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Research draft

toponym

vr.tr.toponym · INF.MED

Let an agent explain toponyms and their study, relay classification, etymology and standardisation from onomastic and cartographic sources, describe variant names and naming disputes neutrally, and distinguish toponyms from other proper names, from place descriptions and from geocodes.

Thing Registry Information and virtual systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain toponyms and their study, relay classification, etymology and standardisation from onomastic and cartographic sources, describe variant names and naming disputes neutrally, and distinguish toponyms from other proper names, from place descriptions and from geocodes.

A proper name of a place, whether a settlement, natural feature, region, street or country, studied in toponymy as a branch of onomastics, including variant and historical names, exonyms and endonyms, names in indigenous languages such as Tupi-Guarani toponyms in Brazil, contested names such as those of Georgia, and functional names such as control cities on road signs; toponyms encode history, language contact and identity and are standardised by national naming authorities and the United Nations.

What it is for: Naming places.

It can be explain the concept and study; relay classification and standardisation; describe variants and disputes; distinguish related names.

Distinguishing features

Proper name

Historical layering

Endonym and exonym

Standardised

What it looks like

Not a visible object; names on maps and signs.

Physical character

UN body: UNGEGN name - Group of Experts on Geographical Names

gazetteer entries worldwide: millions count

How it is recognised

Proper name of a place

Variant names, exonyms, indigenous toponyms such as Tupi-Guarani names, control cities, names of Georgia

Personal names are anthroponyms; descriptions are not names; geocodes are identifiers

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

abionym

is studied in - a branch of onomastics

toponymy

is standardised by - and national authorities

UNGEGN

is contrasted with - a personal name

anthroponym

In practice

Families and kinds

settlement names

hydronyms, oronyms and other feature names

street names and odonyms

exonyms, endonyms and variant names

indigenous and colonial toponyms such as Tupi-Guarani names in Brazil

contested and changed names such as the names of Georgia

functional names such as control cities

Standards and regulation

UNGEGN resolutions and national names authorities

ISO 3166 for country names

Romanisation standards

Failure modes and hazards

Partisan use of contested names

Confusing variant and official names

Erasure of indigenous names

Also called

forçacontrol cityvariant name of placeTupi-Guarani toponyms in BrasilBoulanger nameNames of Georgiapost townAinu toponymoutskirtsnames of Rus', Russia and RutheniaSirdølname of EuropeNeustadthagiotoponymname of Irancosmonymtên chữfarm namenames of Ryukyuplace name originsPlace names in Antarcticanames of the Islamic Statenames of Vietnamnames of the Qing dynastyplace names in Irelandnames of Chinaname of Indianame of Greecegeonymmacrotoponymnames for TallinnGerman toponymychauganstandardized toponymNames of Tunisiaplacename glosses in the Samguk Sagihiragana and katakana place namesNames of Singaporeofficial names of South Africanames of Germany

+7

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Source repository Registry entry point

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What a toponym is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a toponym, and how does it differ from personal names, descriptions and geocodes? definition
  2. Is the question about toponyms in general, a specific name, a dispute or road signage? boundary

Kinds

Kinds.

Kinds

Kinds.

  1. What are settlement names, hydronyms, odonyms, exonyms, endonyms, variant names and control cities? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific kind? action
Study Toponymy.

Sources.

Etymology

Etymology and layers.

Etymology

Etymology.

  1. How do toponymists trace etymologies and language layers, such as Tupi-Guarani names in Brazil? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Standardisation

Standardisation.

Standardisation

Standardisation.

  1. How do UNGEGN and national authorities standardise and romanise names? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Disputes Disputes and change.

Attribution.

Contested

Contested names.

Contested

Contested.

  1. Why are names such as those of Georgia and other places contested, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary

Renaming

Renaming.

Renaming

Renaming.

  1. How and why are places renamed, including restoration of indigenous names? provenance
  2. Which entry fits geographical renaming? action
Context Data and culture.

Context.

Data

Gazetteers.

Data

Data.

  1. How are toponyms recorded in gazetteers and databases such as GeoNames? provenance
  2. Which entry fits gazetteer? action

Culture

Culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How do toponyms carry identity, memory and folklore? provenance
  2. Which entry fits cultural geography? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should exonym and control city be separate primary entries?
  • How should onomastic sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming specific cases and a road sign term; should they be split off?
Draft as JSON