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owners.<o:p></o:p>& --Boundary_(ID_WsYal1wZTVlx3PGEKh97dQ) Content-type: text/plain; charset=WINDOWS-1252; format=flowed; delsp=yes Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable This is a great reference, because it shows that the U. S. Board of =20 Geographic Names had no real, valid reason for opposing apostrophes in =20= possessives, but they just did it stubbornly and rather arbitrarily, =20 giving in on one case because of "an extensive local campaign." Wow! They are idiots. I always suspected as much, but here is the =20 documentation. =97Paul On Jul 10, 2008, at 8:42 PM, David Hughes wrote: > With the help of Google, I found this on the U.S. Geological Survey =20= > website. > > Question: I have heard that the use of the apostrophe =93s=94, such as = =20 > Pike=92s Peak (Pikes Peak in the database) to show possession is not =20= > allowed in geographic names, so why are there many such entries in =20 > the Geographic Names Information System Database? > > Answer: > > Since its inception in 1890, the U.S. Board on Geographic Names has =20= > discouraged the use of the possessive form=97the genitive apostrophe =20= > and the =93s=94. The possessive form using an =93s=94 is allowed, but = the =20 > apostrophe is almost always removed. The Board's archives contain no =20= > indication of the reason for this policy. > > However, there are many names in the GNIS database that do carry the =20= > genitive apostrophe, because the Board chooses not to apply its =20 > policies to some types of features. Although the legal authority of =20= > the Board includes all named entities except Federal Buildings, =20 > certain categories=97broadly determined to be =93administrative=94=97are= =20 > best left to the organization that administers them. Examples =20 > include schools, churches, cemeteries, hospitals, airports, shopping =20= > centers, etc. The Board promulgates the names, but leaves issues =20 > such as the use of the genitive or possessive apostrophe to the data =20= > owners. > > Myths attempting to explain the policy include the idea that the =20 > apostrophe looks too much like a rock in water when printed on a =20 > map, and is therefore a hazard, or that in the days of =93stick=96up =20= > type=94 for maps, the apostrophe would become lost and create =20 > confusion. The probable explanation is that the Board does not want =20= > to show possession for natural features because, =93ownership of a =20 > feature is not in and of itself a reason to name a feature or change =20= > its name.=94 > > Since 1890, only five Board decisions have allowed the genitive =20 > apostrophe for natural features. These are: Martha's Vineyard (1933) =20= > after an extensive local campaign; Ike's Point in New Jersey (1944) =20= > because =93it would be unrecognizable otherwise=94; John E's Pond in =20= > Rhode Island (1963) because otherwise it would be confused as John S =20= > Pond (note the lack of the use of a period, which is also =20 > discouraged); and Carlos Elmer's Joshua View (1995 at the specific =20 > request of the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names =20= > because, =93otherwise three apparently given names in succession would = =20 > dilute the meaning,=94 that is, Joshua refers to a stand of trees. =20 > Clark=92s Mountain in Oregon (2002) was approved at the request of the = =20 > Oregon Board to correspond with the personal references of Lewis and =20= > Clark. --Boundary_(ID_WsYal1wZTVlx3PGEKh97dQ) Content-type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">This is a great reference, = because it shows that the U. S. Board of Geographic Names had no real, = valid reason for opposing apostrophes in possessives, but they just did = it stubbornly and rather arbitrarily, giving in on one case because of = "an extensive local campaign."<div><br></div><div>Wow! They are = idiots. I always suspected as much, but here is the = documentation.</div><div><br></div><div>=97Paul</div><div><br></div><div><= br><div><div>On Jul 10, 2008, at 8:42 PM, David Hughes wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; = font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; = line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; = text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: = 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: = auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang=3D"EN-CA" link=3D"blue" = vlink=3D"purple"><o:smarttagtype = namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name=3D"State"><o:smarttagtype = namespaceuri=3D"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" = name=3D"place"><div class=3D"Section1"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = ">With the help of Google, I found this on the U.S. Geological Survey = website.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = font-weight: bold; ">Question:<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></font></b><font = size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: = Arial; ">I have heard that the use of the apostrophe =93s=94, such as = Pike=92s Peak (<st1:place w:st=3D"on">Pikes Peak</st1:place><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>in the database) to show = possession is not allowed in geographic names, so why are there many = such entries in the Geographic Names Information System = Database?<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = font-weight: bold; ">Answer:<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; = margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New = Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: = 10pt; font-family: Arial; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; = margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New = Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: = 10pt; font-family: Arial; ">Since its inception in 1890, the U.S. Board = on Geographic Names has discouraged the use of the possessive form=97the = genitive apostrophe and the =93s=94. The possessive form using an =93s=94 = is allowed, but the apostrophe is almost always removed. The Board's = archives contain no indication of the reason for this = policy.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = ">However, there are many names in the GNIS database that do carry the = genitive apostrophe, because the Board chooses not to apply its policies = to some types of features. Although the legal authority of the Board = includes all named entities except Federal Buildings, certain = categories=97broadly determined to be =93administrative=94=97are best = left to the organization that administers them. Examples include = schools, churches, cemeteries, hospitals, airports, shopping centers, = etc. The Board promulgates the names, but leaves issues such as the use = of the genitive or possessive apostrophe to the data = owners.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = ">Myths attempting to explain the policy include the idea that the = apostrophe looks too much like a rock in water when printed on a map, = and is therefore a hazard, or that in the days of =93stick=96up type=94 = for maps, the apostrophe would become lost and create confusion. The = probable explanation is that the Board does not want to show possession = for natural features because, =93ownership of a feature is not in and of = itself a reason to name a feature or change its = name.=94<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0cm; = margin-right: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: = 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size=3D"2" = face=3D"Arial"><span style=3D"font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; = ">Since 1890, only five Board decisions have allowed the genitive = apostrophe for natural features. These are: Martha's Vineyard (1933) = after an extensive local campaign; Ike's Point in New Jersey (1944) = because =93it would be unrecognizable otherwise=94; John E's Pond in = Rhode Island (1963) because otherwise it would be confused as John S = Pond (note the lack of the use of a period, which is also discouraged); = and Carlos Elmer's Joshua View (1995 at the specific request of the = Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names because, =93otherwise= three apparently given names in succession would dilute the meaning,=94 = that is, Joshua refers to a stand of trees. Clark=92s Mountain in<span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:state = w:st=3D"on"><st1:place w:st=3D"on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:state><span = class=3D"Apple-converted-space"> </span>(2002) was approved at the = request of the Oregon Board to correspond with the personal references = of Lewis and = Clark.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagty= pe></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_WsYal1wZTVlx3PGEKh97dQ)--
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