The national character of the Welsh, the Irish
5. “Devils in skirts”, “ladies from hell”
The Scots, particularly the “Highlanders” from the mountainous north, try to maintain their separate identity. They object to being called “English”. The “Highlanders” are proud, independent and hardy people who mainly live by farming sheep in the mountain areas; others, on the coasts and islands, are fishermen. The urban areas of southern Scotland are heavily industrialized. The Scots have a reputation for being inventive, hardworking, serious – minded and cautious with money. In the past they were pioneer settlers and empire builders. They have also provided the British Army with some of its most famous regiments (“devils in skirts”, “ladies from hell”).
There is no other part of the British Isles where national traditions are more cherished than in Wales. The Welsh still proudly their national dress on festive occasions. Welshmen, who have a highly developed artistic sense, have a distinguished record in the realm of poetry, song or drama.
Irish jokes are about Irish people in which they appear to be quite stupid. Such jokes are usu. told by English people and are considered offensive, esp. by Irish people themselves. The Irish are independent, proud, open-hearted, hospitable.
Images of Great Britain, of the US
Images of Great Britain include Britannia (= a female figure representing Britain, formerly shown on some coins). Britannia is usu. shown sitting down, wearing a helmet, and holding a trident. There is a popular patriotic song called Rule Britannia. The flag of the United Kingdom, known as the Union Jack, is made up of three crosses. The upright red cross is the cross of St.George, the patron saint of England. The white diagonal cross (with the arms going into the corners) is the cross of St.Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland. The red diagonal cross is the cross of St.Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St.David is the patron saint of Wales. A red rose – England’s official emblem. Red and white roses were chosen as emblems during the Wars of the Roses. Afterwards, the two were combined in the Tudor rose. Other images include a bulldog, often wearing a Union Jack waistcoat, and John Bull, an old-fashioned and fat country gentleman.
Wales has two plants, the leek and the daffodil, as its emblems. Scotland has the thistle (= a prickly weed) as its official emblem, but a tartan pattern is used on many products made in Scotland. The national symbol of Northern Ireland is the Red Hand of Ulster, which appears on its flag. The shamrock and the harp are also associated with Ireland. The Great Seal of the US, which appears on US money and government, show a bald eagle, a very large bird which is itself a symbol of the US. In its mouth the eagle holds the words e pluribus unum (one out of many). Other names of the US, e.g. ‘the melting pot’ (= one country made up from many individual states). Uncle Sam – the imaginary person who represents the US and its government. Uncle Sam has a white beard and wears red, white and blue clothes, with stars on his tall hat. Stars and Stripes the US flag. Old Glory is a popular name for the US flag, first used by William Driver, a ship’s captain from Massachusetts, in 1831.
Nationally cultural peculiarities of the English, American onomastics
(the most common English / Welsh / Scottish / Irish surnames; traditions of American / British anthroponomastics; author’s inventions, typical Gaelic first names, typical Welsh first names, nicknames : Jock’ or ‘Mac’, ‘Paddy’ or ‘Mick’ ‘Taffy’,‘Yanks’ or ‘Yankees’, a ‘Roller’, ‘Marks & Sparks’ , The Hammers, “The Golden State”, “The Lone Star State,” “The Equality State”).
The definition of onomastics.
The subject matter of the science
In the present lecture we attempt to seek the nationally cultural peculiarities of the English / American proper names. The distinction between names and appellatives (common nouns) is generally clear. Names are used in individual reference; appellatives can be used in reference to all members of a class or to any number of them. The science that studies names in all their aspects is called onomastics. The subject of this science is broad because almost everything can have a name and because the study of names theoretically encompasses all languages, all geographical and cultural regions, and all historical epochs. In the most precise terminology, a set of personal names is called anthroponymy and their study is called anthroponomastics. A set of place-names is called toponymy, and their study is called toponomastics. The term toponymy includes inhabited places, buildings, roads, countries, mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, stars, and so on. Names of streets, roads, and the like are called hodonymy; names of bodies of water – hydronymy, names of mountains – oronymy. The study of the objects, connected with fantasy of people is called mythonomy. The study of the objects connected with creative work of artists, writers is called fictonymy (fiction).
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