Category: Basics

Toponymy is the study of place-names, including their origins, meanings, usage and types. Toponymic research is based on etymological, historical, and geographical information concerning the place-name in question. A place-name (or toponym) is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality: town, city, river, mountain, etc. Toponymy divides toponyms, (placenames), into…

In toponymy, it is important to highlight, on the one hand, the individual that uses language, and on the other hand, the language community’s perspective.

Place names often need specialists to interpret their meanings. Some of the main problems are:Language: Sometimes the language used in the formation of a place name is unclear; for example, some names may be plausibly derived from either Old English or Celtic roots. In recent years there has been a tendency to seek Celtic origins…

“exonym” is a common, external name for a place that is used only outside that particular place.“endonym” is a common, internal name for a place, coined and used by its local inhabitants.Examples: “Greece” and “Egypt”.“Greece” is a foreign name, the Greeks call their country: “Elláda”.“Egypt” is a foreign name, the Egyptians call their country: “Miṣr”.“Greece”…

Types of place names.

The study of names is both an old and a young discipline. Since Ancient Greece, names have been regarded as central to the study of language, throwing light on how humans communicate with each other and organize their world.