Monday, June 23, 2025

🏛️ Kazakhstan Builds a Harmonious Onomastic System

 A State-Led Initiative to Respect History, Culture, and Identity

The Kazakh government is advancing a major initiative on toponymy, striving to build a harmonious onomastic system that honors the country’s historical roots, linguistic diversity, and cultural memory, as reported by DKnews.



At a recent meeting of the Republican Onomastic Commission, chaired by Senator Nurtore Zhusip, policymakers emphasized that renaming streets, towns, schools, and other public spaces is not merely administrative - it is a deeply ideological, cultural, and historical act reflecting Kazakhstan’s nation-building and civic identity.

“Each name is a symbol reflecting people’s destinies, pages of history, achievements and values of Kazakhstan. We bear responsibility before future generations for the cultural-historical landscape we build today. Any toponymic changes must be considered thoughtfully, with deep respect for history, culture, and languages of our multiethnic society” said Nurtore Zhusip.

Experts also called for a truly interdisciplinary approach to onomastics - integrating linguists, historians, ethnologists, geographers, and legal scholars - and proposed the creation of a permanent expert platform with both national and international specialists.


🏛️ Казахстан строит гармоничную ономастику

Государственная инициатива - уважение к истории, культуре и идентичности

Правительство Казахстана активно продвигает создание гармоничной ономастической системы, которая учитывает историческую преемственность, языковое разнообразие и культурную память, сообщает DKnews.

На заседании Республиканской ономастической комиссии, возглавляемой сенатором Нурторе Жусипом, подчеркнули, что переименование улиц, городов и учреждений - это не просто бюрократия, а глубоко идеологический, культурный и исторический акт, отражающий становление казахской государственности и гражданской идентичности.

«Каждое наименование - это символ, отражающий судьбы людей, страницы истории и ценности Казахстана…Любые изменения должны осуществляться вдумчиво и с уважением к истории и языкам нашего многонационального общества», - подчеркнул Нурторе Жусип.

Эксперты настаивают на междисциплинарном подходе, объединяющем филологов, историков, этнологов, географов и юристов, а также предложили создать постоянную экспертную платформу, включающую ведущих специалистов из Казахстана и других стран.


🏛️ Қазақстан үйлесімді ономастиканы қалыптастырады

Мемлекеттік бастама – тарихқа, мәдениетке және ұлттық сананы құрметтеу

Қазақстан үкіметі үйлесімді ономастикалық жүйені дамытуға күш салып жатыр. Бұл жоба елдің тарихи сабақтастығын, тілдік әртүрлілігін және мәдени жадысын құрметтеуді көздейді, – деп хабарлайды DKnews.

Республикалық ономастика комиссиясының отырысында, төраға Нұрторе Жүсіптің айтуынша, көшелер, қалалар мен мекемелердің атын өзгерту тек әкімшілік мәселе емес, ол – идеологиялық, мәдени және тарихи әрекет, Қазақстанның мемлекеттік құрылысы мен азаматтық бірегейлігін көрсетеді .

«Әрбір ат – адам тағдырының, тарих бетіндегі маңызды оқиғалардың, Қазақстанның құндылықтарының символы... Өзгерістерде біз тарихқа, мәдениетке және көпұлтты қоғамымыздың тілдеріне құрметпен қарап, ойлана отырып әрекет етуіміз керек», – деді Нұрторе Жүсіп.

Эксперттер ономастикаға пәнаралық тәсілді қолдап, филологтар, тарихшылар, этнологтар, географтар мен заңгерлердің бірлескен жұмысын ұсынады. Сондай-ақ, ұлттық және шет елдік мамандармен тұрақты сараптамалық алаң құру жоспарланған.

Actes del III Congrés Internacional Toponomasticon Hispaniae / Proceedings of the 3rd International Toponomasticon Hispaniae Congress

 AVL presents 74 papers from Santiago de Compostela



🇬🇧 English

The Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL) has just launched the Actes del III Congrés Internacional Toponomasticon Hispaniae, gathering 74 original contributions from scholars who convened in Santiago de Compostela in June 2025.

Edited by Emili Casanova (University of Valencia) and Maite Mollà (AVL), this volume is dedicated to Carme Barceló, former professor and esteemed AVL academic—a pillar of Iberian place-name studies.

The proceedings cover the rich spectrum of Hispanic onomastics, including:

  • Documentary toponymy

  • Historical overviews

  • Geographical perspectives

  • Etymological analysis

Participants examined regional naming patterns across Aragón, Cantabria, La Rioja, Galicia, Portugal, and Mediterranean Spain toponhisp.org. The work aligns with the European Research & Innovation strategy 2020–24, recognizing toponymy as a shared cultural asset.

This volume is a key milestone in Iberian place-name research—comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and regionally diverse.


🇪🇸 Español

La Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL) acaba de publicar los Actes del III Congrés Internacional Toponomasticon Hispaniae, que reúne 74 trabajos inéditos presentados en Santiago de Compostela en junio de 2025.

Bajo la coordinación de Emili Casanova (Universidad de Valencia) y Maite Mollà (AVL), el volumen está dedicado a Carme Barceló, profesora y académica de gran prestigio, una figura imprescindible en la toponimia hispánica.

Las actas ofrecen un panorama amplio sobre la onomástica hispánica, incluyendo estudios de:

  • Toponimia documental

  • Perspectivas geográficas e históricas

  • Análisis etimológico

Los trabajos aportan nuevos datos sobre Aragón, Cantabria, La Rioja, Galicia, Portugal y el ámbito mediterráneo español. Este proyecto se enmarca en la Estrategia Europea de I+D 2020–24, que concibe la toponimia como patrimonio cultural compartido.

Un texto imprescindible para cualquiera interesado en la toponimia ibérica: amplio, riguroso e inclusivo.


🇬🇶 Galego

A Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL) acaba de publicar os Actes do III Congrés Internacional Toponomasticon Hispaniae, que reúne 74 traballos inéditos presentados en Santiago de Compostela en xuño de 2025.

Coeditado por Emili Casanova (Universidade de Valencia) e Maite Mollà (AVL), o volume está dedicado a Carme Barceló, profesora e académica de prestixio, unha das voces centrais na toponimia hispánica.

As actas ofrecen un abano completo de temas en onomástica hispánica, incluíndo:

  • Toponimia documental

  • Visións xeográficas e históricas

  • Investigación etimolóxica

Os traballos aportan perspectivas sobre Aragón, Cantabria, A Rioxa, Galicia, Portugal e o arco mediterráneo español toponhisp.org. Esta iniciativa insírese na Estratexia Europea de I + D 2020–24, que recoñece a toponimia como patrimonio cultural común.

Un libro imprescindible para quen ame a toponimia iberica: amplo, rigoroso e integrado.

📚 Dictionnaire des noms de lieux de la Creuse — Parution le 15 octobre 2025

 

Un trésor toponymique signé Yves Lavalade

Yves Lavalade, spécialiste reconnu de l’onomastique occitane, nous offre un ouvrage monumental : Dictionnaire des noms de lieux de la Creuse, à paraître le 15 octobre 2025 aux éditions La Geste.

Ce dictionnaire propose une recension exhaustive des noms de lieux des 258 communes du département de la Creuse. Plus de 26 000 toponymes sont analysés : noms de communes, lieux habités, microtoponymes cadastraux… L’auteur y explore l’origine, la signification, et fournit également une restitution en occitan limousin, langue historique de la région.

C’est une ressource indispensable pour les passionnés de toponymie, les chercheurs en linguistique, les historiens locaux ou tout curieux de découvrir l’âme linguistique des paysages creusois. Au-delà d’une simple compilation, le dictionnaire incarne une œuvre de transmission, inscrivant les noms dans leur histoire linguistique, géographique et culturelle.

🌊 X Xornada de Onomástica – “The Names of the Sea”

 

A celebration of maritime onomastics in Galicia

📍 Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
📍 Location: Museo de Pontevedra
🧭 Coordinated by: Ana Boullón and Luz Méndez

The 10th Onomastic Conference in Galicia sails into focus under the captivating theme "Os nomes do mar" ("The Names of the Sea"), bringing together scholars, educators, sailors, and cultural enthusiasts to explore the linguistic and cultural richness of Galician sea names – from thalassonyms (names of seas) to boat names and nautical terms rooted in local tradition.

Morning Session Highlights

  • Evolution of sea names in Galician maps – by María de los Ángeles Piñeiro Antelo

  • Fieldwork on popular thalassonymy – by Helena Domínguez García

  • Sea markings from the town of A Guarda – presented by veteran sailor Tito "O Chirro"

  • Thalassonymy as intangible heritage – Xosé Lois Vilar’s strategies for dissemination

Afternoon Session

  • Names of boats and mussel rafts in the Rías Baixas – by Lucía López Lires & Aarón Otero Ferrari

  • Educational proposal for secondary school – creative lesson on ship names by Xosé Manuel Dopazo

  • Closing performance: A ruta de Ulises Fingal by musician and storyteller Xurxo Souto

This conference not only highlights the scientific value of onomastic studies, but also celebrates the deep connection between language, identity, and the sea in Galician life.


🌊 X Xornada de Onomástica – “Los nombres del mar”

Una cita con la talasonimia en Galicia

📍 Fecha: Sábado 4 de octubre de 2025
📍 Lugar: Museo de Pontevedra
🧭 Coordinación: Ana Boullón y Luz Méndez

La décima Jornada de Onomástica se centrará en la nomenclatura marítima, reuniendo a investigadoras, docentes, marineros y defensores del patrimonio inmaterial para dialogar sobre la riqueza lingüística de los nombres relacionados con el mar gallego: topónimos marinos, nombres de barcos y términos naúticos.

Sesión de mañana

  • Evolución de topónimos en la cartografía gallega – por María de los Ángeles Piñeiro

  • Trabajo de campo en la talasonimia popular – por Helena Domínguez García

  • Las marcas del mar en A Guarda – por el marinero Tito "O Chirro"

  • La talasonimia como patrimonio inmaterial – estrategias de difusión de Xosé Lois Vilar

Sesión de tarde

  • Nombres de embarcaciones y bateas en las Rías Baixas – por Lucía López y Aarón Otero

  • Propuesta educativa para secundaria – actividad didáctica sobre la naonimia

  • Actuación musical y narrativa: A ruta de Ulises Fingal – Xurxo Souto

Un evento que une la ciencia lingüística con el alma marinera de Galicia, y demuestra cómo los nombres del mar navegan entre memoria, cultura y educación.


🌊 X Xornada de Onomástica – “Os nomes do mar”

Un encontro coa onomástica mariña de Galicia

📍 Data: Sábado, 4 de outubro de 2025
📍 Lugar: Museo de Pontevedra
🧭 Coordinación: Ana Boullón e Luz Méndez

A décima edición da Xornada de Onomástica chega cun tema apaixonante: os "nomes do mar". O evento reunirá especialistas, docentes, mariñeiros e persoas amantes do patrimonio para mergullarse na talasonimia galega, isto é, os nomes relacionados co mar: topónimos, nomes de barcos, nomes populares do litoral…

Sesión de mañá

  • Evolución dos nomes mariños na cartografía de Galicia – Mª Ángeles Piñeiro

  • Traballo de campo na talasonimia popular – Helena Domínguez

  • As marcas do mar en A Guarda – Tito O Chirro

  • A talasonimia como patrimonio cultural – Xosé Lois Vilar

Sesión de tarde

  • Nomes de barcos e bateas nas Rías Baixas – Lucía López & Aarón Otero

  • Proposta didáctica para 2º da ESO sobre naonimia – Xosé M. Dopazo

  • Peche artístico: A ruta de Ulises Fingal, por Xurxo Souto

Unha xornada que demostra como a onomástica pode navegar entre a historia, a identidade e a creatividade, facendo do mar un arquivo vivo da cultura galega.

Saturday, June 21, 2025

In Memoriam: Walter Wenzel (1929-2025)


🇩🇪 Nachruf auf Prof. Dr. Walter Wenzel (1929–2025)

Ein Wegbereiter der slawischen Onomastik

Mit tiefer Betroffenheit gedenken wir Prof. Dr. Walter Wenzel, geboren am 20. Januar 1929 in Hermsdorf (damals Tschechoslowakei), der im Jahr 2025 verstorben ist. Als emeritierter Professor an der Universität Leipzig prägte er die Erforschung sorbischer und westslawischer Namenforschung nachhaltig.

🎓 Wissenschaftliche Laufbahn & Forschungsschwerpunkte

  • Promotion 1960, Habilitation 1979, Ernennung zum Professor 1990

  • Spezialisierung auf sorbische Orts- und Personennamen aus der Lausitz

  • Bedeutende Veröffentlichungen:

    • Die Ortsnamen des Schweinitzer Landes (1964)

    • Sorbische Anthroponymie (1987–1994)

    • Ortsnamenbuch für Niedersorbien und Obersorbien (2006, 2008)

    • Slawen in Deutschland. Ihre Namen als Zeugen der Geschichte (2015)

    • Die slawische Frühgeschichte Sachsens im Licht der Namen (2017–2021)

🏛️ Vermächtnis

Prof. Wenzel verband philologische Tiefe mit kulturhistorischem Weitblick. Seine Arbeiten sind und bleiben wesentliche Bezugspunkte für Onomastiker und Slawisten weltweit. Unser aufrichtiges Beileid gilt seiner Familie und allen, die ihm nahestanden.


🇬🇧 Obituary: Professor Walter Wenzel (1929–2025)

A Pillar of Slavic Onomastics

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Walter Wenzel, born 20 January 1929 in Hermsdorf (then Czechoslovakia), who passed away in 2025. As Emeritus Professor at the University of Leipzig, he made foundational contributions to the study of Slavic names, especially in Sorbian onomastics.

🎓 Academic Journey & Key Works

  • PhD in 1960, habilitation in 1979, appointed full professor in 1990

  • Specialized in Sorbian place names and anthroponyms in the Lusatia region

  • Major publications:

    • Die Ortsnamen des Schweinitzer Landes (1964)

    • Sorbische Anthroponymie (1987–1994)

    • Ortsnamenbuch for Lower and Upper Lusatia (2006, 2008)

    • Slawen in Deutschland. Ihre Namen als Zeugen der Geschichte (2015)

    • Die slawische Frühgeschichte Sachsens im Licht der Namen (2017–2021)

📚 Legacy

His scholarly rigor and cultural insight transformed onomastics and Slavic linguistics. His publications continue to be essential references. We extend heartfelt condolences to his loved ones.


🅿️ Pśenosk na profesora Waltera Wenzela (1929–2025)

Zakładny čłowjek słowjanskeje onomastyki

Z wobrošću buduše se přiznawać, zo profesor Walter Wenzel, naróžo 20. janaurja 1929 w Hermsdořfje, dźiś howny 2025 pokónany je. Jako emerynowany profesor Univerzity Lipska je klučowoškin přispěch k wučbě serbskej a zapadnosłowjanskeje onomastyki.

🎓 Akademiska dróha a dźěło

  • Doktorske studium 1960, habilitacija 1979, profesor 1990

  • Specializacija na serbskie mjenskie a osobowe měna ze Łužicy

  • Wóne doprowadenych dźěł:

    • Die Ortsnamen des Schweinitzer Landes (1964)

    • Sorbische Anthroponymie (1987–1994)

    • Ortsnamenbuch za Dolnoserbske a Hornjoserbske Łužicu (2006, 2008)

    • Slawen in Deutschland. Ihre Namen als Zeugen der Geschichte (2015)

    • Die slawische Frühgeschichte Sachsens im Licht der Namen (2017–2021)

🏛️ Dźědowanje

Profesor Wenzel je zwjercharske přistupy a kulturowu perspektiwom předłožił. Jeho dźěła kóntynjeju wutomne źónki za wučarjowy wót tym estuche. Wužiwamy nasze najhlubše sołdnjenje wob familiju a wšyknych, kotřiž hižo mu bliski byli.


🇷🇺 Некролог: Профессор Вальтер Вензель (1929–2025)

С глубокой скорбью сообщаем о кончине профессора Вальтера Вензеля, родившегося 20 января 1929 в Гернсдорфе (тогда Чехословакия), ушёл из жизни в 2025 году. В качестве почётного профессора Лейпцигского университета он внёс лёжний вклад в исследование славянских имён, особенно серболужицких.

🎓 Образование и ключевые труды

  • Докторская диссертация в 1960 г., хабилитация в 1979 г., профессорский титул в 1990 г.

  • Специализация: топонимы и антропонимы серболужицкого региона

  • Основные публикации:

    • Die Ortsnamen des Schweinitzer Landes (1964)

    • Sorbische Anthroponymie (1987–1994)

    • Ortsnamenbuch для Нижней и Верхней Лужицы (2006, 2008)

    • Slawen in Deutschland. Ihre Namen als Zeugen der Geschichte (2015)

    • Die slawische Frühgeschichte Sachsens im Licht der Namen (2017–2021)

🕯 Наследие

Профессор Вензель стал одним из краеугольных специалистов в ономастике, и его подходы продолжают вдохновлять учёных. Мы выражаем глубочайшие соболезнования его близким и соратникам.

📚 ICOS Summer School 2026: Exploring Digital Horizons in Onomastics

 24–28 August 2026 | Helsinki, Finland



The International Council of Onomastic Sciences (ICOS) is delighted to announce its third ICOS Summer School, which will take place in Helsinki, Finland from 24 to 28 August 2026. This immersive academic event is designed to bring together young researchers in onomastics from around the globe to share, explore, and grow their expertise in the ever-evolving field of name studies.

🌐 Theme: Digital Tools and Databases

In an era of rapid digital transformation, this year’s Summer School focuses on the integration of digital tools and databases in onomastic research. Participants will delve into contemporary techniques for data collection, analysis, and management, gaining valuable skills for navigating the expanding technological landscape of the humanities.

The program is especially relevant for those interested in:

  • Corpus-based onomastic research

  • Digital mapping of place names

  • Computational approaches to name studies

  • Database design and metadata in linguistics

👩‍🏫 Structured Learning & Field Experience

The course will feature:

  • Lectures by leading experts including Prof. Terhi Ainiala and Prof. Leena Kolehmainen (University of Helsinki)

  • Text workshops and student thesis presentations

  • Excursions to onomastically interesting sites in the Helsinki region

  • Social and leisure activities to strengthen academic networks

🎓 Who Can Apply?

The Summer School is primarily intended for PhD students, but Master’s students planning to pursue doctoral research are also encouraged to apply.

👉 Note: The program is open to ICOS members only. However, new applicants can join ICOS through the course application itself - no separate process required.

📆 Application Timeline

  • More information: Available in Fall 2025

  • Applications open: Spring 2026

📩 Questions? Contact organizer Milla Juhonen at: milla.juhonen@helsinki.fi


🌍 Whether you are working on anthroponyms, toponyms, or digital cartographies of name data, the ICOS Summer School 2026 offers a unique opportunity to gain knowledge, expand your network, and explore onomastic research at the crossroads of tradition and technology.

Stay tuned, and save the date!

In Memoriam: Ian Fraser (1941-2025)

School of Scottish Studies
 It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Ian Fraser (Iain Mhurchaidh Alasdair), a foundational figure in Scottish name studies and long-serving contributor to the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. Ian died on June 11, leaving behind a rich legacy of scholarship, mentorship, and collegial generosity that has shaped generations of researchers in onomastics, Scottish ethnology, and beyond.

A Gaelic Voice in Geography and Onomastics

Born into a Gaelic-speaking family in Gairloch and Strontian, Ian brought with him to Edinburgh not only his native fluency in Gaelic, but a deep, intuitive connection to the landscapes, traditions, and oral histories of the Highlands. He studied Geography as an undergraduate, a discipline that proved essential to his life's work: the study of place names and their cultural meanings.

Appointed to the School of Scottish Studies in the 1960s, Ian joined a vibrant group of young scholars during the department’s second decade. Working closely with Dr. W. F. H. (Bill) Nicolaisen, he helped lay the methodological foundations of Scottish onomastics, combining fieldwork, recording, and local storytelling into a systematic and enduring body of research.

A Builder of Institutions and a Mentor of Many

Ian Fraser didn’t only conduct research - he built communities. He was instrumental in creating the Place-Name Survey at the School, introduced onomastics into the undergraduate curriculum for Scottish Ethnology, and supervised postgraduate students with kindness and insight. He played a central role in founding both the Scottish Society of Northern Studies and the Scottish Place-Name Society, ensuring that scholarship in the field would flourish for decades.

His talks, publications, and tireless involvement in conferences helped bring name studies to wider audiences across Scotland and internationally.

A Scholar of Friendship and Humanity

Those who worked with Ian often remarked that friendship was not merely part of his professional ethos - it was his guiding principle. He was, as the School of Scottish Studies has written, "a genial and generous colleague" and a man who embodied the founding spirit of the School: collaborative, curious, and deeply humane.

He will be remembered not only for his scholarly contributions but also for his warmth, humility, and commitment to community.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his wife Jean and to their family, to whom Ian was a deeply devoted husband and father.

🕊️ Ian Fraser’s funeral service will be held on 3rd July at 11:30, at Craiglockhart Parish Church, Edinburgh.

🗺️ The Power of Names: International Colloquium on Interdisciplinary Approaches to Toponymy



 18–19 June 2026, Montpellier

Toponyms carry far more than geographic information. They are vessels of memory, identity, politics, language, and culture. That is why the upcoming International Colloquium "Pour une approche interdisciplinaire de la toponymie", jointly organized by the UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Toponymy at the University of Geneva, the University Paul-Valéry Montpellier, and the University of Rouen, offers a timely and crucial opportunity to rethink how we study, manage, and value names of place.

Held on 18 and 19 June 2026, this event will bring together scholars across disciplines to engage in a truly interdisciplinary dialogue on toponymy, exploring its many functions - from linguistic and cultural to geopolitical and commercial.

🌍 Themes and Topics

The colloquium is structured around six intersecting thematic axes:

  1. Toponymy and Minoritised Languages: How place names reflect sociolinguistic visibility, language rights, and the revalorization of suppressed languages.

  2. Toponymy and Glottopolitical Interventions: Regional projects and inventories that support local linguistic heritage (e.g., Corsica, Aubrac).

  3. Addressing, Knowledge & Vernacular Memory: The politics behind street naming and addressing projects in rural Europe and the Global South.

  4. Identity, Inclusivity, and Functionality: Feminizing, decolonizing, and balancing inclusive naming practices with standardization.

  5. Toponymy as Territorial Resource: How names contribute to place branding, heritage tourism, and territorial identity.

  6. Toponymy, Digital Mapping & Geopolitics: How private and open-source digital platforms challenge and redefine geopolitical naming authority.

🧠 Toward a New Onomastic Epistemology

The event’s core goal is epistemological: to break disciplinary silos by weaving together perspectives from onomastics, sociolinguistics, political geography, marketing, urban planning, and digital cartography. This colloquium acknowledges that a place name is never “just” a name—it is a discursive act, a socio-political gesture, a marketable brand, and a tool of inclusion or exclusion.

Stay tuned for the call for papers and registration details via the organizing institutions.


🗺️ Le pouvoir des noms : Colloque international sur les approches interdisciplinaires de la toponymie

18–19 juin 2026, Montpellier

Un toponyme n’est jamais un simple nom de lieu. Il porte des significations culturelles, identitaires, politiques et économiques. C’est cette richesse que souhaite explorer le Colloque international « Pour une approche interdisciplinaire de la toponymie », organisé conjointement par la Chaire UNESCO en toponymie inclusive de l’Université de Genève, l’Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier et l’Université de Rouen, les 18 et 19 juin 2026.

Ce colloque vise à croiser les regards disciplinaires pour penser la toponymie dans toute sa complexité contemporaine.

🎯 Axes thématiques

Le programme du colloque s’articule autour de six axes majeurs :

  1. Toponymie et langues minorisées : Visibilité linguistique, droit de nommer et revitalisation toponymique.

  2. Interventions glottopolitiques régionales : Projets d’inventaires locaux (ex. Aubrac, Corse) et stratégies de reconnaissance patrimoniale.

  3. Adressage, savoir et mémoire vernaculaire : Les tensions entre modernisation technique et savoirs locaux dans la désignation des lieux.

  4. Identité, inclusivité et fonctionnalité : Féminisation, décolonisation, et arbitrage entre diversité et standardisation.

  5. Toponymie comme ressource territoriale : Noms de lieux dans les stratégies marketing, touristiques et patrimoniales.

  6. Technologies numériques et géopolitique toponymique : Le rôle des cartes numériques et des plateformes contributives dans la souveraineté et l’appropriation des noms.

🧭 Une ambition interdisciplinaire

Ce colloque se veut un laboratoire d’idées, un espace d’échange méthodologique et conceptuel entre onomasticiens, sociolinguistes, géographes, anthropologues, gestionnaires et cartographes numériques. Car comprendre les toponymes d’aujourd’hui, c’est comprendre les enjeux du monde qui vient.

L’appel à communications est ouvert à toutes celles et ceux qui souhaitent réfléchir aux usages et aux effets des noms de lieux dans nos sociétés.

🐦 Birds and Place Project: Revealing the Feathered Roots of English Toponyms

 Discover a unique journey into England’s hidden cultural landscape with the Birds and Place Project, an engaging online exploration of the birds embedded in British place‑names.

🎯 What Is It?

Launched by Michael Warren - teacher, folklorist, and onomastic enthusiast - the site invites you to uncover how centuries-old towns, villages, fields, and features are named after birds. From Nightingale, Swallow, Crow, to Curlew, these names offer windows into medieval life, natural heritage, and cultural memory.

Inspired by his book The Cuckoo’s Lea, Michael aims to map and narrate each bird-to-name connection, showing how avian life shaped local identity, ecology, and lore over a millennium.


🔍 Explore the Site

  • Search places by bird or birds by place: Navigate through counties and species to trace names like Curlews Hill or Sparrow's End.

  • Interactive pages (coming soon) will offer:

    • Maps and historical records

    • Field names and micro‑toponyms featuring birds

    • Expanded coverage across Britain and Ireland, including Gaelic and Welsh forms


🌱 Why It Matters

  • Onomastics meets ornithology: The project combines language studies with natural history, tracing how naming practices reveal environmental and cultural change.

  • Living research: Inspired by the English Place‑Name Society’s century‑long scholarship, it’s a public, evolving resource on landscape heritage.

  • Support for conservation: Partnering with organizations like Curlew Action, the site highlights species‑place relationships in urgent need of recognition and protection.


🌍 Next Steps & Get Involved

Support and participation are welcome! Whether you’re a bird‑watcher, name‑learner, or local historian, you can:

  • Attend book talks and events throughout England

  • Suggest new records or corrections through the Contact page

  • Dive into the upcoming book based on the project


📝 Final Thoughts

Birds and Place speaks to the heart of how human language and environment intertwine. Its richly layered toponyms remind us that each bird name carries stories of habitat, memory, and belonging - echoing landscapes lost, preserved, and renewed.

🕊️ Explore the project, track a familiar species, or simply marvel at the poetic connections between birds and our built world.

🌍 Discover Place Names Wallah: Exploring Indian & Sri Lankan Toponyms

 Place Names Wallah is a compelling online platform dedicated to the origins, meanings, and stories behind place names in India and Sri Lanka. Created and curated by Geoff Ells, the site serves as a rich resource for anyone fascinated by toponymy in South Asia.



🔎 What You’ll Find on the Site

  • State-level overviews such as Kerala, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, and more. Each page dives into the etymology of the region’s name, key towns or districts, and contextual cultural insights.

  • A breakdown of common place-name elements (e.g., pura, giri, nagar) prevalent across South Asian toponyms.

  • Urban and coastal entries - like Unawatuna in Sri Lanka - breaking down local meanings (e.g. “Bamboo Port”) through accessible storytelling.

  • A “Languages” page summarizing the linguistic diversity of the region: 22 official languages and a staggering ~20,000 dialects, evidencing the complexity behind naming patterns.

🧭 Why It’s Valuable

  • Cross-disciplinary appeal: Geographers, linguists, historians, travelers, and educators can all discover fascinating connections between names and culture.

  • Rich, concise content: Each region’s page is structured clearly—showcasing etymology, a map, and notable name-elements—perfect for both quick lookup and deeper research.

  • Open-access ethos: The platform’s Substack format allows anyone to explore and share this knowledge freely.


🏷 Why Onomastic Enthusiasts Should Explore It

  • It exemplifies onomastic methodology: tracing toponyms through linguistic roots, migration histories, and cultural significance.

  • It highlights how onomic systems (the structured naming patterns in languages) function in multilingual settings - through layers of Sanskrit, Tamil, Urdu, and local vernaculars.

  • It reinforces the power of names as markers of identity, heritage, and geography - from state names like Bihar (historic Buddhist center) to local towns like Unawatuna (“bamboo port”).


💡 Get Started

Check out key pages for your favorite Indian states or Sri Lankan locations - or explore the roots of familiar names from your travels. This site is ideal for quick discovery or for integrating place-name case studies into your teaching, writing, or research.

If you’d like, I can help extract content for workshops, classroom presentations, or a deeper onomastics reading list. Let me know!

Monday, June 16, 2025

🌐 Horizons of Slavic Onomastics and much more: Upcoming Congress in Białystok

AI-generated poster
 The University of Białystok invites scholars to participate in the 2nd International Scientific Conference titled:

"Horizons of Slavic Studies in the 21st Century – Current State and Perspectives of
Development"

📅 6–7 November 2025 | 📍 Białystok, Poland
📬 slawistyka2025@interia.pl

This year’s congress brings together researchers from across Slavic and international academic communities to reflect on the status and future of Slavic linguistics in a rapidly changing political and cultural landscape. One of the thematic focuses will be on onymic systems - especially Slavic toponymy and anthroponymy - exploring how names function as cultural, historical, and linguistic markers.

🔍 Onomastics in Focus

Among the thematic sessions, the study of Slavic onymic systems is prominently featured:

  • Evolution and structure of Slavic place names and personal names

  • Intersections with language policy and identity

  • Lexicographic treatment of names

  • Sacred language and the role of liturgical onomastics in national heritage

Participants can present in any Slavic language or in English. The event will be held in a hybrid format, and accepted papers may be published in Studia Wschodniosłowiańskie or Linguodidactica (40 pts in the Polish ministerial list).


🌐 Horyzonty onomastyki słowiańskiej: nadchodzący kongres w Białymstoku

Uniwersytet w Białymstoku zaprasza do udziału w II Międzynarodowej Konferencji Naukowej:

„Horyzonty slawistyki w XXI wieku – stan obecny i perspektywy rozwoju”
📅 6–7 listopada 2025 roku | 📍 Białystok
📬 slawistyka2025@interia.pl

Tegoroczna edycja ma na celu pogłębioną refleksję nad rolą slawistyki we współczesnym świecie, w kontekście kulturowych i językowych przemian. Szczególne miejsce w programie zajmuje onomastyka – w tym analiza systemów onimicznych Słowiańszczyzny, obejmująca nazwy miejscowe, osobowe i sakralne.

🔍 Onomastyka w centrum uwagi:

  • Ewolucja i struktura nazw własnych w językach słowiańskich

  • Nazwy w kontekście polityki językowej i tożsamości

  • Onomastyka liturgiczna i jej znaczenie kulturowe

  • Zagadnienia leksykograficzne związane z nazwami własnymi

Języki konferencji to wszystkie języki słowiańskie oraz język angielski. Konferencja będzie miała charakter hybrydowy. Artykuły po recenzji zostaną opublikowane w renomowanych czasopismach punktowanych.


🌐 Горизонты славянской онимии: международная конференция в Белостоке

Университет в Белостоке приглашает принять участие во II Международной научной конференции:

«Горизонты славистики в XXI веке — современное состояние и перспективы развития»
📅 6–7 ноября 2025 г. | 📍 Белосток, Польша
📬 slawistyka2025@interia.pl

Организаторы приглашают исследователей обсудить ключевые вызовы современной славистики, в том числе значимость онимических систем и ономастических исследований. Особое внимание будет уделено анализу имен собственных в историческом, культурном и языковом аспектах.

🔍 Ономастика в центре дискуссий:

  • Эволюция и структура славянских топонимов и антропонимов

  • Ономастика и языковая политика

  • Роль литургических имен в национальной культуре

  • Проблемы лексикографического описания онимов

Рабочие языки: все славянские и английский. Конференция будет проходить в гибридном формате. Лучшие доклады будут опубликованы в высокорейтинговых изданиях.


🎓 For details, registration, and abstract submission (until September 20, 2025), please contact: slawistyka2025@interia.pl

🌍 Exploring Place Attachment through Letters and Games

New Research Project from the University of Helsinki

How do we grow attached to places through names? A fascinating new project from the University of Helsinki investigates this question through two seemingly unrelated media: Finnish-American letters and video games.

Source

The project, titled “Attachment to Places and Place Names in American Letters and Video Games” (Paikkoihin ja paikannimiin kiinnittyminen amerikankirjeissä ja videopelissä), explores how people form emotional, cultural, and narrative ties to places through the language of toponyms - the names we give to spaces.

✉️ From Letters to Landscapes

The first part of the project studies private letters written by Finnish emigrants in the United States. These “American letters” often contain vivid descriptions of places—towns, cities, rivers, or streets - which reveal how the writers expressed identity, longing, and belonging through place names.

🎮 From Pixels to Places

The second part of the study dives into video games, where toponyms are key tools for storytelling and world-building. Whether in fantasy realms or real-world replicas, names in games shape how players experience and emotionally connect with virtual environments.

🔍 Why It Matters

This project bridges the past and present, showing how language and naming practices help people anchor themselves in unfamiliar or imagined spaces. It offers new insights into transnational identity, cultural memory, and digital immersion, and contributes to fields like onomastics, media studies, and migration history.

🔗 Learn more (in Finnish): University of Helsinki Project Page


🌍 Kirjeiden ja pelien paikannimet tutkimuksen kohteena

Uusi tutkimushanke Helsingin yliopistossa

Miten kiinnitymme paikkoihin nimien kautta? Helsingin yliopistossa käynnistynyt tutkimushanke tarkastelee tätä kysymystä kahden yllättävän aineiston kautta: amerikankirjeiden ja videopelien.

Hanke, nimeltään “Paikkoihin ja paikannimiin kiinnittyminen amerikankirjeissä ja videopelissä”, tutkii, miten ihmiset rakentavat emotionaalisia, kulttuurisia ja kertovia yhteyksiä paikkoihin paikannimien avulla.

✉️ Paikannimet amerikankirjeissä

Tutkimuksen ensimmäinen osa keskittyy suomalaisten siirtolaisten Yhdysvalloista lähettämiin yksityiskirjeisiin. Kirjeissä mainitut kaupungit, kylät ja luonnonpaikat paljastavat, miten kirjoittajat loivat identiteettiä ja yhteyttä uusiin ympäristöihinsä nimeämisen kautta.

🎮 Paikannimet videopeleissä

Toinen osa tarkastelee videopelejä, joissa paikannimet ovat keskeinen osa maailmankehitystä ja tarinankerrontaa. Olipa kyseessä fantasiauniversumi tai realistinen pelimaailma, nimet muokkaavat pelaajan kokemusta ja tunnepitoa paikkoihin.

🔍 Miksi se on tärkeää?

Tutkimus yhdistää historian ja nykypäivän osoittaen, miten kieli ja nimeäminen auttavat ihmisiä kiinnittymään vieraisiin tai kuvitteellisiin paikkoihin. Hanke tarjoaa uusia näkökulmia kulttuuriseen muistiin, siirtolaiskokemuksiin ja digitaaliseen kerrontaan, ja rikastuttaa nimistöntutkimuksen, mediatutkimuksen ja historiantutkimuksen kenttiä.

🔗 Lue lisää: Hankkeen blogi Helsingin yliopiston sivuilla

🕊️ In Memoriam: Ferjan Ormeling (1942–2025)

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Ferjan Ormeling, an internationally respected cartographer, toponymist, and educator. Born in Utrecht, and raised partly in the former Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), Ormeling was a professor of cartography at Utrecht University and a guiding figure in the development of modern toponymic standards and cartographic education.

His work spanned many areas: atlas cartography, cartographic data quality, visualization, media use of maps, and the history of cartography. He was a central contributor to the Atlas of the Netherlands and a tireless advocate for the recognition and standardization of minority place names, even when this view was controversial.

As a long-standing member of both the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), Ormeling shaped global approaches to naming and training. His role as Convenor of the UNGEGN Working Group on Toponymic Training Courses from 1984 to 2016 was marked not only by administrative dedication but by personal involvement in organizing and teaching.

His vision - that place names are cultural heritage and deserve documentation and protection - has since become a foundational principle in international toponymic policy.

In his final years, vision loss limited his travel, but his legacy endures. Ferjan Ormeling will be remembered as a brilliant mind, a kind mentor, and one of the great organizers and thinkers in the field of toponymy. He leaves behind a lasting impact - both in theory and in practice - for generations to come.


🕊️ In Memoriam: Ferjan Ormeling (1942–2025)

Een pionier in de cartografie en toponymie

Met groot verdriet delen wij het nieuws van het overlijden van Ferjan Ormeling, een internationaal gerespecteerd cartograaf, naamkundige en docent. Geboren in Utrecht en deels opgegroeid in voormalig Nederlands-Indië (Indonesië), was Ormeling hoogleraar cartografie aan de Universiteit Utrecht en een sleutelfiguur in de ontwikkeling van moderne normen voor naamgeving en cartografisch onderwijs.

Zijn werk omvatte een breed spectrum: atlassen, datakwaliteit, visualisatie, kaarten in de media, en de geschiedenis van de cartografie. Hij leverde een essentiële bijdrage aan de Atlas van Nederland en verdedigde krachtig het officieel erkennen van minderheidstoponiemen, lang voordat dit breed werd geaccepteerd.

Binnen de International Cartographic Association (ICA) en de United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) bekleedde hij vele leidende functies. Als voorzitter van de UNGEGN-werkgroep voor toponymiecursussen (1984–2016) combineerde hij organisatietalent met actieve deelname als docent.

Ormeling geloofde dat plaatsnamen deel uitmaken van het cultureel erfgoed, en zijn standpunten hebben het internationale beleid op dit vlak blijvend beïnvloed.

In zijn latere jaren weerhield slechtziendheid hem van reizen, maar zijn invloed blijft groot. Ferjan Ormeling wordt herinnerd als een bevlogen wetenschapper, een nauwgezette werker, een warm persoon en een bruggenbouwer in de wereld van de toponymie. Zijn werk wijst ons nog altijd de weg.

From Foreign to Familiar: Transliteration Challenges in the Latinization of Kazakh Exonyms

 The Forum for Linguistic Studies has just published our article in Volume 7, Issue 6 (June 2025):

“From Foreign to Familiar: Transliteration Challenges in the Latinization of Kazakh Exonyms” by Kyzdarkhan Rysbergen, Nursaule Rsaliyeva, Dana Pashan, Eugen Schochenmaier, and
Seyitbatkal Arlen 

📚 What’s Inside:

  • The transition from Cyrillic to Latin of the Kazakh language is modernizing everyday writing - but raises key issues for exonyms (foreign place names in Kazakh).

  • The article offers a stratified transliteration model, drawing on UNGEGN principles and corpus analysis to evaluate phonological, orthographic, and sociolinguistic aspects.

  • Using data from maps and Kazakh-language corpora, the authors show that Russian-style exonyms still dominate, though direct Latin transliterations from English and others are emerging.

  • The study also addresses challenges with languages like Chinese and offers a balanced approach: maintain Kazakh phonological integrity without losing global recognizability.

  • The paper concludes with recommendations: consistent phonetic rules, public digital name registries, and educational initiatives.

🔗 Read the full article: DOI 10.30564/fls.v7i6.9617


📝 Жаңа мақала: Қазақ экзонимдерін латынға көшіру - қиындықтар мен мүмкіндіктер

Forum for Linguistic Studies журналы алғаш рет жариялаған:

"From Foreign to Familiar: Transliteration Challenges in the Latinization of Kazakh Exonyms", авторлары: Қыздархан Рыспbergen, Нұрсауле Рсалиева, Дана Пашан, Эуген Шохенмайер және Сейітбаткал Арлен.

📚 Мақаланың мазмұны:

  • Қазақ тілінің кириллицадан латын әліпбиіне көшуі - жазудың жаңа дәуірінің басы, бірақ шет тілдегі жер аттарын дұрыс бейімдеу қиындықтарын тудырады.

  • Мақалада UNGEGN негіздері мен корпус талдауы негізінде стратификацияланған транслитерация моделі ұсынылады.

  • Казах тілі корпустары мен карталар бойынша өткізілген сандық талдау көрсеткендей, орыс экзонимдері әлі де басым, бірақ ағылшын және басқа тілдерден латынға тік транслитерация жасай бастады.

  • Қытай сияқты үлгісі күрделі тілдердегі атауларды да бейімдеудің қиындықтары қарастырылған. Мақала қазақ тілінің фонетикасын сақтау мен халықаралық танымалдылықты қамтамасыз ету арасында тепе-теңдік ұсынады.

  • Ұсынылған шаралар: бірізді фонетикалық ережелер, ашық сандық дерекқорлар және білім беру қолдауы.

🔗 Толық мақаланы оқыңыз: DOI 10.30564/fls.v7i6.9617