On the names of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons

Abstract

On the names of cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons    

Regardless of sporadic, non-official preliminary cases devastating storms, tropical cyclones have officially been named since 1953. In different parts of the world distinct terms are used to identify this natural disaster: devastating storms over the speed of 74 mph are known as hurricanes in the Atlantic area, cyclones on the Indian Ocean, typhoons on the Pacific Ocean and willy-willy in Australia. These tropical cyclones, though in different territories by way of different systems, mainly get feminine or masculine Christian names. The only exception has been the western part of the Pacific Ocean since 2000, where names of vegetables or animals and names of astronomical phenomena or objects have also been used to identify typhoons. In the present study the author examines how this new name type can be inserted into the system of proper nouns, and she also presents the regionally different practices of naming tropical cyclones.