Re: CHAT: "John Doe" equivalents sought

-----Original Message-----
From: John Cowan <cowan@...>
To: CONLANG@LISTSERV.BROWN.EDU <CONLANG@...>
Date: Saturday, May 20, 2000 7:54 PM
Subject: CHAT: "John Doe" equivalents sought


>I've been asked on another mailing list to collect "dummy names" from
>other cultures. In Anglo-America, the names "John Doe" and "Richard Roe"
>(and female equivalents with "Jane") are used in the legal system and
>elsewhere for people whose names are not known.  I have heard that
>the name "Alain LaFlamme" is used similarly either in France or in
>French Canada (my informant wasn't certain).  Are there other such names
>elsewhere?  Details eagerly solicited.
>
Spanish of course has Fulano de Tal; there's also a string of such names:
Fulano, (#2 rhymes with Fulano), Berengano y Tal.  Sounds like a Law Firm--
in which respect, the well known US "Dewey, Cheatham & Howe".
I was told years ago by a Philippine friend that Juan de la Cruz is their
equivalent of 'man in the street'.  (That might have been current 50 yrs.or
more ago; I don't know about nowadays.)
Indonesian has Si Polan 'Mr. So-and-so', evidently borrowed from Port. or
Span. Fulano.  If you can't think of a word, you say ... anu; can't think of
a person's name, ...si anu.  _Si_ is called the "personal article", used
when talking familiarly about someone; also in names of pets-- the horrible
guard dog at my house was Si Putih ("Whitey"?).

I must say, "harry"and "Bogan" are unknown this side of the equator (at
least to me)-- the names, that is, not the types!

Obconlang:  Good grief, something else to incorporate into Kash.