Seraydarian and Dr. Thomas V. Busse regarding their research at Temple University about the positive link between desirable names and IQ.
10. Temple University
It is a comprehensive public research university with more than 29,000 students. It has a distinguished faculty in 16 schools and colleges, including schools of Health Sciences Center. The university is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA and has two international campuses in Japan and Italy. According to its official website http://www.temple.edu Temple University is the 39th largest university in the United States, and it is the largest provider of professional education (law, dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and podiatric medicine) in the United States.
