Dear Editor,
It is obvious that someone in your editorial department is convinced that the name of the largest island in Guyana is ‘Hog’ Island and not ‘Hogg’ Island.
In one of your comments section, a reader attempted to correct the spelling only to be told emphatically by the moderator, “No, it’s Hog Island.”
As a young boy, I visited this island many times and I have always known it to be ‘Hogg’ Island. I could not locate any sources from Guyana with reference to the correct spelling or how and for whom the island was named, however a quick search on the internet proves that indeed it is Hogg Island and that the island is in fact named after Quintin Hogg.
Quintin Hogg (1845-1903), was an English philanthropist and is the founder of the institution now known as the University of Westminster.
He also worked in the commodities trade market and was largely responsible for the modernization of the Demerara sugar production at the turn of the last century.
Mr Hogg was also an accomplished sportsman and played in 31 football matched for Wanderers FC and twice represented Scotland against England.
While in Demerara, he represented the colony in two first class cricket matches.
Now, if anyone out there knows of a book of historical facts like these on streets, town, villages, islands, etc, in Guyana, please let me know how I may obtain a copy.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Z. Rahaman
Editor’s note
Hog Island was not named after Quintin Hogg. Its original Dutch name was Varken Eiland, which means Hog Island. It was so named for the obvious reason that it was home to numerous wild hogs, and when the British took over the Dutch colonies here they retained the name in English translation.
It is still the correct name for the island, although increasingly Guyanese are prone to mis-spell it. The current Gazeteer, the official reference book for the spelling of all Guyana’s place names, records it as “Hog Island.” Copies of the Gazeteer of Guyana are available from the Guyana Lands and Survey Commission.
I was watching the news the other night in relation to the just concluded Caribbean exam results and one of the subjects our children are fail ins GEOGRAPHY. Maybe that will answer the above.
Either way this is a good letter why? i learned quite a bit about something I had no idea about. Good letter and good response editor.
Editor on another note talk to that chap who is the moderator, he is getting a bit out of hand. Maybe Yasuman needs to send him some XM in a wine bottle.
M. Xiu Quan
(X^3+216=0)
let me see..
Lets find for X
X^3 + 216 = 0
By Transposition of formula…we get
x^3 = -216
Find the Cube root of both side..
(x^3)^(1/3) = -216^(1/3)
x = -6
Therefore by substituting x = -6 in the original eq.
(-6)^3 + 216 = 0
-216 + 216 = 0
That was easy.
… dman ! pepie u brite bai ,, u know fuh do chinee algebra !
gwan suh wid yuh brite self !…. look out m’lawd mor ales doan come back an tell yuh is cut ,, copy ,, an paste !….
And oiy, SN moderator, the name of that place in the NWD where that recent murder took place is Hotakwai, not Holokwai.
http://www.tutiempo.net/Tierra/Guyana/Hotakwai-GY002457.html
I believe it’s of Chinese origin. Just Google the name.
Honestly Hack I knew quite a bit of places in Gy and as a little chap in GY i got to go to some places many other children didnt get to go in GY because of the work my father did. But coming on here i am hearing names of places that never even ventured into my head back then. Lots to discover in GY.
If only this govt would wisen up and embrace non resident Guyanese.
BS, my brother, who visits the NWD occasionally, tells me there’s a Hackett’s Landing somewhere there. Might be the place where my Chinese ancestor landed before he changed his unpronounceable name to one easier on the English tongue.
Interesting stuff Hack very interesting…..u live you learn every day.
Hackett. Anytime I encountered the name Hackett in Guyana, curiously,it was either a slouch I knew in school, or a slacker in the police force or army.This is no joke.My relations by the way,half Chinese,are not Quan, but Kwang.Also, one of them as usual after leaving Berbice,Anglicized his name.
Obviously the information on the WWW is incorrect, so I stand corrected and thanks for clearing it up.
My brother-in-law will now have to have his birth certificate corrected.
The moderator could have prevented this unecessary letter if he/she had just given the reference instead of just saying “No, it’s Hog Island” in the first place.
Thank you.
Interesting…very interesting. Where have all the wild hogs gone? Long time passing…gone into Dutchmen’s stomachs everyone? Oh Lord, they decimated our wild hogs, too! And left lots of empty Dutch bottles around the island to boot! Succulent pork and Dutch wine? Boy oh boy!!!
I think the name should be changed. I have never been to Hog Island and I am sure it is a beautiful place. But the name plants a vision of a place of filth with the stench of hogs. Whoever gave the island it’s name must have been drunk.
NFGT, there’s a place on the Corentyne named Hogstye.
Not from GT.Are you for real? Suppose you have someone saying what you said concerning Hog Is. about your very own name. How would you like that?
” It is still the correct name for the island, although increasingly Guyanese are prone to mis-spell it.”
Beg to differ.
There is no ‘increasingly’ here.
We have always spelt it with the two ‘g’s.
Now comes this refinement as we finally try to learn more of our
history.
I am sure that if our beloved Editor/Moderator does some reviews
of reports and stories and Court cases of the past, there will
be no surprises at finding that Hogg was generally used as the
name of the Island.
Definitely no ‘increasingly’ here, but more ‘historically’.
Touche.
This is a very interesting and amusing letter, reason? while attending the San Souci Primary School at Melville, Wakenaam I was thought in Geography class that the island was Hogg Island. Now it is Hog Island, my parents planted farm at Hogg Island and we experience damage from wild hogs but I cannot recall my parents or grand parents talking about huge flocks of wild hogs.The amusing side of it is that I know students who were flogged for spelling the name as Hog instead of Hogg, boy those guys must be laughing at their teachers and me now.
We were also thought that Wakenaam pronounce by most people as wake-a-naam and others wak-a-naam was dutch and mean “waiting for a name”. While living in Georgetown, I was told by a person who researched the dutch presence in Guyana that the island was name Vakamaan (watchman) and not Wakenaam. There is a lot of research and correction to be done.
The correct name of the island, according to the original map I have in my possesion before me, dated 1796,drawn by Dutch Major F.v. Boucherseder is Isle de Varkens. An earlier map by the French,Siraut, in 1779, which I also have before me,names the island as Verkens Island.With only one settler living on the Island.However, from 1803-1814, after the British occupation following the Napoleonic wars,the island is renamed Hog Island.And the island north of it, is also renamed Leguan, from previously listed Leguanin, and Leguwan.
Mis-spelt names in Guyana: Ruimveld (the correct Dutch name), has become Ruimveldt. ‘Ruim’=room, or space, and veld=field or meadow. Incidentally, the German equivalent to Ruimveld is Rumsfeld.
Bentinck Street is spelt on some signs as ‘Bentick’ and Garnett as ‘Garnette’.
After the British came in 1814, names were Anglicized. Smyth became Smith.Bakker became Baker.Soesdijk became Soesdyke. Niew Amsterdaam became New Amsterdam. Etc.