The Meaning of the Name

I felt it worth discussing my choice of name for this blog (and indeed this "brand") since the first word in the name is seldom used and the second is of my own construction.  Domicile wasn't even a word in my vocabulary until a friend of mine used it to describe the possible location of his girlfriend's assignment with a new job just days before my creation of this blog.

I have a strong science background and as such an appreciation for Latinized nomenclature.  I even took a few semesters of Latin back in college.  I liked the idea of having a Latin root word in the name.  The Oxford Dictionary defines "domicile" as "the country that a person treats as their permanent home, or lives in and has a substantial connection with."  There is a deep meaning in the word as it means more than just "home" but a home with which a person has a "substantial connection."  This is important because I believe that when people have connections to the land and the plants and animals they will care more about the quality of their existence.  As a bonus, the word domicile derives from the Latin "domus" which means "home."  It is also the root from which "dominus" or "lord or master" is derived; appropriate because I believe mankind has been charged with the task of managing the natural world like the lord of a manor and this task appointed in turn by our own Master.

The second half of the name is the constructed part.  The "eco" prefix connotes ecology; the science of relationships between living things, particularly outdoors in the "wild."  Ecology was and is my favorite part of biology and environmental science and "eco" a recognizable monicker for all things "natural" in pop culture.  The word ecology, originally spelled oecology, derives from the Greek word "oikos" which interestingly enough means "home"like the Latin "domus."  (Incidentally, this does beg a question about the choice of branding of the popular Greek-style yogurt.)

The suffix "phile" is also of Greek derivation, coming from the verb "phileo."  This means fraternal love as in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia, or in modern usage as an Anglo suffix meaning "affinity for."  Together in my mind, the word "ecophile" means appreciation and inclination towards the natural relationships between organisms (as opposed to the artificial relationships or lack thereof that derive from the exotics wantonly thrown together in typical American suburbs).  Branding is important and was a consideration for me in determining the name I would use.  I wanted something catchy and in this case the internal rhyme of the name sufficiently accomplished this.

Domicle Ecophile means someone who seeks to promote the relationships between indigenous organisms of his or her homeland in such as way as to promote those relationships and maintain their health.  It means someone who will make a commitment to make native, sustainable choices in landscaping and property maintenance.  It means someone who understands that since humans dominate the landscape, we must make a concerted effort to backfill our human habitations with the plants and other resources native wildlife needs to coexist with us.  The Domicile Ecophile is my way of trying to encourage and assist others to these very things.