In geography and cartography, a toponym is a place name, a geographical name, a proper name of locality, region, or some other part of Earth's surface or its natural or artificial feature. Toponymy is the taxonomic study of place names; see that articles for a list of related articles. In some cultures, most or all such place names have a definite meaning in the language; this is not the case, generally, for native English language speakers.
In linguistics and grammar, toponym is a name derived from a place or a region. See List of toponyms for a complete listing of names. See List of popular local toponyms for a list of toponyms that are uses as names for business, schools, etc. only in a particular locality.
In anatomy, toponym is a name of a region of the body, as distinguished from the name of an organ.
The maps and the placenames are exclusively in the English language (for the most part they are anglicised spellings of the original Irish language placename).
Once such a statutory order is made in respect of any particular placename in any area outside the Gaeltacht, the effect of the new legislation is that the Irish and the English versions of the placename have the same status and the same legal force and effect.
These Placename Orders declare the official Irish version of placenames for County Kilkenny, County Louth, County Limerick, County Monaghan, County Waterford (except the Gaeltacht), and County Offaly and the official names of administrative Counties and Provinces.
To combat this sort of confusion, scholars of English placenames collect as many early forms of a name as possible and analyze them in the light of their knowledge of language and dialect, grammar, pronunciation, topography, sound shifts and other relevant factors.
The earliest placenames in England are a small number that may be preCeltic in origin, including the river names Colne, Humber, Itchen, Ouse and Wey.
These became placenames because they were transferred from the people to whom they referred to the territory of that people.
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