What're the common prepositions which can be used after "named"?
For example:
The rocky island named {by, for, from, after} its large pelican colony.
In this sentence which preposition is correct and why?
1 Answer
In this case the correct preposition is for as the pelican colony can be considered to be a distinguishing or noticeable feature as in:
Pelican Island, the rocky island named for its large pelican colony.
Named after is appropriate when the name comes from a proper noun, such as a person's name.
Pelican Island, the rocky island named after its discoverer, Sir Francis Pelican.
Named by indicates who gave it the name.
Pelican Island, named by the first settlers in the area.
Named from is used when the name comes from something else, such as a member of a group where the specific member is not named.
Pelican Island, like other islands in the group, was named from the various bird species found in the area.
