IS IT REALLY CALLED THAT?

1
IS IT REALLY CALLED THAT?

• OR Why is that creek called a school?
• (Because its full of fish?!)

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Researched

• Geomorphic features
• 605,000 (50 states DC)

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Geomorphic Features
Arch Area Arroyo Bar Basin
Bay Beach Bench Bend Cape
Channel Cliff Crater Falls Flat
Gap Geyser Glacier Gut Harbor
Island Isthmus Lake Lava Levee
Other Pillar Plain Range Rapids
Ridge Sea Slope Spring Stream
Summit Swamp Valley Woods
4
PLAN OF ATTACK

• Determine the true generic
• Compare the true generic to the feature class
• Ask Does the generic fit the class?

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• 1st pass through I made last word generic
• 2nd pass through 2nd word generic
• 3rd pass through 3rd word generic
• 4th pass through 4th word generic
• 5th pass through 5th word generic
• 6th pass through 6th word generic

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PROBLEM

• Not all names downloaded from GNIS are truly the
  last word of the name
• Dipper, The - OR
• Feature class - valley
• Not all last words are the generic
• Mount Saint Helens, OR
• Feature class - summit

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• Determine the true generic
• North Prong South Fork Little Medicine Bow River,
  WY
• Real Generic is Prong
• Class is Stream
• East Bay Little Saint Germain Lake, WI
• Real Generic is Bay
• Class is Lake
• Lava Falls Rapids, AZ
• Real Generic is Rapids
• Class is Rapids

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PROBLEM

• Not all names are in American
• Aawela, HI (Summit)
• Aa rough lava wela hot
• Hot rough lava
• Puerto Grande, NM (Cliff)
• Puerto port, harbor, refuge, mountain pass
• Grande large, big, great, grand
• Large port or harbor or refuge or mountain pass
• Cap au Gris, IL (Ridge)
• Cap cape
• au of
• Gris grey
• Cape of Grey OR Cap (Eng.) of Grey (Fr.)??

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• Translate what names I could

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PROBLEM

• I do not understand any Native American languages
  (but my Hawaiian is improving)
• My Spanish is so-so (but a whole lot better now
  than it was)
• My French is worse than my Spanish was
• My Cajun is the pits
• I can recognize German (I think)

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• Physically look at all names
• gt 8 words (3)
• gt 7 words (10)
• gt 6 words (95)
• gt 5 words (590)
• gt 4 words (3,413)
• gt 3 words (21,965)
• gt 2 words (111,307)
• gt 1 word (602,885)
• All words (605,116) (VERY QUICKLY)

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• Determine the true generic
• North Arm Three Arm Bay, AK
• Middle Arm Three Arm Bay, AK
• South Arm Three Arm Bay, AK
• Real Generic is Arm
• Class is Bay
• Three Arm Bay, AK
• Real Generic is Bay
• Class is Bay

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PLAN OF ATTACK

• Compare real generic to GNIS recognized generics
• For the features identified class
• GNIS now recognizes 1900

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PROBLEM

• Feature names without a generic
• The Eye Opener, AK
• Feature class - Island
• Witches Cauldron, OR
• Feature class - Crater
• Shakespear Shoulder, AK
• Feature class - Summit
• Turn Off the Wash, AZ
• Feature class - Bend
• The Ant and the Yellowjacket, ID
• Feature class - Arch

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PROBLEM

• Feature names without a GNIS recognized generic
• Cerritos de Jaspe, NM
• Spanish for Small Hills of Jasper
• Feature class - Ridge
• Ben Nevis, WA
• Is it Scottish for Mount Nevis?
• Or is it a commemorative name for Mr. Ben Nevis?
• Feature class - Summit
• Rattlesnake Gutt, MD
• Feature class - Stream

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PROBLEM

• One word names
• Califernia, AK, Oklahoma, MO Egypt, MO
• Feature class - Area
• Oak, NY
• Feature class - Cape
• Palisades, OR
• Feature class - Cliff
• Hogback, CA
• Feature class - Ridge
• Pothole, AZ
• Feature class - Lake

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RESULTS

• 26,756 (4.4) names I consider questionable
• 21,520 generics in the exact or related form
• 16,840 Found in GNIS but not for the associated
  class
• False Generic
• 4,665 Found in GNIS not spelled the same as name
  generic
• GNIS Recognized Term Real Generic
• Slue Slu
• Cataract Cataracts
• Palisades Palisade

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RESULTS

• 26,756 names I consider questionable
• 4,312 nouns used as generics not recognized by
  GNIS
• Egypt (MO, UT, WA)
• Jumpingqbranch, AR
• 938 names that I have no idea what they mean

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Recommendations

• States verify questionable names
• Correct
• Translate
• Validate
• Information may be in Description or History
  fields
• May require field research

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Recommendations

• GNIS update list of recognized generics for a
  class
• GNIS provide translation of name
• In Description Field
• In a new field
• Provide translation as a search result

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IS CASTLE SCHOOL, KY REALLY A STREAM?
SO