A placename is often much more than just a label. A name may bespeak the history of a nation, the culture of a people, or the hopes of an individual. Such connections are revealed in this very large reference work on placenames of the world, which offers an in-depth look at the origins of each. First published in 1997, the work in this new edition contains over 6,000 entries, including 1,000 new placenames from previously under-represented areas such as China and Japan. Entries cover natural features such as mountains, rivers and lakes as well as manmade entities such as cities and countries. Each entry includes the name of the feature; a brief description and its geographical location; and the origin of the name with relevant historical, biographical and topographical details. Appendices give the meanings of common elements of non-English placenames (e.g., Abu, as in Abu Dhabi, means ""father of""); major placenames in European languages (e.g., Pays-Bas and Paesi Bassi are the French and Italian names, respectively, for what English speakers call the Netherlands); and transcribed Chinese-language equivalents for the names of the world's countries and capitals.

The purpose of this Gazetteer and Atlas of Astronomy (GAA) is to list, define and illustrate, for the first time, every named (as opposed to merely catalogued) object in the sky within a single reference work for use by the general reader, writers and editors dealing with astronomical themes, and those astronomers concerned with any aspect of astronomical nomenclature. Each part of the GAA will contain: * An introduction to the nomenclature of the body or group of bodies in question * A glossary of terminology used * A gazetteer listing in strict alphanumerical sequence essential information defining the body or feature concerned * An alphanumerically arranged classified index of all the headwords in the gazetteer * An atlas comprising maps and images with coordinate grids and labels identifying features listed in the gazetteer * Appendix material on the IAU nomenclature system and the transcription systems used for non-roman alphabets

Geographic features are relatively stable but their names are not. This fact has been brought home with the advent of television, the Internet, and other technological advancements. Randall has drawn upon his global knowledge of geographic names accumulated by professional experiences in the fields of geography and cartography followed by a career with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, creating a comprehensive study of place names from a variety of perspectives. He discusses how place names influence many aspects of people's lives and shape the way people view the world around them, from a broad look at large countries to an analysis of the origins of river names, to an appreciation of how place names can indicate the historical nature of areas. He also demonstrates how place names have become essential elements of our every day vocabulary and are ingredients of music and literature. Placing particular emphasis on the political importance of place names for military and diplomatic matters, the author concludes with a survey of name disputes and examines an assortment of unusual and controversial location names. This book provides a comprehensive view of the dynamic field of geographic names through the eyes of an expert. It is a vital resource for anyone seeking information about this important element of our world.

Place-Names of Carmarthenshire is the first publication to investigate all major place-names in the historic county of Carmarthen (1536-1974), including the westerly parts of the county transferred to modern Pembrokeshire after 1996. Tracing the history of Welsh place-names casts light upon the ways in which our ancestors lived and how they thought about the world around them. The meaning of place-names, however, is not always easy to determine because their written and spoken forms have often changed over time and particularly when the language in a particular location switched from Welsh to English. Fortunately, Carmarthenshire was not so markedly affected in this respect as many other parts of Wales but it is still easy to be mislead by modern spellings: Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen) does not recall the name of the mythological Myrddin (Merlin) in the Arthurian tales but is derived from morddin (mor / 'sea' and din / 'fort') describing a Roman maritime fort - the precursor of the medieval borough; Llanboidy does not contain a llan ('church') but rather a nant ('stream') located near a beudy ('cow-shed'); Castelldwyran actually means 'Durant's castle', being composed of castell ('castle') and an Anglo-Norman personal name Durant, rather than dwyran ('two-thirds'). Illustrated with many images of the county, Place-Names of Carmarthenshire examines more than 920 place-names and features a 1,000-entry Glossary of place-name elements, personal names and rivers, and is the result of the author's detailed research in archives and reference libraries.

Navigate your way around London with this detailed, easy-to-use, and up-to-date A-Z Premier Map. A full-colour, single sided, fold-out street map, covering a six-mile radius from Charing Cross in Central London. Extending to Muswell Hill to the north, London City Airport to the east, Crystal Palace to the south, and Wembley to the west. Attached to the cover is a booklet containing a comprehensive index of more than 40,000 streets, along with selected flats, walkways, places of interest, fire stations, hospitals and hospices within this region. Also included on the map are postcode districts, one-way streets, the congestion zone boundary and the ULEZ boundary. There is also a separate and up-to-date TfL underground map. This iconic map is a trusted means of finding your way around the capital city.

The classic reference of place-name information on the state's cities, towns, townships, lakes, and streams. For this revised edition, the staff of the Minnesota Historical Society combed recent literature and databases to update entries and add new names. The book captures much of the lost lore of familiar places and of towns that have disappeared -- and of the people who made the state what it is today.

This book is the first of its kind to chart the terrain of contemporary India's many place names. It explores different 'place connections', investigates how places are named and renamed, and looks at the forces that are remaking the future place name map of India. Lucid and accessible, this book explores the bonds between names, places and people through a unique amalgamation of toponomy, history, mythology and political studies within a geographical expression. This volume addresses questions on the status and value of place names, their interpretation and classification. It brings to the fore the connections between place names and the cultural, geographical and historical significations they are associated with. This will be an essential read for scholars and researchers of geography, law, politics, history and sociology, and will also be of interest to policy-makers, administrators and the common reader interested in India.

Was Gasoline, Texas, named in honor of a gas station? Nope, but the name does honor the town's original claim to fame: a gasoline-powered cotton gin. Is Paris, Texas, a reference to Paris, France? Yes: Thomas Poteet, who donated land for the town site, thought it would be an improvement over "Pin Hook," the original name of the Lamar County seat. Ding Dong's story has a nice ring to it; the name was derived from two store owners named Bell, who lived in Bell County, of course. Tracing the turning points, fascinating characters, and cultural crossroads that shaped Texas history, Texas Place Names provides the colorful stories behind these and more than three thousand other county, city, and community names. Drawing on in-depth research to present the facts behind the folklore, linguist Edward Callary also clarifies pronunciations (it's NAY-chis for Neches, referring to a Caddoan people whose name was attached to the Neches River during a Spanish expedition). A great resource for road trippers and historians alike, Texas Place Names alphabetically charts centuries of humanity through the enduring words (and, occasionally, the fateful spelling gaffes) left behind by men and women from all walks of life.

Following the success of the first edition, this new edition has been expanded and improved with additional images and enhanced drawings. The subject matter has been expanded with the chapter on grammar and pronunciation extended. There are examples of how Gaelic personal names and the human body are used in place-names and many etymological sources have been added to place-name tables. In addition to the generic index, there is now an index of specific place-names. Finally, there's more to say about hares, bears and boars! Reading the Gaelic Landscape is essential for anyone who is interested in the Scottish Highlands and its native language. It enables people to read and understand place-names in Gaelic, providing insights into landscape character and history. The book enriches the experience of walkers, climbers, sailors, bird watchers and fishers by sketching the named context, where they practise their pursuits. Outdoor enthusiasts need no longer struggle with unfamiliar spellings and words, as they can develop a new perspective of place through an understanding of Gaelic toponymy. The ways Gaelic poets like Sorley MacLean and Duncan Ban MacIntyre used the named landscape in their work is explored. Names are used to speculate about species extinctions and the history of the Caledonian Forest. Readers learn how place has been defined in Gaelic and how this has been recorded, through a deeper understanding of how native speakers applied their language to the landscape. This new edition will build on the praise for the first: * ...essential for those interested in the Highlands and its ancient, living language. It helps readers and outdoor enthusiasts understand seemingly obscure words on maps, with insights into landscape history and ecology. The Scots Magazine * ...John Murray's book is unique ... The result is a triumph. ... Just occasionally you come across a book whose lasting value is so obvious that you know people will be referring to it in 50 years' time or more. Reading the Gaelic Landscape is one of those books. Undiscovered Scotland * ...the scope of the book is admirably broad, with primers on the history of the Gaelic language in Scotland, how the first maps of the country came to be made, and how the Gaelic speakers of old would have conceptualised things like colours and sounds, seasons and time. Roger Cox, The Scotsman * ...this book is a useful resource for those interested in Scotland's landscapes, environment and history. Wild Land News

Placenames are a constant source of debate. Who was Edwin, whose name is said to live on in that of Scotland's capital city? Are the 'drum' and 'chapel' still to be found in Drumchapel? And which 'king' had a 'seat' in Kingseat in Perthshire? The answers to these and many similar questions are often not what might be expected at first sight and have their origins in many languages - including Gaelic, Pictish, Brythonic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon, Scots and Modern English - that have been spoken in Scotland. This is the essential companion to the fascinating world of Scottish placenames. It features more than 8,000 placenames, from districts, towns and villages to rivers, lochs and mountains, and also includes a comprehensive introduction and maps.

Originally published in 1920, this volume provides information on the historical background of place-names in County Durham and Northumberland. The text was compiled by Allen Mawer (1879-1942), who was instrumental in the foundation of the English Place-Name Society. Entries are listed in alphabetical order and vary in length, depending on historical interest or the complexity of their development. Notes are provided on elements found as the second part of place-names or used by themselves, and personal names found as the first element in place-names. Additionally, the text contains an introduction, bibliography and information relating to phonology. This is a fascinating volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in British history and the development of toponymy.

Namenwelten ist eine breit angelegte Dokumentation zu Namen und Namenforschung im deutsch-skandinavischen Raum. Einen Schwerpunkt bilden Beitrage, die Fragen nach Herkunft, Entstehung und Bildungsweise von Ortsnamen nachgehen und dabei umfangreiches neues onymisches Material vorstellen. Die Erforschung der Personennamen umfasst auch theoretisch-methodische Aspekte, allgemeine Prinzipien sowie Kontinuitat und Tradition der Namengebung. Eine Reihe runologisch orientierter Artikel widmet sich den in Runeninschriften uberlieferten Namen und verknupft sie mit sprach(geschicht)lichen Problemen; dabei werden in Einzelfragen auch benachbarte Forschungsgebiete gestreift. Der Index erschliesst annahernd 5000 Orts- und Personennamen.

Bestselling author Christopher Winn takes a closer look at our Roads, Avenues, Groves, Gardens, Hills and Lanes. There are around 800,000 streets in the UK and the name of each one tells a tale. We take them for granted but the choice of name can reveal facts about Britain's history, geography, topography and nature, even its politics and culture. From the most common names, to the rarest, the funniest to the most notorious, among the many fascinating facts, find out why the City of London has no "Roads", and where the UK's shortest street name (Rye) is located, as well as its longest (Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive). And why Station Road is in the top five most popular street names, alongside the multitude of Victoria Streets and Albert Roads. Devon even boasts The Street with No Name, which of course has its own story... Perfect for fans of trivia and local history, Great British Street Names will prompt you to think a little differently about the street where you live.

Sir Allen Mawer (1879-1942) was a renowned scholar of place names. Originally published in 1929, this book was based on a course of three lectures delivered by Mawer at King's College, Cambridge under the auspices of the Board of English Studies in the University of London. The text provides a study of the problems and possibilities associated with the study of place names. A detailed index is also provided. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in place names and British history.

This book discusses developments in the history of British house names from the earliest written evidence (Beowulf's Heorot) to the twentieth century. Chapters 1 and 2 track changes from medieval naming practices such as Ceolmundingchaga and Prestebures, to present-day house names such as Fairholme and Oakdene: that is, the shift from recording the name of the householder (Sabelinesbury, 'Sabeline's manor'), the householder's occupation (le Taninghus, 'the tannery') and the appearance of the house (le Brodedore, 'the broad door'); to the five main categories still in use today: the transferred place-name (Aberdeen House), the nostalgically rural (Springfield), the commemorative (Blenheim Palace), the upwardly mobile (Vernon Lodge), and the latest fashion (Fernville). The development and demise of pub names and shop names such as la Worm on the Hope and the Golden Tea Kettle & Speaking Trumpet are detailed, and the rise of heraldic names such as the Red Lion is explained. Chapters 3-5 track the house name Sunnyside backwards in time to prehistory, through English, Latin, Scottish Gaelic, and the influence of Old Norse. Sunnyside's ancient origins lie in the Nordic practice of solskifte, a prehistoric method of dividing up land according to position of shadows, but the name was boosted in the eighteenth century by Nonconformists (especially Quakers), who took it to America, and in the nineteenth century by American celebrity influence. The book contains an appendix of the earliest London house names to the year 1400, and a gazetteer of historic Sunnysides.

Alone, months of sailing separating them from home, in the polar winter where the sun never rises, the two ships of Captain William Parry's expedition lay encased in ice from November 1819 to March 1820. In order to fully chart the North-West Passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific, it was necessary to overwinter in the Arctic, something that no other British expedition had done before. To boost morale in these uncomfortable circumstances, Captain Edward Sabine (1788-1883), a senior scientist carrying out measurements of natural phenomena, founded and edited a weekly magazine, which ran for twenty-one issues and was made available to the wider world in 1821. Offering jokes, poems, stories and thinly disguised gossip, the members of the expedition contributed to the magazine with enthusiasm (after having first thawed their ink). This little book offers unique insight into what polar exploration in the nineteenth century was actually like.

Originally published in 1914, this volume provides information on the historical background of place-names in Sussex. Entries are listed in alphabetical order and vary in length, depending on historical interest or the complexity of their development. Additionally, the text contains an introduction and bibliography, together with information on the principal personal names used in place-names, and words other than personal names used in place-names. This is a fascinating volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in British history and the development of toponymy.

Originally published in 1913, this volume provides information on the historical background of place-names in Nottinghamshire. Entries are listed in alphabetical order and vary in length, depending on historical interest or the complexity of their development. Notes are provided on phonology, the principal personal names used in place-names, and words other than personal names used in place-names. Additional material includes an introduction and bibliography. This is a fascinating volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in British history and the development of toponymy.

Originally published in 1914, this volume provides information on the historical background of place-names in Yorkshire. Entries are listed in alphabetical order and vary in length, depending on historical interest or the complexity of their development. Additionally, the text contains an introduction and bibliography, together with information regarding the Anglian, Scandinavian and Celtic influences on place-names. This is a fascinating volume that will be of value to anyone with an interest in British history and the development of toponymy.

The Cambridge Gazetteer of the United States and Canada is a comprehensive, one-volume, alphabetically arranged encyclopedic dictionary of places. It contains over 12,000 entries based on the latest census data and on a wide range of economic, cultural, historic, and topographical sources. The Gazetteer's coverage is unique in that it extends beyond the basic survey of towns, cities, and rivers; it includes coverage of urban neighborhoods; suburban and rural communities; lakes, rivers, ocean areas, mountains, forests, swamps, parks, preserves, and other regions of contemporary interest or past significance including Revolutionary and Civil War sites; roads and routes; important industrial, military, and cultural locales; historic sites; and even renowned folkloric and fictional places. Thus, it is not only a basic reference tool--including entries for every place having a population over 10,000--but actually a pleasure to read.