Retroactive nomenclature
Encyclopedia
Retroactive nomenclature is the telling of the earlier history of a person, place or thing while referring to said person, place or thing by a name that came into use at a later date.
of the man she marries while remembering her "maiden name" as the way she was referred to her pre-marital days. Radio
talk-show host Michael Medved
once made the statement: "Hillary Clinton used to be conservative
when I knew her in our college
days." But in Hillary Rodham's college days she was not yet married to Bill Clinton
; therefore there was no "Hillary Clinton" at that time. However, such a case as this is easily understood that he meant the woman who later became known as Hillary Clinton.
Similarly, the events of a future monarch's life are often recounted with the regnal name, as in "Queen Victoria was born in 1819." (Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent was born in 1819 and became queen in 1837.)
Chinese emperors are posthumously given temple names, used in most references to emperors from the Han
to the Ming Dynasty
. Most of these are agreed upon posthumously.
When people today read ancient histories, confusion sometimes results from the fact that in earlier ages historical characters changed their names more often than is common for people to do today, and ancient historians often told earlier stories using later names.
It is possible that King David's name during his boyhood and youth was Elhanan
, and his father Jesse
, likewise, had the earlier names of Jaare-Oregim and Jair. Although he was not known as "David" until later, one Biblical account (1 Samuel chapter 17) tells the story of his slaying the Philistine giant Goliath, while still calling him David. In 2 Samuel 21:19 he is called Elhanan.
(called "Judea
" by the Roman Empire
), which came into existence after the reign of king Solomon, when the nation of Israel was divided in two. Those from Israel prior to then – the Hebrew slaves in Egypt
, as well as the Patriarch
s from whom they descended – were not "Jews" in this technical sense, but Jewish historians still refer to these earlier ancestors as Jews.
Names
One easily understandable example of retroactive nomenclature is the tradition in many countries that a woman adopts the surnameSurname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
of the man she marries while remembering her "maiden name" as the way she was referred to her pre-marital days. Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
talk-show host Michael Medved
Michael Medved
Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...
once made the statement: "Hillary Clinton used to be conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
when I knew her in our college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
days." But in Hillary Rodham's college days she was not yet married to Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
; therefore there was no "Hillary Clinton" at that time. However, such a case as this is easily understood that he meant the woman who later became known as Hillary Clinton.
Similarly, the events of a future monarch's life are often recounted with the regnal name, as in "Queen Victoria was born in 1819." (Princess Alexandrina Victoria of Kent was born in 1819 and became queen in 1837.)
Chinese emperors are posthumously given temple names, used in most references to emperors from the Han
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
to the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. Most of these are agreed upon posthumously.
When people today read ancient histories, confusion sometimes results from the fact that in earlier ages historical characters changed their names more often than is common for people to do today, and ancient historians often told earlier stories using later names.
It is possible that King David's name during his boyhood and youth was Elhanan
Elhanan
Elhanan may refer to:* The biblical Elhanan son of Dodo, mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:24 and 1 Chronicles 11:26, one of King David's elite fighters known as The Thirty....
, and his father Jesse
Jesse
Jesse, Eshai or Yishai, is the father of the David, who became the king of the Israelites. His son David is sometimes called simply "Son of Jesse" ....
, likewise, had the earlier names of Jaare-Oregim and Jair. Although he was not known as "David" until later, one Biblical account (1 Samuel chapter 17) tells the story of his slaying the Philistine giant Goliath, while still calling him David. In 2 Samuel 21:19 he is called Elhanan.
Other
"Jew" originally meant a person from the nation of JudahKingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
(called "Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
" by the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
), which came into existence after the reign of king Solomon, when the nation of Israel was divided in two. Those from Israel prior to then – the Hebrew slaves in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, as well as the Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
s from whom they descended – were not "Jews" in this technical sense, but Jewish historians still refer to these earlier ancestors as Jews.