Abstract
Abstract. The primary aim of place names is to provide clear direction and reference in order to distinguish geographical entities. The Moroccan linguistic situation allows for a bilingual presentation of place names, with an Arabized version and a French counterpart that differs phonetically. On the other hand, Casablanca has dual naming, a colonial name, and an Arabic variant, which is not simply a translation that happened as a result of Arabization policies introduced after the country's independence. This study relies mainly on questionnaires, in addition to interviews, in an attempt to address the following aspects: The attitude towards the standardization of only one variant, variants and the city's cultural heritage and significance, standardization of only one variant and the accurate representation of the place, dual naming as a reminder of the multiple place histories vs. dual naming as a mere case of the language difference, and Moroccans and the etymology of the variants. The findings indicate that Casablanca shifts from a mere marker of the colonial period to an active maker of the city's heritage. Its meaning is disconnected from its historical anchorage and converted into an instrument of identity and means of historical memory. Moreover, the choice of one variant is perceived as a loss of toponymic identity, which will serve as a hindrance against the population and their relation to their past.
Highlights
“Place-names are an important part of our geographical and cultural environment
1.2 The linguistic situation in Morocco In North Africa, there are manifold toponymic layers correlated to the languages of the populations that succeeded in this region
The Moroccan linguistic situation allows for a bilingual presentation of place names, an Arabized form, and its French equivalent where the specific linguistic context influences the toponym variant's choice
Summary
“Place-names are an important part of our geographical and cultural environment. They identify geographical entities of different kinds and represent irreplaceable cultural values of vital significance to people’s sense of well-being and feeling at home.” (Helleland, 2002). The city is a convenient implementation framework for linguistic and toponymic analysis It has linguistic (language), spatial (space), and historical (peoples' collective memory) associations. “Toponyms (place names) represent language units denoting elements of topographic environment” (Urazmetova & Shamsutdinova, 2017). “Place names are closely linked to our sense of self, that is our identity They are not mere signifiers of places but offer insight into the underlying perspective of communities.”(Alasli, 2019). Toponyms are a form of repositories of political, social, and cultural views of society They express language units denoting elements of the topographic environment. They are the linguistic signs of a natural language which constitute a system called a toponymic system. “As all other names, toponyms belong to languages” (Tichelaar, 2002)
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