What's in a name...?!
This water color painting of Simartn, the local name for Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin, is of 1820. It's name was not yet precise. The name of this web-log is the first naming of this island "Oualichi" which means "Land of Women". Our subsequent article "What's in a name...." with subtitle: "From Oualichi to Saint Martin" will elaborate further.WHAT'S IN A NAME...
"From Oúalichi to Simartn"
Dr. Jay B. Haviser tells us in "An Archaeological Survey of St. Martin-St. Maarten" that it was the Suazoid peoples - the last prehistoric peoples - who lived in St. Martin before European contact. Whereas we learn from Johan Hartog of Carib Indians being on the island from time to time, Haviser quotes Allaire (1977) and Lathrop (1970) in pointing out, that there is no evidence of Carib inhabitants being on St. Martin. As a matter of fact, evidence of the "Island Carib" language being a Maipuran branch of Arawak casts further doubts whether there was ever a real Carib migration into the Lesser Antilles.
The first European contact with St. Martin reports that no people were living on the island. Yet, the Amerindian name for the island is somewhat confusing, continues Haviser, because the pre-Columbian name for St. Martin - Sualouiga: land of salt - can only be traced to Sypkens-Smit and Versteeg (1987).
The first pre-Columbian name - Oúalichi - we find in Breton's Carib-French dictionary of 1665. Even though this name is included among the four different names for the islands of St. Martin, Saba, St. Barths and Anguilla and specifically for St. Martin, yet we are inclined to accept that he meant St. Martin. We rule out the other names: Oüanalao, Amonhana, or Mallioúhana for St. Martin.
Menno Sypken-Smit, in his anthropological research of St. Martin in 1983, mentions a 'Greater St. Martin' during the glacial period. This Greater St. Martin comprised St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Barth. As archaeologically or as historically uncertain these names might have been applied, we have chosen "Oüalichi" land of women as the most original of the lot for our island. Therefore, we name our website: Oúalichi.
The island that is Sint Maarten has continued to insinuate, "nobody knows my name". Ever after the fifteenth century the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, English and Scandinavian countries traversed the Caribbean. The end of the fifteenth century sees Christopher Columbus sailing by the Leeward Islands and giving names to them left, right and center.
St. Martin was not spared, since it is highly disputed among the historians whether Columbus even saw the island of St. Martin on his second voyage on November 11, 1493 that he began on September 25, 1493. We should note here that Juan de la Cosa, who accompanied Ojeda en Vespucci on their voyage to Bonaire and Curacao in 1499, came along with Columbus to gather information for his Mapamundi.
In this Mapamundi we notice how San Martin is being confused with Nevis; an anonymous map of 1512 notes S. Marta where Nevis is located. Columbus' son, Ferdinand confuses the issue even more by mistaking S. Martin -Nevis for Antigua.
Already, we are seeing the confusion of naming St. Martin as an island, not correctly mapping it. In the Mapamundi of 1500 it is registered as San Martin, in the anonymous map of 1512 it is indicated as S. Marta, and in Reinel's map of 1516 noted as Sam mtim. We further encounter the name of St. Martin in the Portuguese Atlas Ricardiana as Sa Marti. In 1556 on the map of Angelus Eufreducius next to Estaxia (St. Eustatia\us) we find San min.
In the Spanish literature, we see the island of St. Martin consistently being called San Martin. The Dutch, however, had not officially named St. Martin until 1636. In 1631, seven years after they set foot on St. Martin for the first time, it was St. Martin, in 1634 mention is made of St. Martijn; in the Chamber of Zeeland variably St. Martin and St. Martyn.
In 1936 - Official Gazette, nr. 105 - it was officially established that the Dutch section of St. Martin would be Sint Maarten, Nederlands gedeelte (Dutch section). The French section of the island was called Saint-Martin, Partie francaise. To date, officially these names stand for both sides of this island.
'What's in a name………' Shakespeare may find that "a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet., but those of African heritage understand that 'any other name' will not suffice. James Baldwin, the great African American writer of the sixties, essays the plight of the Blacks because the powers that be, purposely did not recognize them as a significant entity. He named the book "Nobody knows my name".
Camille E. Baly, Esq. - educator, folklorist, concerned with the cultural identity of the people of the island, states his consideration of its name. In a short historical reference concludes that in order to identify the people of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin as one people, it should be called as the people speak: "Simartn". The word 'Simartn' will be ever present on this website to denote the sense of the oneness of the people of the island.
Lasana Sekou, poet, literary activist, writer, concerned with the cultural consciousness of the people of the island has coordinated and led a movement for the actual unification of both sides of the island. It was determined that the name of the island should be Simaatn.
Quite recently, the government that is concerned with the realization of the separate status of the island - a country within the kingdom - within the Netherlands Kingdom, has determined that the name should be officially spelled in the English language. The spelling for that matter resembles the French spelling of Saint Martin (Saint-Martin).
From our perspective, the development of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin has grown through the consciousness of the first peoples from land of women - Oüalichi - to a cultural identification of the people, inhabiting the whole island - Simartn.
Copyright ©2002 Oualichi.org Development. All Rights Reserved. E-Contact:info@oualichi.org - tomkaly@gmail.com
posted by Cambrun @ 8:29 PM
Dr. Jay B. Haviser tells us in "An Archaeological Survey of St. Martin-St. Maarten" that it was the Suazoid peoples - the last prehistoric peoples - who lived in St. Martin before European contact. Whereas we learn from Johan Hartog of Carib Indians being on the island from time to time, Haviser quotes Allaire (1977) and Lathrop (1970) in pointing out, that there is no evidence of Carib inhabitants being on St. Martin. As a matter of fact, evidence of the "Island Carib" language being a Maipuran branch of Arawak casts further doubts whether there was ever a real Carib migration into the Lesser Antilles.
The first European contact with St. Martin reports that no people were living on the island. Yet, the Amerindian name for the island is somewhat confusing, continues Haviser, because the pre-Columbian name for St. Martin - Sualouiga: land of salt - can only be traced to Sypkens-Smit and Versteeg (1987).
The first pre-Columbian name - Oúalichi - we find in Breton's Carib-French dictionary of 1665. Even though this name is included among the four different names for the islands of St. Martin, Saba, St. Barths and Anguilla and specifically for St. Martin, yet we are inclined to accept that he meant St. Martin. We rule out the other names: Oüanalao, Amonhana, or Mallioúhana for St. Martin.
Menno Sypken-Smit, in his anthropological research of St. Martin in 1983, mentions a 'Greater St. Martin' during the glacial period. This Greater St. Martin comprised St. Martin, Anguilla and St. Barth. As archaeologically or as historically uncertain these names might have been applied, we have chosen "Oüalichi" land of women as the most original of the lot for our island. Therefore, we name our website: Oúalichi.
The island that is Sint Maarten has continued to insinuate, "nobody knows my name". Ever after the fifteenth century the Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, English and Scandinavian countries traversed the Caribbean. The end of the fifteenth century sees Christopher Columbus sailing by the Leeward Islands and giving names to them left, right and center.
St. Martin was not spared, since it is highly disputed among the historians whether Columbus even saw the island of St. Martin on his second voyage on November 11, 1493 that he began on September 25, 1493. We should note here that Juan de la Cosa, who accompanied Ojeda en Vespucci on their voyage to Bonaire and Curacao in 1499, came along with Columbus to gather information for his Mapamundi.
In this Mapamundi we notice how San Martin is being confused with Nevis; an anonymous map of 1512 notes S. Marta where Nevis is located. Columbus' son, Ferdinand confuses the issue even more by mistaking S. Martin -Nevis for Antigua.
Already, we are seeing the confusion of naming St. Martin as an island, not correctly mapping it. In the Mapamundi of 1500 it is registered as San Martin, in the anonymous map of 1512 it is indicated as S. Marta, and in Reinel's map of 1516 noted as Sam mtim. We further encounter the name of St. Martin in the Portuguese Atlas Ricardiana as Sa Marti. In 1556 on the map of Angelus Eufreducius next to Estaxia (St. Eustatia\us) we find San min.
In the Spanish literature, we see the island of St. Martin consistently being called San Martin. The Dutch, however, had not officially named St. Martin until 1636. In 1631, seven years after they set foot on St. Martin for the first time, it was St. Martin, in 1634 mention is made of St. Martijn; in the Chamber of Zeeland variably St. Martin and St. Martyn.
In 1936 - Official Gazette, nr. 105 - it was officially established that the Dutch section of St. Martin would be Sint Maarten, Nederlands gedeelte (Dutch section). The French section of the island was called Saint-Martin, Partie francaise. To date, officially these names stand for both sides of this island.
'What's in a name………' Shakespeare may find that "a rose by any other name will smell just as sweet., but those of African heritage understand that 'any other name' will not suffice. James Baldwin, the great African American writer of the sixties, essays the plight of the Blacks because the powers that be, purposely did not recognize them as a significant entity. He named the book "Nobody knows my name".
Camille E. Baly, Esq. - educator, folklorist, concerned with the cultural identity of the people of the island, states his consideration of its name. In a short historical reference concludes that in order to identify the people of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin as one people, it should be called as the people speak: "Simartn". The word 'Simartn' will be ever present on this website to denote the sense of the oneness of the people of the island.
Lasana Sekou, poet, literary activist, writer, concerned with the cultural consciousness of the people of the island has coordinated and led a movement for the actual unification of both sides of the island. It was determined that the name of the island should be Simaatn.
Quite recently, the government that is concerned with the realization of the separate status of the island - a country within the kingdom - within the Netherlands Kingdom, has determined that the name should be officially spelled in the English language. The spelling for that matter resembles the French spelling of Saint Martin (Saint-Martin).
From our perspective, the development of Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin has grown through the consciousness of the first peoples from land of women - Oüalichi - to a cultural identification of the people, inhabiting the whole island - Simartn.
Copyright ©2002 Oualichi.org Development. All Rights Reserved. E-Contact:info@oualichi.org - tomkaly@gmail.com
posted by Cambrun @ 8:29 PM
No comments:
Post a Comment