Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2010 October 16

= October 16 =

website english singular plural
Is there a website where I can find words like phenomenon-singular and phenomena-plural, datum-singular and data-plural and etc? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.31.17.9 (talk) 01:13, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Have you seen English plural? Rojomoke (talk) 01:32, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

'''There are so many websites that provide that information you are asking for. Try typing "plurals of nouns" in search engines.'''

Name of a fictional Native American Tribe
I am thinking about writing a short story concerning a young Native American boy who becomes an apprentice to the Thunderbird deity. I don't want to be hindered by having to adhere to the customs / beliefs of a real world tribe, therefore, I want to create a fictional tribe of my own. I'm open to name suggestions for this fictional tribe. --Ghostexorcist (talk) 11:02, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * I might suggest looking at a lists of Native American words for existing tribes (e.g. ), and picking one that sounds good and has a meaning that makes sense as a name for your fictitious people (after checking that it already isn't a name of a tribe, of course). For example, the Blackfoot word for "man/men" is "Nínaawa". It'd be possible that a fictitious tribe related to (or near) the Blackfoot might be called "men"/"Ninaawa". It'd probably be good if you picked a tribe in the same general location as your story is set (e.g. if set in Arizona, pick someone like the Southern Paiute rather than the Blackfoot, who are from Montana.) If nothing else, looking at a Native American word list will give you a better sense of what real Native American words sound like. -- 174.24.199.14 (talk) 15:38, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * Thank you for actually contributing something useful to this section. That is an interesting website. My tribe will most likely be an amalgam of those from the plains and South America. I will borrow lightly from their individual cultures to make my own. I'm thinking the story will take place prior to the European settlement in America. --Ghostexorcist (talk) 11:25, 17 October 2010 (UTC)


 * If you want to avoid offense, you might also want to specify in any accompanying notes that this is not based on any specific tribe, and you might even want to go the whole hog and make them a tribe (not Native American) in some alternative universe, which happens to be based on your impressions of Native Americans, thus avoiding writing about the beliefs and practices of a group of people inaccurately. 109.155.37.180 (talk) 18:48, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * I think it would be best either to stick with a particular NAtive American culture and their system - or to not set the story in a Native American setting. The world has seen enough fake Native American stories - call the tribe N'avi or something...·Maunus· ƛ · 02:27, 17 October 2010 (UTC)


 * How interested are we in Ruritania nowadays?--Wetman (talk) 02:47, 17 October 2010 (UTC)


 * A school friend and I had a "fake summer camp name" game which was, in retrospect, a "fake Indian tribe" game. Basically we would just mash together a lot of anglicized Iroquoian morphemes, yielding strings like Chickapawntuck and Wockaswannee and Muckapawnsett. Pretty puerile stuff. Nothing like Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport. L ANTZY T ALK 03:46, 17 October 2010 (UTC)


 * It depends on the effect you want to have. Compton Mackenzie's comedy The Monarch of the Glen (novel) (1941) gives his American entrepreneur an honourary membership in a native American tribe. Chester Royde Jr was inducted into the Caraway nation. At your peril. BrainyBabe (talk) 18:36, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

Confused about my rights in Europe
Here's the deal: I'm an Australian who derived Irish citizenship through descent a few years ago, and therefore I hold an Irish passport without ever having been there. I recently entered Europe for the first time, flying direct to Berlin, and I'm now living here for about a month while my friend (who is just Australian) goes through the rigmarole of getting a British working visa, because we're going to try to live and work in London. Our Finnish roommate mentioned in passing that she needed to register her address with the police every three months or so, which confused me, and she didn't do a very good job of explaining why. Correct me if I'm wrong (and apparently I am) but I thought as an EU citizen I was permitted to remain indefinitely in any EU country. When I went through immigration they didn't scan or stamp my passport or anything. They really should TELL you stuff like this... 92.206.186.237 (talk) 11:33, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * You do have the right to live in any EU or EEA country. The best place to get information about any formalities is the embassy of your country (the republic of Ireland) in the country in which you wish to live. When I lived in Denmark I had to register with the local council, and got a nice shiny residence permit. DuncanHill (talk) 12:10, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * But that's the thing - why did you have to register, and get a residence PERMIT? 92.206.186.237 (talk) 12:25, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I mean, assuming you were an EU citizen. 92.206.186.237 (talk) 12:26, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I was and am an EU citizen. The permit is issued "as of right", but it has the equivalent of National Insurance and National Health numbers, so you can access employment and healthcare exactly as if you were a Danish citizen. Not sure what the procedures in Germany are - I did work there for a couple of weeks, but don't remember having to register or anything. Check with your embassy - they get paid to know this stuff! — Preceding unsigned comment added by DuncanHill (talk • contribs)
 * above added by someone else not me, unsigned and I'm lazy to find out who
 * Your mistake may be your presumption that just because you have the right to reside somewhere means you don't have to register with anyone. In some countries people (including citizens) are expected to register with someone whenever they move. I think this may include some EU countries as well in which case it's perhaps not surprising that other EU citizens are also expected to register when in those countries. However I'm also not sure if there's actually anything in EU law preventing member countries from requiring people to register their address even if it's not required of citizens. In any case, some examples of discussion of registration requirements in some EU countries  . The German one actually does suggest it's something common to all Germans. These say they are reference only so I would suggest you check with a better source if it actually matters, such as in your current case. For example   or with your embassy as has beem suggested. Note that all these were found with simple internet searches. Nil Einne (talk) 16:16, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * Found this EU site which gives free advice on your rights. DuncanHill (talk) 16:25, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * In Germany and Austria you need to register your place of residence. In Germany, it's even entered on your ID card. I'm fairly certain that you also need to register in France. I don't think I registered anywhere when living in Britain, but I went through some hoops in Italy - don't remember if this was just for getting a tax number or also involved residency. If you fail to register in Germany, it's a fairly minor offence. In theory you pay a small fine if caught, but in practice you are nearly never caught, and it's not prosecuted except in very rare circumstances. This does not affect your right to live or work in the EU, though. --Stephan Schulz (talk) 16:40, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * EU citizens in the UK are required to register to vote. You don't have to do anything proactive, though, just answer the letter when it comes (as it does once a year to every residence). Algebraist 16:43, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Only the householder is required to register the inhabitants of the house, so it is easy (and legal) to slip through this net.  D b f i r s   08:00, 18 October 2010 (UTC)


 * The Irish Embassy in Germany has a website here - they will be able to give you specific advice. DuncanHill (talk) 16:47, 16 October 2010 (UTC)


 * Having lived in Germany, I can confirm that anyone living there, including a native-born German, is legally required to register with the police. This is not about getting a residence permit, it is just a requirement of all residents.  They will ask you to show documentation proving your right to be in Germany.  (In your case, this would be your Irish passport.)  See Resident registration.  To people from countries with a tradition of English common law, the requirement may seem a little creepy and Big Brotherish, but it is wise to respect the laws of the country where you are living even if you find them odd.  Marco polo (talk) 20:02, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * A citizen of the Irish Republic wouldn't need to register in Britain, wouldn't need a passport even, but might want to check out how to get a National Insurance number. I noted that the EU website mentioned above had sections for "workers and pensioners" and "students". My impression is that you have the right within the EU to live in any country for the following purposes: on holiday, to work, to look for work, to study, to start a business, to work in a business, to retire, as a dependant of a worker, student, pensioner or business owner. That covers most cases but not all. Other than that, you don't necessarily have a right to live in another EU country. Solution: register with the JobCentre or equivalent to look for work. Itsmejudith (talk) 20:16, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

Thanks for the replies. It shouldn't really matter at the moment, since I'll be leaving in a few weeks for London, but it's good to know in the future if I ever live on the mainland again. Marco Polo, you're right, it does seem creepy and weird - obviously to the point that it never even occurred to me that it would be neccesary. Not as weird as the shelf toilets though. 92.206.186.237 (talk) 21:47, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

Pretoria - official or administrative?
In the article list of national capitals I asked:
 * According to this article, Pretoria is the official capital of South Africa, but according to the articles Pretoria, South Africa, Cape Town and others, it's the administrative capital. Is that a mistake? 82.166.216.211 (talk) 21:48, 15 October 2010 (UTC)

13:41, 16 October 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 85.250.188.44 (talk)
 * According to our South Africa article:
 * "South Africa has three capital cities: Cape Town, the largest of the three, is the legislative capital; Pretoria is the administrative capital; and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital."
 * They can probably all be described as "official" capitals, whatever that means. Rojomoke (talk) 15:34, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * "Official" usually means it's stated in some law, regulation, statute, formal decree, whatever. For example, the official capital of the USA is the entire District of Columbia, because it says so in some law or other.  The capital for all practical purposes is the city of Washington, but it alone is not the official capital as such.  What official status, if any, any of South Africa's 3 capitals has - search me. --   Jack of Oz    ... speak! ...   20:29, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Historically, the Union of South Africa was created out of three seperate colonies, Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Transvaal Colony. The capital cities of these colonies were, respectively, Cape Town, Bloemfontaine, and Pretoria.  When they merged to form the union, rather then designate any one of these as the National capital, it was agreed to establish a sort of power-sharing situation where each city would take some of the functions of the national government.  Officially, all three are considered capital cities.  It is not the only country in the world with capital cities of an odd status like this.  Amsterdam has always been the "official designated capital" of the Netherlands, but The Hague has almost always been the "seat of government", i.e. its a strange situation where the Government doesn't actually operate out of the capital.  A similar situation exists in Bolivia, where Sucre is the designated capital, but the government works out of La Paz.  -- Jayron  32  23:59, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

St. Louis Gateway Arch
Can you tell me how much, if anything, the architect Eero Sarinan was paid for the design of the St. Louis Arch?76.115.151.53 (talk) 14:16, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * It isn't mentioned in our article Gateway Arch. According to Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, the five finalists (which also included teams by T. Marshall Rainey; Berger, Hornbostel, and Lewis; Phillips and Eng; as well as Harris Armstrong) each received USD 10,000 for the second stage of the competition in 1947. The final prize money Saarinen's team received from the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial Association amounted to USD 40,000. (Saarinen, Pelkonen, Albrecht, Taidehalli; Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future, Yale Universtiy Press (2006), p 226). ---Sluzzelin talk  14:41, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * In all likelihood there was far more paid for the detailed design and engineering of the Arch, as $50,000 would not have sufficed for such a large project even in the 1960s. This might be a question for the National Park Service at Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. Total architecture and engineering fees probably were between 5% and 15% of the construction cost - $650,000 to $1,950,000. Acroterion  (talk)  13:31, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

Maratha people with Jain Surname
I was reading this page for Maratha Caste (under Castes of India)to find any information on Maratha people with surname Jain. One of my friends is a Maratha from Mumbai but his surname is Jain, which is otherwise a different caste in India. I was curious to find out his origins as Maratha although even his forefathers belong to Maratha caste. Could you possibly find any literature with such kind of example (Caste different as oppose to surname ) particulary Maratha people with Jain Surname ? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.39.42.124 (talk) 15:35, 16 October 2010 (UTC)

I thought the name Jain indicated a religion, rather than a caste. Rojomoke (talk) 16:06, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * In a South Asian context, you can rarely separate caste, religion and community. --Soman (talk) 13:56, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

French texts
What are some easy but good (as in good literature) French texts (written by and for native speakers, of course), preferably not too long, that are good for introducing French learners to French literature? Thanks. --Nichols. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.92.78.167 (talk) 18:11, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * (Based on some of the first things outside textbooks we read in French classes at school): Any of the Le petit Nicolas books, Le Petit Prince, Simenon's Commissaire Maigret stories, Une vie de boy. ---Sluzzelin talk  18:34, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * We did an excerpt from Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, which I loved. It's probably much too long to do the whole thing though.  Jules Verne also wrote in French, though I've never read any of his works in French (so I'm not sure how difficult they are, and again, probably too long to do the entire thing). Buddy431 (talk) 18:58, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I agree with the Maigret stories. In school we also read some short stories, like The Necklace by Maupassant and The Guest by Camus, which were not too difficult. Adam Bishop (talk) 20:37, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I can second Le Petit Prince, as I also read that text during my first year of French in high school and at the time managed to understand most of it. --Saddhiyama (talk) 20:43, 16 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Alphonse Daudet, Le Petit Chose.--Wetman (talk) 02:45, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * Alain Robbe-Grillet's Djinn was written for the purpose of gradually introducing readers to increasingly more difficult aspects of the French language. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.171.56.13 (talk) 12:39, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * The only novel in French that I've ever tackled was La Gloire de mon père by Marcel Pagnol. I'd seen the film and thought it would help me to follow the text, however the two differ quite a lot towards the end. Alansplodge (talk) 17:12, 17 October 2010 (UTC)
 * I vote for Le Silence de la mer by Vercors. An A-level set text in the UK. --Viennese Waltz 07:25, 18 October 2010 (UTC)
 * There are lots of good answers already, so I'll go a bit the other way and suggest the Asterix comic books. Though originally French, they've been translated into a staggering number of languages so that they're almost surely available in the person's native tongue as well. Also, being comics, there are visual cues to help with understanding. Matt Deres (talk) 14:53, 18 October 2010 (UTC)
 * The Adventures of Tintin! BrainyBabe (talk) 18:40, 18 October 2010 (UTC)

Marshall Field and Co.
Did Marshall Field and Co. manufacture blankets for the US Army during World War IMinerva34 (talk) 20:33, 16 October 2010 (UTC) and if so, what would be on the label?Minerva34 (talk) 20:33, 16 October 2010 (UTC)