Power Names and Name Power

"What's in a name?"  -- Shakespeare, "Romeo and Juliet"
"Who steals my purse steals trash." -- Shakespeare, "Othello"

   Every writer and public speaker knows that words have power. Advertising and marketing executives know that the name of a product or service can easily enhance or destroy success.
   When it comes to people, mocking a person's name, altering it or refusing to use it can diminish that person's worth and influence.
   J.K. Rowling knew that, as Harry Potter and friends referred to the Dark Lord of the Wizard Otherworld only as You Know Who, or as "He Who Must Not Be Named."
   As children, many of us are warned not to speak of the Devil, because that's an invitation for him to intervene in our lives.
   In the 1930s, many wealthy Americans thought of President Franklin D. Roosevelt as "a traitor to his class," and spoke of him with contempt as "that man in the White House," rather than use his name.
   Now, we see a real estate developer and presidential candidate who splashes his name on every project he undertakes, whether hotels, casinos, an airline, a university, or anything else, whether the project succeeds or not.
  The name must be the most prominent part of the project. Even with the current presidential campaign, the lead candidate's name is above that of the vice presidential nominee, and in larger type, even though both have the same number of letters.
   The goal is to demonstrate who is bigger, more important and has more power -- on the campaign posters it shows who's on top.
   The candidate has changed or modified the names of his opponents to diminish them as well as to enhance himself to potential voters.
   Mockery is a powerful weapon, as is satire. But sometimes such tactics can backfire, and make the assailant appear abusive and unworthy of trust.
   So what happens if the name of the abuser himself is analyzed in terms of sound value and symbolism? Linguistics, the study of language and how it works, can contribute a great deal of insight into a society's cultural preferences and practices, in addition to detailing how changing a name enhances or sabotages reputation.
   George Lakoff, professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, writes that "the sound symbolism of a name has become a central issue in the 2016 presidential campaign."
   How? Consider the sounds in the name of one candidate. The first sound, represented by the letter T, is made by forcing the tip of the tongue away from the ridge behind the upper teeth, while expelling air. A forceful sound, helping to enhance the reputation of the name and the person. The next sound, represented by the letter R, also requires some force to release it.
   Lakoff offers examples of other words beginning with tr-, many of which imply force, strength and movement: trip, trim, truncate, trigger, tremor, truck and tractor.
   Now consider the next part of the candidate's name, represented by the letters -ump. This rhymes with chump, lump, rump, plump and stump, all of which imply weakness. Thus, the pair of sounds represent strength over weakness, a powerful message for a Presidential candidate.
   Moreover, spreading and marketing this power name to everything the owner of the name does helps to build the message of strength and competence, whether the message is valid or not.
   Now comes a strategy for defeating this marketing strategy. One way is to alter the name to diminish its power. The candidate himself has resorted to name modification to defeat his opponents. Examples include Lyin' Ted, Little Marco and Crooked Hillary. Whether these changes are accurate doesn't matter. The sound symbolism is a very powerful vehicle.
   So how to combat the threat of a powerful name? Change it. That's something that people have always done, using nicknames or minor changes in the sound. The 'r' sound, for example, is difficult for some very young children to pronounce. Often it comes out as 'w' until the child matures. Later, when adults want to imitate childish talk, they will deliberately change an 'r' to a 'w' so the candidate's name can come out as "Twump."
   To further reduce the strength of the name, you can use diminutives, as the candidate himself has done to Marco Rubio, referring to him as "Little Marco." Applying this strategy of name alteration, the candidate would become "Little Donnie Twump."
   Words are power. Be careful how you use them.

  For the full treatment of Prof. Lakoff's idea, visit his web site, https://georgelakoff.com.