Saturday, July 5, 2025

International Conference on Place Names of Historical Linguistic Minorities in Italy

 ENGLISH REPORT

International Conference Highlights the Role of Place Names in Preserving Linguistic Diversity


From July 2 to 4, 2025, the city of Trento became the epicenter of linguistic and cultural reflection as it hosted the first International Conference on Place Names of Historical Linguistic Minorities in Italy. The event took place at the Representation Hall of the Autonomous Region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and brought together academics, policymakers, and representatives of linguistic communities from across Europe. It was organized through a collaborative effort between the Regional Councillor for Linguistic Minorities Luca Guglielmi, the University of Trento, the Romano-Hellenic Division of the UNGEGN (United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names), and the ICA-IGU Joint Commission on Toponymy.

The conference provided a platform to explore the interplay between place names (toponyms), identity, memory, and recognition in regions where linguistic minorities are legally recognized and protected. These communities include Ladins, Cimbrians, Mòcheni, as well as speakers of Albanian, Catalan, German, Greek, Slovene, Croatian, French, Franco-Provençal, Friulian, Occitan, Sardinian, among others.

According to Regional President Arno Kompatscher, toponymy is not a mere administrative tool, but a deeply human and cultural issue, rooted in the lived experiences of communities. "It must be approached with a spirit of dialogue and mutual respect, avoiding any dominance or exclusion," he remarked during the opening.

The conference featured a series of thematic sessions organized by geographical and linguistic criteria and was conducted in Italian and English. Two high-level roundtables were held: one with native-speaking international experts and another focusing on the Alpine region, involving directors of minority cultural institutes and public administration officials.

Among the central topics were the legal implications of place naming, the need for updated regulations in light of regional autonomy statutes (particularly regarding the naming of trails and public signage), and the significance of place names in expressing and preserving cultural heritage.


Daniel Alfreider, Vice President and Councillor for Ladin Education and Culture of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, stressed that "place names are not just geographical markers – they are carriers of history, community memory, and identity." He underlined the importance of protecting and promoting minority place names as part of a broader strategy to foster awareness of Italy's linguistic and cultural richness.

The event closed with an appeal to develop shared legislative instruments to ensure minority languages and place names are safeguarded not only in Italy but also across Europe. The conference thus served not only as a scholarly gathering but also as a call to action for cultural sustainability, diversity, and inclusive governance.


ITALIANO

Toponomastica e minoranze linguistiche: il primo congresso internazionale a Trento celebra la diversità culturale

Dal 2 al 4 luglio 2025 si è svolto a Trento, nella Sala di Rappresentanza della Regione Autonoma Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, il primo convegno internazionale sui nomi di luogo delle minoranze linguistiche storiche in Italia. L'iniziativa, proposta dall'assessore regionale Luca Guglielmi, è stata organizzata in collaborazione con l'Università di Trento, la Divisione Romano-Ellenica del Gruppo di Esperti ONU sui Nomi Geografici (UNGEGN) e la Commissione Congiunta ICA-IGU sulla Toponomastica.

L'obiettivo del convegno era duplice: promuovere il patrimonio linguistico delle minoranze riconosciute dallo Stato italiano e stimolare un dibattito interdisciplinare che coinvolgesse accademici, istituzioni, associazioni culturali e rappresentanti delle comunità locali. Le minoranze interessate includono, tra le altre, i ladini, cimbri, mocheni, oltre ai parlanti di albanese, catalano, tedesco, greco, sloveno, croato, francese, franco-provenzale, friulano, occitano e sardo.

Il presidente della Regione, Arno Kompatscher, ha evidenziato l'importanza del tema: "La toponomastica è una questione identitaria e culturale, non solo linguistica. Coinvolge la memoria e l'appartenenza. Deve essere trattata con rispetto reciproco e senza imposizioni."


I lavori, tenuti in lingua italiana e inglese, si sono articolati in sessioni tematiche con focus territoriali e due tavole rotonde: una con esperti internazionali madrelingua, l'altra centrata sull'ámbito alpino, che ha visto la partecipazione dei direttori degli istituti culturali delle minoranze e dei funzionari delle amministrazioni pubbliche.

Un punto centrale è stato la discussione sul futuro della segnaletica toponomastica, in particolare riguardo ai sentieri e ai luoghi pubblici nel contesto delle autonomie speciali. L'assessore Daniel Alfreider ha dichiarato: "I nomi dei luoghi sono memoria viva, identità condivisa, cultura tramandata. Questa conferenza è un'opportunità preziosa per valorizzare le lingue minoritarie e promuovere la diversità culturale come risorsa del Paese".


Il convegno si è concluso con un forte invito a costruire strumenti normativi comuni che tutelino i toponimi delle minoranze linguistiche e rafforzino il ruolo delle comunità nel dibattito istituzionale e culturale nazionale ed europeo.


DEUTSCH

Trient wird zum Zentrum der Toponomastik: Internationale Konferenz beleuchtet Ortsnamen der Sprachminderheiten

Vom 2. bis 4. Juli 2025 wurde die Vertretungshalle der Autonomen Region Trentino-Südtirol in Trient zum Tagungsort einer bahnbrechenden Veranstaltung: der ersten internationalen Konferenz über Ortsnamen der historischen Sprachminderheiten in Italien. Veranstaltet wurde sie auf Vorschlag von Luca Guglielmi, Regionalassessor für Sprachminderheiten, in Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität Trient, der Romano-Hellenischen Division der UN-Expertengruppe für geographische Namen (UNGEGN) und der gemeinsamen Kommission für Toponomastik von ICA und IGU.

Im Mittelpunkt der Tagung stand die Bedeutung von Ortsnamen als kulturelle Ausdrucksformen: Sie repräsentieren kollektive Identität, historische Erinnerung und rechtliche Anerkennung. Diskutiert wurde insbesondere die Situation in Gebieten mit anerkannten Sprachminderheiten wie den Ladiner:innen, Zimbern, Fersentaler:innen, sowie Sprecher:innen des Albanischen, Katalanischen, Deutschen, Griechischen, Slowenischen, Kroatischen, Französischen, Frankoprovenzalischen, Friaulischen, Okzitanischen und Sardischen.

Landeshauptmann Arno Kompatscher betonte, wie sensibel das Thema der Toponomastik sei. Sie betreffe die Lebenswirklichkeit der Menschen und müsse mit "Dialog und gegenseitigem Respekt" angegangen werden. Die Konferenz beinhaltete thematische Panels sowie zwei Diskussionsrunden: eine mit internationalen Fachleuten, die andere mit Fokus auf die Alpenregion.

Ein besonderer Aspekt war die Diskussion über die Beschriftung von Wanderwegen und öffentlichen Einrichtungen in Minderheitensprachen. Trotz früherer Vereinbarungen mit der italienischen Regierung wurden bisher keine gesetzlich bindenden Regelungen umgesetzt.

Daniel Alfreider, Vizepräsident der Autonomen Provinz Bozen, hob hervor: "Ortsnamen sind keine Zufälligkeiten – sie sind Ausdruck von Erinnerung, Identität und kulturellem Erbe." Er rief dazu auf, Minderheitensprachen als Ressource für ein vielfältiges Europa zu begreifen und konkrete gesetzliche Grundlagen zu schaffen.

Die Konferenz wurde nicht nur als wissenschaftliches Ereignis wahrgenommen, sondern als Appell für kulturelle Nachhaltigkeit, Vielfalt und gemeinsame Verantwortung in der Namensgebung von Orten in Europa.

📣 Registrations Now Open: International Symposium on Place Names 2025

The countdown to one of the most anticipated onomastic events of the year has officially begun! The Eighth International Symposium on Place Names (ISPN 2025) is now open for registration, offering a vibrant platform for scholars, practitioners, and students in the fields of toponymy, cartography, linguistics, geography, and cultural heritage.

🗓 Date: 26–29 November 2025
📍 Venue: Protea Hotel, Clarens, South Africa
🌍 Theme: Harmonising toponymic heritage: balancing standardisation and local diversity

Jointly organised by the University of the Free State (South Africa), the Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy, and the ICOS Working Group on Toponymy, ISPN 2025 will gather international experts to explore the dynamics between global naming standards and local naming practices.

💡 Special Workshops on 26 November:

  • 10:30–12:30: Systematising participatory toponymic diagnostics during street addressing and settlement mapping operations

  • 14:00–15:30: Ethical principles of doing toponymic research with Deaf communities

💳 Registration Fees:

  • Standard: R4 000 (includes both workshops)

  • Students: R3 500 (includes both workshops)

  • Single workshop: R1 000

  • Both workshops: R1 200

🗓 Deadlines:

  • Registration closes: 20 October 2025

  • Proof of payment due: 20 October 2025

🔗 Register & Info: ISPN 2025 website
📧 Contact: kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za
💬 Join the conversation: ISPN LinkedIn Group

Whether you’re working on participatory mapping, indigenous naming, linguistic heritage, or ethical data collection in marginalised communities, this symposium will be a hub of shared knowledge and forward-looking discussion. Don’t miss your chance to join this global conversation on place names!

ISPN 2025 Workshop: Ethical principles of doing toponymic research with Deaf communities

 Voices in Place: Ethical Toponymy and the Deaf Community at ISPN 2025

The Eighth International Symposium on Place Names (ISPN 2025), to be held from 26–29 November in Clarens, South Africa, will host a groundbreaking workshop that intersects toponymy, ethics, and Deaf studies. Scheduled for 26 November 2025, 14:00–15:30 at the Protea Hotel, this session titled “Ethical Principles of Doing Toponymic Research with Deaf Communities” promises to be a pivotal moment in inclusive place-name scholarship.

Led by Dr Patrick Sibanda and Dr Chrismi Loth from the University of the Free State, the workshop is part of a broader initiative by the Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies. It is organized in collaboration with the Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy and the ICOS Working Group on Toponymy, reaffirming the international momentum behind ethical and inclusive naming practices.

Why this matters

Toponymy often privileges dominant voices and visible communities. However, Deaf communities, who operate in rich linguistic and cultural spheres of their own, are frequently overlooked in naming processes, street addressing, and spatial documentation. This workshop turns that tide by focusing on signed toponymy and the specific ethical considerations when conducting research involving Deaf individuals.


What to expect

The session is designed as an interactive dialogue and will include:

  • Introductions to sign language, Deaf culture, and Deaf identity

  • Examination of the Deaf community as a marginalised research population

  • The linguistic and cultural significance of place-name signs

  • Established ethical frameworks and best practices for working with Deaf participants

  • Opportunities for participant feedback and shared experience

This initiative not only fills a critical gap in the field of toponymy but also represents a landmark step toward inclusive geographic naming and respectful representation of all language communities.

The registration fee is R1 000, or R1 200 for both ISPN workshops (free for ISPN delegates). Interested participants can register at the official conference site or reach out directly to the organizers at kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za.

As the landscape of global naming becomes increasingly diverse and digital, sessions like this challenge researchers to think beyond sound - and listen to the hands that shape place.

Vortrag: Eine toponymische Reise durch Europas slawischen Süden / A Toponymic Journey through the Slavic South of Europe

🗺️ A Toponymic Journey through the Slavic South of Europe

Lecture by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen

📅 Date: Tuesday, 8 July 2025
🕕 Time: 18:15
📍 Venue: U11/00.25, University of Augsburg
🎙️ Speaker: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen (University of Bamberg)
📘 Associated Work: Ägäische Etymologien: Sprache, Geschichte, Archäologie (Open Access)

The Chair of Slavic Linguistics at the University of Augsburg cordially invites all linguistics enthusiasts to a fascinating event: a lecture by Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen, one of the most renowned experts in Slavic onomastics.

In his talk, “A Toponymic Journey through the Slavic South of Europe,” Prof. Kempgen will guide the audience through 10 etymological stations, showcasing place names from the Balkans and southern Europe. These names reflect various linguistic phenomena, such as:

  • Greek borrowings,

  • Slavic-Germanic hybrid formations,

  • folk etymologies,

  • mistranslations,

  • and corrupted or distorted forms (Verballhornungen).

Some etymologies are presented to the public for the first time, making this lecture an exclusive insight into current research in historical linguistics and toponymy.

The lecture also connects with his recent open-access monograph, “Ägäische Etymologien,” focusing on pre-Greek toponyms and hydronyms in Greece, combining perspectives from language, archaeology, and history.

The event is part of the course “What’s in a Name? Introduction to Slavic Onomastics,” led by Dr. Nikolay Hakimov during the 2025 summer semester.

Open to all interested – an excellent opportunity to explore the stories behind Slavic place names!


🗺️ Eine toponymische Reise durch Europas slawischen Süden

Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen

📅 Datum: Dienstag, 8. Juli 2025
🕕 Uhrzeit: 18:15 Uhr
📍 Raum: U11/00.25, Universität Augsburg
🎙️ Vortragender: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen (Universität Bamberg)
📘 Passende Veröffentlichung: Ägäische Etymologien: Sprache, Geschichte, Archäologie (Open Access)

Der Lehrstuhl für Slavische Sprachwissenschaft lädt herzlich zu einem besonderen Vortrag ein: Prof. Dr. Sebastian Kempgen, einer der führenden Namen in der slavischen Onomastik, nimmt das Publikum mit auf eine sprachwissenschaftliche Reise durch den slawischen Süden Europas.

Die Reise führt über zehn Stationen, an denen jeweils ein Ortsname vorgestellt und etymologisch erklärt wird – viele davon aus dem Balkanraum. Dabei begegnen uns:

  • Verballhornungen,

  • Lehnübernahmen aus dem Griechischen,

  • slawisch-germanische Mischformen,

  • Volksetymologien,

  • und Übersetzungen von Ortsnamen.

Einige dieser Deutungen werden erstmals der Öffentlichkeit präsentiert – ein seltener Einblick in aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse.

Der Vortrag steht im Zusammenhang mit der jüngst erschienenen Open-Access-Monographie “Ägäische Etymologien,” die sich mit vorgriechischen Orts- und Flussnamen in Griechenland befasst und interdisziplinäre Zugänge aus Sprache, Geschichte und Archäologie vereint.

Die Veranstaltung ist eingebettet in das Seminar „What’s in a Name? Einführung in die Slavische Onomastik“ von Dr. Nikolay Hakimov im Sommersemester 2025.

Alle Interessierten sind herzlich willkommen – entdecken Sie die spannenden Geschichten hinter den Ortsnamen des südslawischen Europas!

Friday, July 4, 2025

Ономастика и литературная ономастика на IX Всероссийских научных чтениях «Слово в зеркале истории языка»

 Уважаемые коллеги!

 
10 октября 2025 года ФГБОУ ВО «Набережночелнинский государственный педагогический университет» проводит IX Всероссийские научные чтения с международным участием «Слово в зеркале истории языка» (Абрамовские чтения). В ходе работы чтений планируются выступления специалистов по истории русского языка, актуальным вопросам русской филологии и проблемам преподавания филологических дисциплин в школе и в вузе.


Приоритетные научные направления работы:
* История языка в слове и тексте.
* Проблемы изучения древнерусского текста.
* Употребление языка в художественном тексте.
* Грамматика текста.
* Ономастика и литературная ономастика.
* Изучение языковых отношений в сопоставительном аспекте.
* Поэтика и стиль русской литературы.
* Методика преподавания русского языка и литературы в школе и в вузе.
* Преподавание русского языка как иностранного в условиях межкультурной коммуникации.
 
Приглашаем преподавателей образовательных организаций высшего образования к участию в качестве докладчиков научных чтений. Чтения пройдут в смешанном формате. Возможные формы участия: очная и дистанционная (с публикацией или без), заочная (только публикация).
 
Для участия в чтениях необходимо до 15 сентября 2025 года заполнить заявку по ссылке: https://forms.yandex.ru/cloud/686649f249363989d85ba17d/.

К началу работы научных чтений будет издан сборник научных трудов «Слово в зеркале истории языка» (октябрь 2025 года). В сборник войдут работы широкой филологической тематики. Сборник будет размещён в РИНЦ. Статьи принимаются на русском языке.

Работа, оформленная в соответствии с требованиями (Приложения 1, 2), присылается на почту abramovskiye-chteniya@mail.ru с пометкой «Слово в зеркале истории языка». После рецензирования редколлегия уведомляет автора о принятии статьи к публикации. Оригинальность присланных работ должна быть не менее 70%. Статьи принимаются до 25 августа 2025 года.
 
Контактное лицо: Константин Андреевич Калинин, кандидат филологических наук, и. о. заведующего кафедрой русской и татарской филологии, +7 (952) 032-17-18, filologkka@mail.ru.

Информационное письмо здесь. 

Ждём Вас в Набережночелнинском государственном педагогическом университете!

Тройные фамилии


Русская ономастика. Интересное о русских фамилиях и семейных прозваниях История. Генеалогия. Родословная. Краеведение

New Release about Iberian place-names deriving from Arabic roots

 Pautas para el estudio de la toponimia árabe hispánica by
R. Pocklington

📘 Pautas para el estudio de la toponimia árabe hispánica (Tirant Humanidades, June 2025) is a comprehensive, 468-page guide edited by R. Pocklington, aimed at scholars and students of Iberian place-names deriving from Arabic roots - an area of study gaining renewed academic interest.

Structured as a methodological handbook, the book provides:

  • Tools for identifying Arabic‑origin toponyms in peninsular texts and maps

  • Guidance on recognizing phonetic and orthographic traces in Spanish and Catalan regions

  • A second part featuring seventeen detailed case studies of specific Arabic and Latin-based place-names, prepared by experts

This work fills an important gap in onomastic research by combining rigorous diachronic and synchronic analysis - covering historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, morphology, and semantics - and offering structured methodology alongside real-world examples.

With over 4,000 arabic-derived toponyms still active in the Iberian Peninsula (e.g., Albacete, Alcalá, Guadalquivir), Pocklington’s volume equips researchers with robust guidelines to trace the Arabic influence - from linguistic shifts to cultural layers embedded in place‑names. The book also supports digital humanities and GIS projects researching Arab-origin geographic names .

Who should read it?

  • Historians and onomastic scholars exploring al-Andalus heritage

  • Linguists studying contact phenomena, substrate influence and language evolution

  • Digital humanities practitioners building annotated toponymic databases

  • Students in Romance linguistics, medieval Iberian studies, and cultural geography

At a price of ~€38.90, this volume offers exceptional value for an academic tool of its depth - now available in softcover.


🇪🇸 Nueva publicación: Pautas para el estudio de la toponimia árabe hispánica (R. Pocklington)

📘 Pautas para el estudio de la toponimia árabe hispánica (Tirant Humanidades, junio 2025) es una guía de 468 páginas editada por R. Pocklington, pensada para estudiosos y estudiantes interesados en el legado toponímico del árabe en la península ibérica.

Se estructura en dos partes principales:

  1. Metodología para la identificación e interpretación de topónimos de origen árabe, mostrando cómo se manifiestan lingüística y fonéticamente en el español y el catalán.

  2. Diecisiete estudios de caso, realizados por expertos, que examinan nombres específicos (árabes y latinos) en contextos peninsulares.

Este volumen responde a la necesidad de herramientas rigurosas, combinando análisis diacrónico (histórico) y sincrónico (actual), y ámbitos de la lingüística como morfología, semántica y sociolingüística.

¿Por qué resulta relevante?

  • Miles de topónimos de origen árabe siguen vigentes: Albarracín, Alcalá, Guadalquivir, entre otros.

  • Ofrece fundamentos teóricos y prácticos para investigadores en campos como onomástica, estudios de al-Ándalus, y proyectos de digitalización toponímica GIS.

  • En el contexto de la influencia árabe en el español, que representa aproximadamente un 8 % del vocabulario actual, esta guía es una contribución fundamental.

¿A quién va dirigido?

  • Historiadores y onomastistas interesados en el legado lingüístico y cultural árabe

  • Lingüistas de contacto, substrato y evolución romance

  • Profesionales de humanidades digitales que diseñan bases de datos onomásticas

  • Estudiantes de filología románica, historia medieval y geografía cultural

Disponible en tapa blanda por unos 38,90 €, este libro ofrece una inversión sólida para el estudio académico y profesional de la toponimia hispánica.


En resumen, Pocklington presenta un manual esencial para comprender y analizar el patrimonio toponímico árabe en la Península. Una obra valiosa tanto a nivel práctico como teórico, y un recurso indispensable para la comunidad lingüística y cultural hispano‑ibérica.

ISPN 2025 Workshop: Systematising participatory toponymic diagnostics during street addressing and settlement mapping operations

 📍 Clarens, South Africa | 26 November 2025 | 10:30–12:30

The forthcoming ISPN 2025 Workshop, held as part of the Eighth International Symposium on Place Names in Clarens, South Africa, will spotlight one of the most urgent and fascinating aspects of modern toponymy: participatory naming in urban and rural mapping contexts.

Titled "Systematising participatory toponymic diagnostics during street addressing and settlement mapping operations," the workshop is led by renowned geographer and toponymist Prof. Frédéric Giraut from the University of Geneva, who also holds the UNESCO Chair in Inclusive Toponymy. It invites researchers, cartographers, city planners, and policy-makers to reflect on how digital technologies and community participation can shape inclusive geospatial naming practices.

What does that mean in practical terms?

Think about the many settlements or informal neighborhoods that appear on no official map. Think of place names in indigenous or minority languages that are missing from street signs. Prof. Giraut’s session aims to systematize efforts to make such names visible, weaving them into official nomenclature and city planning through collaborative diagnostics and digital tools like OpenStreetMap.



🔎 Highlights from the Workshop Agenda:

  • Visibility of minority place names: Exploring the progress made and setbacks encountered in mapping places that reflect local linguistic and cultural identity.

  • The digital turn: How platforms like OpenStreetMap are helping promote more inclusive naming frameworks.

  • Recommendations: Encouraging governments and municipalities to integrate participatory toponymic diagnostics when assigning street names or planning new developments.

  • Case studies and future initiatives: Looking at global efforts and innovative naming protocols that put communities first.

This is not just an academic exercise. It’s about naming justice - empowering communities to reclaim and affirm their identities through the maps they appear on (or don’t). It also challenges dominant cartographic traditions by elevating vernacular and minority place names, often overlooked or actively erased by colonial or centralized naming systems.

The workshop will be hosted at the Protea Hotel in Clarens on 26 November 2025, from 10:30 to 12:30. The registration fee is R1,000 (or R1,200 for two workshops).

📧 Inquiries: kongresETFB@ufs.ac.za
🔗 LinkedIn Group: Join here 

With South Africa’s vibrant linguistic landscape and its ongoing efforts in street renaming and participatory governance, Clarens is a fitting location for such a timely event. This workshop promises to be a meaningful step toward reshaping our toponymic future - one street name at a time.

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Voices for Onomastics: Support for the AVL Amid Budget Cuts

 [English]

At the end of June 2025, the Societat d’Onomàstica (SdO) publicly expressed strong support for the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL) in response to severe budget cuts approved by the Generalitat Valenciana. The declaration emphasizes that the AVL, a statutory body responsible for linguistic and onomastic policy in the Valencian Community, now faces a serious threat to its ability to carry out its legally mandated functions.


The SdO highlights the invaluable work the AVL has done in onomastics since its foundation: editing the Corpus toponímic valencià, developing the Nomenclàtor Toponímic Valencià, publishing the Vocabulari de noms de persona, and organizing annual onomastic conferences. The current financial restrictions could jeopardize this legacy and disrupt projects vital for preserving Valencian place names and personal name heritage.

Beyond academia, the statement points out the social relevance of onomastic work: the right of individuals to have their names in their native language and of communities to reclaim traditional forms distorted by past Castilianization.

The Societat d’Onomàstica stands by the AVL during this difficult moment, condemning what it sees as an attack on a self-governing cultural institution and a vital part of Valencian linguistic identity.


[Català]

📰 Veus per l’Onomàstica: Suport a l’AVL davant les Retallades

El 30 de juny de 2025, la Societat d’Onomàstica (SdO) va fer pública una declaració de suport a l’Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL), després que la Generalitat Valenciana aprovés una reducció dràstica del seu pressupost per a l’any 2025.

L’AVL, com a institució normativa amb competència estatutària en matèria d’onomàstica al País Valencià, veu en perill la continuïtat de projectes fonamentals com el Corpus toponímic valencià, el Nomenclàtor Toponímic Valencià o el Vocabulari de noms de persona. L’SdO alerta que aquesta situació pot posar fre a dècades de feina per la recuperació i protecció dels noms de lloc i de persona propis de la comunitat.

A més, la declaració defensa la dimensió social d’aquest treball: el dret de les persones a anomenar-se segons la seva llengua i identitat, i el dret dels pobles a recuperar topònims i antroponímia tradicional, massa sovint deformats per processos de castellanització.

L’SdO denuncia aquest atac contra una institució d’autogovern i mostra el seu suport ferm a l’AVL en aquests moments difícils.


[Español]

📰 Voces por la Onomástica: Apoyo a la AVL ante los Recortes

La Societat d’Onomàstica (SdO) ha emitido una declaración de apoyo a la Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua (AVL), como respuesta a los severos recortes presupuestarios anunciados por la Generalitat Valenciana para 2025.

La AVL, encargada de la normativa lingüística y de la política onomástica en la Comunidad Valenciana, ha desarrollado un trabajo crucial en las últimas décadas: el Corpus toponímic valencià, el Nomenclàtor Toponímic Valencià, o el Vocabulari de noms de persona, entre otros. La SdO advierte que estos proyectos están ahora en peligro, lo que compromete la preservación de la toponimia y antroponimia tradicionales valencianas.

La declaración también subraya el valor social de la onomástica: el derecho de las personas a llevar su nombre en la lengua propia y el de los pueblos a recuperar formas tradicionales que han sido alteradas por la castellanización administrativa.

La SdO denuncia el recorte como un ataque a una institución cultural fundamental y se posiciona junto a la AVL para defender el patrimonio lingüístico valenciano.

🏰 Names in Time: Call for Papers on Medieval Onomastics at Leeds IMC 2026

 If you’ve ever pored over a medieval manuscript and found yourself fixated on a name - half-familiar, half-forgotten - you’ll want to mark your calendar for 6–9 July 2026. The International Medieval Congress (IMC) in Leeds will once again feature a dedicated panel on Medieval Onomastics, proudly sponsored by INS Nottingham, and it’s now open for submissions.


Following two successful years in 2024 and 2025, the panel is becoming a fixture for scholars of historical names and naming practices. For 2026, the organizers are inviting 20-minute papers that delve into the role of names - both personal and place names - within the medieval period, from any geographical region. This broad scope promises a truly international and comparative discussion.

But there’s an added twist this year: the IMC’s 2026 thematic focus is Temporalities, and proposals that link naming to medieval conceptions of time - be it dynastic continuity, calendar names, eschatology, or memory - are especially encouraged.

Here are the key submission details:

  • 📜 Abstract: max. 200 words

  • 🧑‍🎓 Include: Short academic biography with affiliation and contact info

  • 📅 Deadline: 15th August 2025

  • 📩 Submit to: tristan.alphey@gmail.com

For name scholars, this is a great chance to explore how names anchored identity across time, how memory was constructed through naming, and how onomastic traditions shifted across periods of cultural and political change. Whether your focus is on Anglo-Saxon charter names, Crusader-era place names, or Latinized saints in Iberian sources, this is the place to share it.

Expect spirited discussions, manuscript snippets, and that ever-comforting buzz of name-nerd excitement in the air. See you in Leeds?

Toponyms at the Frontier: Why I’m Looking Forward to ILANSCO 2026 in Prague

 As someone deeply fascinated by place names and the stories they tell, I couldn’t help but get excited when I saw the call for papers for the upcoming ILANSCO 2026 conference. After its debut in Zurich in 2024, the event is returning in September 2026 - this time in Prague, hosted by the Czech Academy of Sciences - with a timely and resonant theme:

"Emerging Landscapes: Languages and Landscapes in Conflict."

While ILANSCO isn't exclusively an onomastic event, it's precisely this interdisciplinarity that makes it so appealing for scholars interested in toponyms, place-making, and the language of landscapes. It's not often you get anthropologists, linguists, cognitive scientists, and historians in the same room - all discussing how we name, imagine, and contest space.

Landscapes That Speak

For us in toponymy, landscape is never just a terrain - it’s a discursive battlefield, a narrative canvas, a memory map. What names get used on a signpost, who gets to rename a town after a conflict, or how colonial and indigenous toponyms coexist (or clash) - these are deeply political and linguistic acts. ILANSCO’s focus on landscapes in conflict opens the door to exactly these questions.

Even more compelling is the conference’s call to examine how language captures (or fails to capture) bodily, emotional, and social experiences of place. I’ve long argued that place names are not merely labels, but compression points for identity, ideology, and memory. In this sense, ILANSCO offers fertile ground for toponymic scholars to connect the dots between linguistic theory, spatial semiotics, and cultural trauma.

Beyond the Map

The idea of "emerging landscapes" also resonates in a digital sense. With GIS technologies, corpus linguistics, and large-scale name databases now shaping our field, there's a growing need to think about how we operationalize the concept of landscape linguistically and cognitively. How do we model names that have been erased? How do we visualize contested geographies with overlapping toponymies? I’m hopeful that the conference will welcome such contributions.

And let’s not forget: Prague itself is a city steeped in layered place-naming histories - from Czech and German, to Latin and Hebrew. What better place to hold a conference on landscapes in conflict?

Looking Ahead

If you’re working on place names in migration, historical memory, endangered landscapes, or linguistic representations of space - this is the kind of interdisciplinary forum we need. ILANSCO 2026 seems poised to blur the disciplinary lines in all the right ways. I’m already drafting ideas.

🔗 Read the Call for Papers
📅 Deadline: 31 December 2025

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.