The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-27
WHAT SHALL WE CALL THEM? ?
People of the Republic of Panama
Must Have n Name.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post
The Board of Geographic Names has al
ready been asked TO pass upon the question,
which is interesting at present to every one
who wants to talk international politics,
What shall we call an inhabitant of Pan
ama?" AT its January meeting the board
will take up this question and probably give
the weight of its authority to one form or
the other. Meanwhile newspaper writer's
have put forward the three forms "Pana-
man. "Panamian'' and ''Panamanian."
The dictionaries recognize none of these, al
though the Century gives its sanction to
'Panamist," with the specific meaning of
lone of the people involved in the corrupt
transactions by which the Panama Canal
Company obtained political or financial as
sistance." The State Department. which
the public might expect to take the initia-
tive in matters of language as we'll as inter-
national law, where the new republic is con-
cerned. has not faced the question squarely.
The published official dispatches nowhere
contain a special adjective form. The de-
partment sometimes does use the word
Panama" in an adjective sense, as 1.-The
Panama minister" or the most familiar
phrase of all. 1.-The Panama canal" 1t does
not appear from any of the sources usually
consulted that in the brief periods of inde-
pendence which the isthmus has enjoyed in
its checkered history, other nations ever had
time to develop a special adjective. The
presidents of this country have dealt with
AFFAIRS in Panama pretty VOluminOuSly in
their messages in the past, but, like the Off
ciais of to-day, they seem to have shrunk
from using word of doubtful standing and
went around it. Thus President Pierce in
his fourth annual message, speaks of "a
riotous assemblage OF the inhabitants of
Panama. A cursory inspection of unoff1-
cial sources shows much the same state of
affairs, although in a pamphlet of about
fifty years ago James w. Darlington speaks
of the Panama people as "Isthmenians." A
State Department officer of long experience
in matters of this kind thinks that the anal
ogy of other geographical names would
weigh slightly in favor of the form PAN
aman," but so slightly that 1t would be no
reason for objecting to usage which might
spring up to the contrary. Other names for
which the Spanish adjective is formed in the
same way as "Panamefio" are usually rem
dered, he said, by the English "man." This
word, however, applies to the city rather
than the country. Panamese" is another
form proposed. government scientist and
geographer suggests the use of 'Panaman''
with the plural "Panamen." A newspaper
paragrapher goes farther by suggesting in
jest "Panamaids and "Panamatrons." The
word 'Panamen" is crisp and becomes the
mouth Wen, but purlSt can point out that
the plural of German is not 'Germen."
"Panamians' is unsatisfactory from the
fact that with our slipshod phonetic system
there are four or five ways in which the
reader unfamiliar with the word might pro-
nounce IT. "Panamanians'' is suggestive of
insanity, it being only step removed from
"Panananiacs."
There are few if any Independent coun-
tries for which usage hcs not developed a
special adjective although cities and prov
inces often lack such provision. Officials
here in Washington expect that the public
will speedily make a choice between the
verbal candidates put forward for the Isth-
milan republic, and that until this happens
the government will net be likely to take
the responsibility of a selection.