<strong>The</strong> <strong>St<strong>and</strong>ards</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Evaluation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Names</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Armory</strong>:<strong>The</strong> Rules <strong>for</strong> Submissionssuch as the Encyclopedia Britannica, are not important enough to protect. Entities that do have an entrymust be further considered to determine if they merit protection. In general, entities recognized (withouthaving to look in a reference) by a significant number <strong>of</strong> people in the Society as the name <strong>of</strong> a singleunique place or entity are likely to be important enough to protect. Historical places or entities that are stillinfluential today or significantly shaped the course <strong>of</strong> world history, science, or the arts are generallyimportant enough to protect.In rare cases, places <strong>and</strong> entities from fiction may be considered important enough to protect, when both asignificant number <strong>of</strong> people in the Society recognize the name <strong>of</strong> the entity without prompting <strong>and</strong> the use<strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> the entity would generally be considered by those people a clear reference to that entity.NPN.5. Non-Personal <strong>Names</strong> OffenseA. Definitions: No name that is <strong>of</strong>fensive to a large segment <strong>of</strong> members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SCA</strong> or the general public will beregistered. Offense is a modern concept; just because a name was used in period does not mean that it is not<strong>of</strong>fensive to the modern observer. Offense returns are rare because the bar <strong>for</strong> determining <strong>of</strong>fensiveness isquite high; it has not been unusual <strong>for</strong> years to pass between returns <strong>for</strong> <strong>of</strong>fense.Offense is not dependent on intent; the fact that a submitter did not intend to be <strong>of</strong>fensive is not relevant. <strong>The</strong>st<strong>and</strong>ard is whether a large segment <strong>of</strong> the <strong>SCA</strong> or the general public would be <strong>of</strong>fended.Similarly, <strong>of</strong>fense is not dependent on clarity. A <strong>for</strong>eign language name that has an <strong>of</strong>fensive meaning maybe considered <strong>of</strong>fensive, even if many English-speaking listeners would not underst<strong>and</strong> the term withoutexplanation.B. Types <strong>of</strong> Potentially Offensive <strong>Names</strong>: Several types <strong>of</strong> names are defined as potentially <strong>of</strong>fensive:1. Vulgar <strong>Names</strong>: <strong>Names</strong> which include pornographic or scatological terms will not be registered. <strong>Names</strong>that will be understood by the modern English listener to be vulgar will be considered vulgar even if themeaning in the original language is not vulgar. Non-personal names derived from bynames that arethemselves <strong>of</strong>fensively vulgar will generally be considered vulgar as well. Occasionally, the alterationsrequired in the creation <strong>of</strong> a new name, like a household name, will remove the appearance <strong>of</strong> vulgarity.Relatively small changes to name elements can remove the appearance <strong>of</strong> vulgarity.2. Offensive Religious Terminology: <strong>Names</strong> which include religious terms used in a way that mock thebeliefs <strong>of</strong> others will not be registered. This includes both incongruous combinations <strong>and</strong> combinations thatare excessively religious <strong>and</strong> may be <strong>of</strong>fensive to believers <strong>and</strong> non-believers alike. Most religiousterminology is not <strong>of</strong>fensive. <strong>Names</strong> with non-<strong>of</strong>fensive religious terminology may be registered.For example, Canton <strong>of</strong> Devilles Chirche is an incongruous combination which would not be registerable.However, constructed saint's names may be registerable in order names, such as the Order <strong>of</strong> Saint Williamthe Cooper.3. Derogatory Stereotypes: <strong>Names</strong> which include ethnic, racial, or sexuality-based slurs <strong>and</strong> references toderogatory stereotypes will not be registered. This is not dependent on the period associations <strong>of</strong> the usage,but is an issue based on modern underst<strong>and</strong>ings <strong>of</strong> the <strong>of</strong>fensiveness <strong>of</strong> terms. General references to ethnic,racial, or sexuality-based identities are not <strong>of</strong>fensive <strong>and</strong> may be registered.4. Offensive Political Terminology: <strong>Names</strong> which include terms specifically associated with social orpolitical movements that are <strong>of</strong>fensive to a particular race, ethnicity, religion or similar group will not be<strong>St<strong>and</strong>ards</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Evaluation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Names</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Armory</strong> – April 29, 2012 - Page 33 <strong>of</strong> 73
<strong>The</strong> <strong>St<strong>and</strong>ards</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Evaluation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Names</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Armory</strong>:<strong>The</strong> Rules <strong>for</strong> Submissionsregistered. Likewise, names with references to events or ideas that are <strong>of</strong>fensive to a particular group willnot be registered. Even if used without prejudice in period, such terms are <strong>of</strong>fensive by their moderncontext.For example, a name including name elements that suggest participation in pogroms or repressivemovements, such as Judenfeind, a period German name meaning "enemy <strong>of</strong> the Jews," will not beregistered.C. <strong>Names</strong> as a Whole: Even when no name element is itself <strong>of</strong>fensive, an entire name may be <strong>of</strong>fensive. Forexample, a name that mocks a group by adding an insulting element to the existing placename, such as theattested family name Dam, will not be registered.<strong>St<strong>and</strong>ards</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Evaluation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Names</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Armory</strong> – April 29, 2012 - Page 34 <strong>of</strong> 73
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