Toponymy is the scientific study of place names (toponyms), their origins, meanings, use and typology. The word 'Toponymy' is derived from the Greek Greek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical ancient Greek literature and the New Testament of words tópos (τόπος) ('place') and ónoma (ὄνομα) ('name'). Toponymy is itself a branch of onomastics Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" (onomatologia), from "ὄνομα" (ónoma) "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the, the study of names of all kinds. Toponymy is distinct, though often confused with etymology Etymology is the study of the history of words, where they are from, and how their form and meaning have changed over time, which is the study of the origins of words.

Toponymists

A toponymist is one who studies toponymy. According to the Oxford English Dictionary The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is a dictionary of the English language. Two fully-bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. As of December 2008[update], the editors had completed one quarter of a third edition, the word "toponymy" first appeared in English in 1876; since then, toponym has come to replace "place-name" in professional discourse among toponymists. It can be argued that the first toponymists were the storytellers and poets who explained the origin of certain place names as part of their tales; sometimes place-names served as the basis for the etiological Etiology is the study of causation, or origination. The word is derived from the Greek αἰτιολογία, aitiologia, "giving a reason for" (αἰτία, aitia, "cause"; and -λογία, -logia) legends. The process of folk etymology Folk etymology, in its basic sense, refers to popularly held beliefs about the origins of specific words, especially where these originate in "common-sense" assumptions rather than serious research (compare folk science, folk psychology etc.). In historical linguistics, the term is most often used in a more technical sense, to refer to a usually took over, whereby a false meaning was extracted from a name based on its structure or sounds. Thus, the toponym of Hellespont The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont (Greek: Ελλήσποντος, Hellespontos literally "Sea of Helle"), is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosporus. It is located at approximately 40°13′N 26°26′ was explained by Greek poets as being named after Helle Helle (sometimes also called Athamantis) was a character in Greek mythology who figured prominently in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Phrixus, son of Athamas and Nephele, along with his twin sister, Helle, were hated by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all the town's crop seeds so they, daughter of Athamas The king of Orchomenus in Greek mythology, Athamas , was married first to the goddess Nephele with whom he had the twins Phrixus and Helle. He later divorced Nephele and married Ino, daughter of Cadmus. With Ino, he had two children: Learches and Melicertes. Athamas also had a brother, Salmoneus, who was the father of Tyro, who drowned here as she crossed it with her brother Phrixus In Greek mythology, Phrixus or Phryxus was the son of Athamas, king of Boiotia, and Nephele (a goddess of clouds). His twin sister Helle and he were hated by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all of Boeotia's crop seeds so they would not grow. The local farmers, frightened of famine, asked a nearby on a flying golden ram. The name, however, most likely is derived from an older language, such as Pelasgian The name Pelasgians was used by some ancient Greek writers to refer to populations that preceded the Hellenes in Greece, "a hold-all term for any ancient, primitive and presumably autochthonous people in the Greek world." During the classical period enclaves under that name resided in several locations of mainland Greece, Crete and other, which was unknown to those who explained its origin. George R. Stewart George Rippey Stewart was an American toponymist, a novelist, and a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. His 1959 book Pickett's Charge, a detailed history of the final attack at Gettysburg, was called "essential for an understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg" theorized, in his book Names on the Globe, that Hellespont originally meant something like "narrow Pontus" or "entrance to Pontus," "Pontus" being an ancient name for the region around the Black Sea The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to the Aegean Sea region of the Mediterranean. These waters, and by extension, for the sea itself.^[1]

Place names provide the most useful geographical reference system in the world. Consistency and accuracy are essential in referring to a place to prevent confusion in everyday business and recreation. A toponymist, through well-established local principles and procedures developed in cooperation and consultation with the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names was set up by the Secretary General of the United Nations on April 23rd, 1959), applies the science of toponymy to establish officially recognized geographical names. A toponymist relies not only on maps and local histories, but interviews with local residents to determine names with established local usage. The exact application of a toponym, its specific language, its pronunciation, and its origins and meaning are all important facts to be recorded during name surveys.

Scholars have found that toponyms provide valuable insight into the historical geography of a particular region. In 1954 F. M. Powicke said of place-name study that it "uses, enriches and tests the discoveries of archaeology and history and the rules of the philologists."^[2] Toponyms not only illustrate ethnic settlement patterns, but they can also help identify discrete periods of immigration.^[3][4]

Toponymists are responsible for the active preservation of their region's culture through its toponymy. They typically ensure the ongoing development of a geographical names data base and associated publications, for recording and disseminating authoritative hard-copy and digital toponymic data. This data may be disseminated in a wide variety of formats, including digital (Geographical Information Systems & Google Map formats) and hard-copy topographic maps.

Noted toponymists

• Andrew Breeze
• Richard Coates Richard Coates is professor of linguistics (alternatively professor of onomastics) at the University of the West of England in Bristol. He was formerly (1991-2006) professor of linguistics at the University of Sussex, where he served as Dean of the School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences from 1998 to 2003. He has been honorary director of the
• Ion Conea
• John McNeil Dodgson
• Eilert Ekwall Bror Oscar Eilert Ekwall , known as Eilert, was Professor of English at Lund University, Sweden, from 1909 to 1942, and one of the outstanding scholars of the English language of the first half of the twentieth century. He wrote works on the history of the language, but is best known as the author of numerous important books on English place-names
• Margaret Gelling
• Gillian Fellows Jensen
• Oliver Padel
• Robert L. Ramsay
• Henry Schoolcraft Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his discovery in 1832 of the source of the Mississippi River. He married Jane Johnston, who was of Ojibwe and Scots-Irish descent. Her knowledge of the Ojibwe language and of Ojibwe legends, which
• Albert Hugh Smith
• George R. Stewart George Rippey Stewart was an American toponymist, a novelist, and a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley. His 1959 book Pickett's Charge, a detailed history of the final attack at Gettysburg, was called "essential for an understanding of the Battle of Gettysburg"
• Isaac Taylor
• William J. Watson
• Craig Weatherhill

See also

Related concepts

• Demonymy A demonym, also referred to as a gentilic, is a name for a resident of a locality and is derived from the name of the particular locality. The word demonym comes from the Greek word for "populace" with the suffix for "name" (-nym). In English, the demonym is often the same as the name of the people's native language: the people
• Ethnonymy An ethnonym is the name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (where the name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms or endonyms (where the name is created and used by the ethnic group itself)
• Etymology Etymology is the study of the history of words, where they are from, and how their form and meaning have changed over time
• Onomastics Onomastics or onomatology is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. The words are from the Greek: "ὀνομαστικός" , "of or belonging to naming" and "ὀνοματολογία" (onomatologia), from "ὄνομα" (ónoma) "name". Toponymy or toponomastics, the

Toponymy

NB for 'etymology' in below links, read 'toponymy'

• Place name origins In much of the "Old World" the names of many places cannot easily be interpreted or understood; they do not convey any apparent meaning in the modern language of the area. This is due to a general set of processes through which place names evolve over time, until their obvious meaning is lost. In contrast, in the "New World" (
• Planetary Nomenclature Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is a system of uniquely identifying features on the surface of a planet or natural satellite so that the features can be easily located, described, and discussed. The task of assigning official names to features is taken up by the International Astronomical Union since its founding in 1919
• List of continent name etymologies The ancient Romans used the name Africa terra --- "land of the Afri" --- for the northern part of the continent that corresponds to modern-day Tunisia. The origin of Afer may be the Phoenician afar, dust; the Afridi tribe, who dwelt in Northern Africa around the area of Carthage; Greek aphrike, without cold; or Latin aprica, sunny
• List of country name etymologies This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. Some of these include notes on indigenous names and their etymologies. Countries in italics no longer exist as sovereign political entities
• List of etymologies of country subdivision names This article provides a collection of the etymology of the names of subnational entities. This page generally only deals with regions and provinces; cities and other localities and features may appear listed under the individual country, with a link below
• Hydronymy A hydronym is a proper name of a body of water. Hydronymy is the study of hydronyms and of how bodies of water receive their names and how they are transmitted through history. It can apply to rivers, lakes, and even oceanic elements
  • Latin names of European rivers
  • Latin names of rivers
  • List of river name etymologies
  • Old European hydronymy

Regional toponymy

• Biblical toponyms in the United States
• Toponymy in Great Britain
  • Toponymical list of counties of the United Kingdom
  • List of British places with Latin names
  • List of generic forms in British place names The study of place names is called toponymy; for a more detailed examination of this subject in relation to British place names, please refer to Toponymy in Great Britain. This article lists a number of common generic forms found in place names in Great Britain and Ireland, their meanings and some examples of their use
  • List of places in the United Kingdom
  • List of Roman place names in Britain
  • Welsh place names The placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have in many cases also been influenced by the English language. The study of placenames in Wales reveals significant features of the country's history and geography, as well of the development of the Welsh language
• Place names in Irish Many place names in Ireland in the English language are either anglicisations of those in the Irish language, or completely different, such as the name for the capital of Ireland, which in English is Dublin, but in Irish is Baile Átha Cliath. The former means black hole/pool and the latter means town of the hurdle ford. After the foundation of
• Celtic toponymy
• Historical African place names
• Japanese place names
• Korean toponymy and list of place names
• List of English exonyms for German toponyms
• German placename etymology Placenames in the German language area can be classified by the language from which they originate, and by their age
• List of Latin place names in Europe This list includes European countries and regions that were part of the Roman Empire, or that were given Latin place names in historical references. As a large portion of the latter were only created during the Middle Ages, often based on scholarly etiology, this is not to be confused with a list of the actual names modern regions and settlements
• List of U.S. place names connected to Sweden
• List of U.S. state name etymologies The fifty U.S. states have taken their names from a wide variety of languages. The names of 24 states derive from indigenous languages of the Americas and one from Hawaiian: eight come from Algonquian languages, seven from Siouan languages , three from Iroquoian languages, one from a Uto-Aztecan language, and five from other Native American
• List of U.S. state nicknames The following is a table of U.S. state nicknames, including officially adopted nicknames and other traditional nicknames for individual states and district of the United States. Current official state nicknames are highlighted in bold
• Maghreb toponymy
• Names of European cities in different languages Many cities in Europe have different names in different languages. Some cities have also undergone name changes for political or other reasons. This article attempts to give all known different names for all major cities that are geographically or historically and culturally in Europe. It also includes some smaller towns that are important because
• New Zealand place names New Zealand place-names derive mostly from Māori and from British sources. Māori named most of New Zealand's natural features, often after heroes or events involving ancestors. Many Māori place-names acted as memory-aids, reminding people of particular stories or ancestors. When Europeans began arriving in New Zealand from the 18th century, and
• Place names in Sri Lanka
• Roman place names
• Toponyms of Finland

Other

• List of adjectival forms of place names The following is a partial list of adjectival forms of place names in English and their demonymic equivalents, which denote the people or the inhabitants of these places
• List of double placenames
• List of long place names
• List of names in English with counterintuitive pronunciations
• List of places named after peace
• List of places named after Lenin This is a list of places, mostly in the former Soviet Union or other formerly communist countries, named or renamed in honor of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin
• List of places named after Stalin
• List of places named for their units of production
• List of political entities named after people
• List of renamed places in the United States
• List of short place names
• List of tautological place names A place name is tautological if two parts of it are synonymous. This often occurs when a name from one language is imported into another and a standard descriptor is added on from the second language. Thus, for example, New Zealand's Mount Maunganui, where maunga is Māori for mountain. The following list is of place names often used
• List of words derived from toponyms

Notes

1. ^ Stewart, George Rippey (7 August 1975). Names on the Globe (1st ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN The International Standard Book Number is a unique numeric commercial book identifier based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created by Gordon Foster, now Emeritus Professor of Statistics at Trinity College, Dublin, for the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966 978-0195018950.
2. ^ Powicke, reviewing Armstrong, Mawer, Stenton and Dickins The Place-Names of Cumberland (1950-53) in The English Historical Review 69 (April 1954), p 312.
3. ^ McDavid, R.I. (1958). "Linguistic Geographic and Toponymic Research". Names (6): 65–73.
4. ^ Kaups, M. (1966). "Finnish Place Names in Minnesota: A Study in Cultural Transfe". The Geographical Review (Geographical Review, Vol. 56, No. 3) 56 (56): 377–397. doi A digital object identifier is a character string used to uniquely identify an electronic document or other object. Metadata about the object is stored in association with the DOI name and this metadata may include a location, such as a URL, where the object can be found. The DOI for a document is permanent, whereas its location and other metadata:10.2307/212463. http://jstor.org/stable/212463.

External links

• Who Was Who in North American Name Study
• Forgotten Toponymy Board (under construction)
• Placename indexes
• The origins of British place names
• An Index to the Historical Place Names of Cornwall
• Planetary Maps: Visualization and Nomenclature Cartographica 41/2 2006
• Development of a Local Toponym System at the Mars Desert Research Station Cartographica 42/2 2007
• Celtic toponymy
• MyDanishRoots.com. "Place Name Etymology: Common Elements in Danish Place Names". by Anders Buch-Jepsen. http://mydanishroots.com/placenames/meaning_of_common_elements.html.
• O'Brien, Francis J. Jr. (Moondancer) “Indian Place Names—Aquidneck Indian Council”

Categories: Place names | Nomenclature | Toponymy

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