Toponymy is the taxonomic study of toponyms (place-names), their origins and their meanings. The word is derived from the Greek topos, place, and ounouma, name. It is itself a branch of onomastics, the study of names of all kinds. Taxonomy (from Greek verb tassein = to classify and nomos = law, science, cf economy) may refer to: the science of classifying living things (see alpha taxonomy) a classification Initially, taxonomy was only the science of classifying living organisms, but later the word was applied in a wider sense, and may also... Onomastics (Onomatology) is the study of proper names of all kinds and the origins of names. ...

A toponym is a name of a locality, region, or some other part of Earth's surface or an artificial feature. In some cultures, most or all such place names have a definite meaning in the language; this is not the case, generally, for place names in the English language. A name is a label for a thing, person, place, product (as in a brand name) and even an idea or concept, normally used to distinguish one from another. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

In linguistics and ethnology, a toponym is a name derived from a place or a region. In anatomy, a toponym is a name of a region of the body, as distinguished from the name of an organ. In biology, a toponym is a binomial name of a plant. Linguistics is the scientific study of human language, and someone who engages in this study is called a linguist or linguistician. ... Ethnology (greek ethnos: (non-greek, barbarian) people) is a genre of anthropological study, involving the systematic comparison of the folklore, beliefs and practices of different societies. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... With regard to living things, a body is the integral physical material of an individual, and contrasts with soul, personality and behavior. ... In biology, an organ (Latin: organum, instrument, tool) is a group of tissues, which perform a specific function or group of functions. ... Biology is a branch of science, dealing with the study of life. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...

Toponymist

A toponymist is one who studies toponymy. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first occurrence of the word "toponymist" can be dated roughly to the middle of the nineteenth century. It can be argued that the first toponymists were the storytellers and poets who explained the origin of certain place names in order to elucidate their tales; sometimes place-names served as the basis for the legends themselves. The process of folk etymology usually took over, whereby a false meaning was extracted from a name based on its structure or sounds. Thus, the toponym of Hellespont was explained by Greek poets as being named after Helle, daughter of Athamas, who drowned here as she crossed it with her brother Phrixus on a flying golden ram. The name, however, most likely is derived from an older language, such as Pelasgian, which was unknown to those who explained its origin. George Rippey Stewart 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, and by extension, for the sea itself. Cover of the Pocket version of the Oxford English Dictionary The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is a dictionary published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). ... Folk etymology (or popular etymology) is a linguistic term for a category of false etymology which has grown up in popular lore, as opposed to one which arose in scholarly usage. ... Hellespont (i. ... Helle (mythology) - a figure in Greek mythology Helle, Denmark - a municipality in Denmark Helle, Netherlands - a village in the Netherlands This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The king of Orchomenus in Greek mythology, Athamas (rich harvest) was married first to the goddess Nephele with whom he had the twins Phrixus and Helle. ... In Greek mythology, Phrixus figured prominently in the story of Jason and the Argonauts. ... Ancient Greek writers used the name Pelasgian to refer to groups of people who preceded the Greeks and dwelt in several locations in mainland Greece, Crete, and other regions of the Aegean as neighbors of the Hellenes. ... George Rippey Stewart (1895‑1980) was an American etymologist, an expert on names, and a professor at the University of California. ... Map of the Black Sea. ...

Vladivostok: "Lord of the East" or "To rule the east"?

Toponymists attempt to approximate the original meaning of a place-name, their conclusions often competing with popular or spurious etymologies that may sound more poetic or attractive to tourists. Thus, the river-name “Mississippi” is claimed to mean “Father of the Waters” (though it may simply mean “Big River”), the state name “Idaho” was said to mean "Gem of the Mountains" (though it may be merely an invented name), and the city name “Vladivostok” is translated as “Lord of the East” (“To rule the east” is a closer translation of the name). Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Streets of Vladivostok in the 1910s Vladivostok (Russian: Владивосто́к (help· info) ) is a city in Russias far east, not far from the Russia-China border and North Korea. ...

Toponymists are sometimes used by governments in order to verify the accuracy of certain names as used by cartographers, the media, researchers, publishers, and their duties also include the inputting of new names into databases and topographical maps. Cartography is the study of map making and cartographers are map makers. ... Surface of the Earth Topography, a term in geography, has come to refer to the lay of the land, or the physiogeographic characteristics of land in terms of elevation, slope, and orientation. ...

Noted toponymists

• Robert L. Ramsay
• Eilert Ekwall
• George R. Stewart
• Isaac Taylor
• William J. Watson
• Margaret Gelling
• John Mcneil Dodgson
• Gillian Fellows Jensen

Robert Lee Ramsay (December 14, 1880 - December 14, 1953), professor of English at the University of Missouri - Columbia from 1907 to 1952. ... George Rippey Stewart (May 31, 1895‑1980) was an American toponymist, a novelist, and a professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley (until 1962). ... Isaac Taylor (1829-1901), son of Isaac Taylor, was a philologist, toponymist, and Anglican canon of York (from 1885). ... Professor William J. Watson, 1865-1948, was the first Gaelic speaking scholar to place the study of Scottish place names on a firm linguistic basis. ... Margaret Gelling is an English toponomist. ...

See also

• Demonym
• Placename etymology
  • List of country name etymologies
  • List of subnational name etymologies
• List of country nicknames
• List of double placenames
• Place names considered unusual/List of interesting or unusual place names
• List of placenames containing the word "new"
• British toponymy
• Roman place names
• Historical African place names
  • Maghreb toponymy
• Japanese place names
• Latin names of European rivers
• List of English exonyms for German toponyms
• Names of European cities in different languages
• List of river name etymologies
• List of political entities named after people
• List of places named after peace
• List of names in English with non-intuitive pronunciations
• List of adjectival forms of place names

A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a people or the inhabitants of a place. ... // Placename Origins By Continent Africa The ancient Romans used the name Africa terra --- land of the Afri (plural, or Afer singular) --- for the northern part of the continent, corresponding to modern-day Tunisia. ... This list covers English language country names with their etymologies. ... This article provides a collection of the etymology of the names of subnational entities. ... This list of country nicknames compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that countries are sometimes known by, officially and unofficially, to locals, outsiders or their tourism boards. ... The following is a list of placenames that prominently feature the names of two or more constituent geopolitical entities. ... The neutrality of this article or section may be compromised by weasel words. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The following is a list of placenames that contain the word new: New Amsterdam New Belgium New Britain New Brunswick (Brunswick) New Caledonia New Columbia (proposed) New Delhi New England New Extremadura New France New Galicia New Georgia New Goa New Granada New Guinea New Hampshire New Hebrides New Holland... British toponymy (relating to the mainland and islands closely linked to it including the Shetland Islands, the Orkneys, and the Channel Islands) is the study of place names, their origins and the trends associated with naming places in specific regional areas. ... This is an incomplete list. ... This is a list of historical African place names. ... The place names of the Maghreb come from a variety of origins, mostly Arabic and Berber, but including a few derived from Phoenician, Latin, and several other languages. ... Japanese place names include names for geographic features, present and former administrative divisions, transportation facilities such as railroad stations, and historic sites in Japan. ... Following is a list of rivers stating the Latin and equivalent English name. ... This list is a compilation of German toponyms (i. ... Most cities in Europe have different names in different languages. ... // Asia Chang Jiang (Yangtze): Chinese long river Dongjiang: Chinese east river Huang He: Chinese yellow river Sefid-rud: Persian: White river Aravand-rud: Persian: Fast river. Europe Avon: Brythonic meaning river Cam: Brythonic meaning crooked Clwyd: Welsh meaning hurdle Danube: Latin Danuvius, from Iranian (Scythian or Sarmatian) dānu- river... There are a number of places named after famous people. ... An-pêng (town near Tainan, Taiwan) Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania Echota, the old center of the Cherokee nation [1] Friedeburg, a city in the Frisian region of Germany Friedenburg, town in Perry County, Missouri Jerusalem Kyoto (old name Heian = peace) International Peace Garden, Manitoba, Canada and North Dakota, USA... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with List of place names with unpredictable pronunciation. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

References

• George Rippey Stewart, Names on the Globe (1975).

External links

• Who Was Who in North American Name Study
• Placename indexes
• The origins of British place names
• An Index to the Historical Place Names of Cornwall