Groups commemorate notable individuals in a variety of ways. This includes erecting tangible monuments (plaques, statues, obelisks and even whole buildings) as well as grave markers such as memorial headstones. But remembering also takes intangible or non-material form. An instance of this occurs every time the media reports the name of the latest recipient of a "Nobel prize". The award commemorates Alfred Nobel (1833-96), the person who initiated the scheme in his last will and testament. Of course, the fact that many people have never heard of Alfred Nobel is a reminder that forgetting is far more common than remembering.
Another important thing to remember (or forget) is that commemoration need not be a marker of praise. The word "quisling", for instance, means "a traitor to one's country" (OED 2007). It is derived from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), the so-called Minister-President of Nazi-occupied Norway. During the war his surname became synonymous with treasonable behaviour. Its use as a noun occurred first in The Times newspaper’s article entitled "Quislings everywhere" (15 April 1940, p.5).
Quisling is a less familiar word today, but it still has currency. It could quite legitimately be used in reference to Anders Behring Breivik (born 1979), a Norwegian whose extreme right-wing beliefs led him to murder 77 of his fellow citizens on 22nd July 2011.
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OED (2007) "quisling, n. and adj." Third edition, December 2007; online version June 2011. <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/156777>; accessed 11 August 2011. An entry for this word was first included in A Supplement to the OED III, 1982.
Another important thing to remember (or forget) is that commemoration need not be a marker of praise. The word "quisling", for instance, means "a traitor to one's country" (OED 2007). It is derived from Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), the so-called Minister-President of Nazi-occupied Norway. During the war his surname became synonymous with treasonable behaviour. Its use as a noun occurred first in The Times newspaper’s article entitled "Quislings everywhere" (15 April 1940, p.5).
Quisling is a less familiar word today, but it still has currency. It could quite legitimately be used in reference to Anders Behring Breivik (born 1979), a Norwegian whose extreme right-wing beliefs led him to murder 77 of his fellow citizens on 22nd July 2011.
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OED (2007) "quisling, n. and adj." Third edition, December 2007; online version June 2011. <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/156777>; accessed 11 August 2011. An entry for this word was first included in A Supplement to the OED III, 1982.
