Editing 2838: Dubious Islands
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The definition of "island" is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by a body (or perhaps bodies) of water. In most cases we don't count rivers and canals as the surrounding bodies,{{Actual citation needed}} although small pieces of land like Manhattan are exceptions, as is any bit of land entirely surrounded by the ''same'' watercourse, that splits around it. Inland islands surrounded by rivers can be called a [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holm "holm"]. | The definition of "island" is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by a body (or perhaps bodies) of water. In most cases we don't count rivers and canals as the surrounding bodies,{{Actual citation needed}} although small pieces of land like Manhattan are exceptions, as is any bit of land entirely surrounded by the ''same'' watercourse, that splits around it. Inland islands surrounded by rivers can be called a [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holm "holm"]. | ||
β | In this comic, however, Randall considers various large parts of {{w|North America}} as "dubious" islands because they're separated from other parts of the continent by various major rivers, canals, and large lakes. The repetition between the title "Dubious Islands" and the in-image label "Dubious Islands of North America" emphasizes the "Dubious-ness" of this map. | + | In this comic, however, Randall considers various large parts of {{w|North America}} as "dubious" islands because they're separated from other parts of the continent by various major rivers, canals, and large lakes. The repetition between the title "Dubious Islands" and the in-image label "Dubious Islands of North America" emphasizes the "Dubious-ness" of this map. "Dubious" means "thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted" (per Cambridge Dictionary). |
Randall's map's "Dubious Islands" are indeed not to be trusted — they leave out many less prominent rivers and canals which would break the map into many more additional "islands". For example, southern Nova Scotia, southern New Jersey, and the nearly 60-mile-long "Grand Strand" of South Carolina are also islands by the sense used here in recognizing the Cape Cod Canal as creating an island. These and many other omissions would be errors — except that Randall clearly labelled his islands "Dubious" (not to be trusted) from the start, and he is presumably well-aware of this map's stretching of reality. | Randall's map's "Dubious Islands" are indeed not to be trusted — they leave out many less prominent rivers and canals which would break the map into many more additional "islands". For example, southern Nova Scotia, southern New Jersey, and the nearly 60-mile-long "Grand Strand" of South Carolina are also islands by the sense used here in recognizing the Cape Cod Canal as creating an island. These and many other omissions would be errors — except that Randall clearly labelled his islands "Dubious" (not to be trusted) from the start, and he is presumably well-aware of this map's stretching of reality. |