Some Reflections on the Relation Between Toponymy and Geography
Some reflections on the relation between toponymy and geography Joan TORT-DONADA 1. Introduction I shall base my reflections here on two basic premises: a) that place names, or toponyms, have by definition a geographical scope and meaning (in the sense that, necessarily, they refer or have referred to a part of the physical space that surrounds us); and b) that if place names are the object of study of toponymy, and the space that sur- rounds is geography’s essential raison d’être, there must necessarily be a significant relationship between one discipline and the other (and, therefore, an undeniable interest for the scholar). The adoption of these two premises does not imply that place names, or toponyms, cannot be considered from other perspectives of analysis. Yet, what it does imply is that the specific starting point of our study is, explicitly, a willingness to explore our understanding of the geographical dimen- sion of toponymy. Following on from this introduction, I shall organise this study around five main points and a concluding note. I begin with some general considerations about toponymy and geography, and a discus- sion of the affinities between the two fields. Then, I tackle a theo- retical aspect that I believe should be taken into careful consideration in the analysis of place names: the relation between the toponym and place. I then deal with a problem that is very closely linked to this: the difficulty of defining the toponym (or place name). From here, I go on to examine the tools offered by geography, as a field espe- cially concerned with the study of space (and, in particular, with the study of the inhabited space), for undertaking research in toponymy; specifically, I examine three methodological principles which, I believe, allow us to examine in-depth the relation between names and the territory: the principle of transparency, that of exceptionality and finally territorial significance.
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