toponym

American  

[top-uh-nim] / ˈtɒp ə nɪm /

noun

1. a placename.

2. a name derived from the name of a place.

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toponym British  

/ ˈtɒpənɪm /

noun

1. the name of a place

2. any name derived from a place name

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Usage

What is a toponym? A toponym is the name of a geographic location, such as a town, region, or country, as in Chicago, Northeastern United States, and France. A toponym is a specific name of a place rather than a general description of the place. So while general terms like the park or the lake are not toponyms, specific names like Central Park and Lake Superior are. A toponym might be chosen based on a description of the location, such as the Grand Canyon. It might be named after a person who first settled there or is otherwise connected to it, as with Pittsburgh (William Pitt’s burgh) and Leningrad (Lenin’s City). A toponym could also be chosen based on the history of a place (Dead Horse Bay in New York City), a mythological figure associated with the place (Athens, Greece), and many other reasons. The study of toponyms—how we name a place, the history of the name, and other details—is called toponymy, which is where we get the word toponym. Toponyms can also be names that come from the name of a location. You might name a child after a place that has special meaning for you. Some common placenames given to people include Asia, Carolina, Dakota, China, and Paris. One location can also be named after another, such as with New York City, which is named after the state it’s located in (New York State), or New England, which is named after the country the settlers who named it came from (England). Example: When we find an unknown word in ancient writing, sometimes it turns out to be a toponym for a place we know.

Etymology

Origin of toponym

First recorded in 1890–95; top- + -onym, or by back formation from toponymy ( def. )

Explanation

A toponym is the name of a place. Boston, Australia, and Montreal are all toponyms. Words beginning with topo usually have to do with places, like a topological map. Words ending in nym are types of names, like an eponym is a name for a thing that came from a person's name. A toponym, therefore, is a name for a place. Wherever you live, its name is a toponym: United States, North America, Atlanta, and California are all toponyms. Even names of made-up places like Narnia and Atlantis are toponyms.