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WHYVILLE HELP : GALLERY : DR. LEILA : SEARCH : SUBMIT : STAFF : HOME Jan 18, 2009

 

The Nitty Gritty of Names

Colourxme investigates where our names come from and what they mean.

Hello, Whyvillians!

I was first prompted to do this article when my friend randomly asked me after our exam the other day, "Where do names come from?" Confused, I answered, "What do you mean?" She continued, "Well . . . I was thinking . . . why aren't we just called 'book' or 'pencil'?"

That stumped me for a bit. Then after I thought about it for a while, I came up with a possible answer, but of course I had no idea if it was correct or not. I thought, well, names have meanings don't they? Maybe they're a random word in another language. So, like any other time I'm stumped on something, I Googled it!

Before we dig into the real question, concerning first names, I'd like to share a bit of information I came across about surnames.

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Obsession Much?

Taffii wants to know why we care.

Dior on my face and Uggs on my feet, I strut down the streets of Hollywood Blvd. The names on the sidewalk are my best friends and favorite enemies. As I turn the corner, I walk into a high end store. Like a queen, I conquer the room with a glass of champagne as people try on diamond stilettos. I'm not ashamed of the bright lights. I'm sure I will look wonderful on the cover of any magazine. Take my picture, darling. I know you are celebrity obsessed.

It seems like everywhere I turn there is a picture of some celebrity doing something. I turn the pages of Us magazine today in extreme irritation. I'm sorry, but, the obsession we've created seems rather ridiculous to me. One question, please, "Why do we care?!"

What's so great about celebrities? Yes, most of them are unnaturally way too gorgeous for their own good. They are great to stare at, but that's my only reason. "Well, I'm going to marry Zach Efrignogbuh!" Good imagination! But seriously, what are the chances that you will meet him, become best friends, and then marry him? It's never going to happen! So why do we post them on our walls and obsess over them? Please let me know.

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