Analysis of Geographical Proper Names in Terms of the Indexicality Account of Proper Names

Abstract

This paper focuses on geographical names, which are names of geographical regions. Geographical and personal names will be distinguished with reference to evidence from linguistics as well as cognitive science. Since the entire debate is on the relationship between geographical names and their bearers, the reference of geographical names in the context of use will be examined and two possible views on geographical name reference will be proposed. As a test case, the cases of geographical developments will be examined. The basic idea involves extending the indexicality account with generic names. If a geographical name is used in the standard context, it refers to specific geographical territory, whose development is tracked by discursive participants through (a) the causal history of communications of the name in question and (b) its current referred territory.