What's in a Name? Linguistics, Geography, and Toponyms*

Abstract

In differing ways, linguistics and geography each observes that a name's significance is connected to a society. According to lexical theory, a word is arbitrary: Its sound and meaning have no intrinsic link; its function is grammatical. Names are, however, special words. We bestow names based on how they sound or on what they may already have come to represent; names are not arbitrary. In turn, toponyms are special names, and as example we discuss a specific one, “New Orleans.” Far from an arbitrary pairing of form and meaning, this toponym reveals that names reflect the experience of the people who use them.

• linguistics
• names
• New Orleans
• toponyms
• words

* The authors wish to thank Samuel Gorovitz, Jaklin Kornfilt, two anonymous reviewers, and Craig Colten for their helpful criticisms and suggestions.

* The authors wish to thank Samuel Gorovitz, Jaklin Kornfilt, two anonymous reviewers, and Craig Colten for their helpful criticisms and suggestions.

Notes

* The authors wish to thank Samuel Gorovitz, Jaklin Kornfilt, two anonymous reviewers, and Craig Colten for their helpful criticisms and suggestions.