diff --git a/pytools/obj_array.py b/pytools/obj_array.py
index 0892a108c2f5dc112fe1031ceba6a5ba42ca9378..33e975f4c9d781807010f1ad78c05f24a3951d30 100644
--- a/pytools/obj_array.py
+++ b/pytools/obj_array.py
@@ -59,13 +59,17 @@ def to_obj_array(ary):
     return result
 
 
-def is_field_equal(a, b):
+def is_equal(a, b):
     if is_obj_array(a):
         return is_obj_array(b) and (a.shape == b.shape) and (a == b).all()
     else:
         return not is_obj_array(b) and a == b
 
 
+# moderately deprecated
+is_field_equal = is_equal
+
+
 def make_obj_array(res_list):
     result = np.empty((len(res_list),), dtype=object)
     for i, v in enumerate(res_list):