Abstract
AbstractU.S. geographic names may be analyzed with relative ease using data sorting techniques with the Geographic Names Information System. An intensive computer search of the stream names in each state reveals and locates on base maps, using computer-driven plotters, unusual stream generic terms, such as kill, coulee, and cañada. Tables show the relative frequency and the distribution of toponymic generic terms. The study of selected generic terms in placenames demonstrates some degree of correlation with historical patterns of settlement and provides an instructive, but not always reliable, aid to historical research.
Highlights
Geographic names serve as enduring signposts in the cultural landscape
Studies using geographic names as historical evidence usually examine the specific part of the name, such as the surname Kurtz in Kurtz Hill or the word buffalo in Buffalo Creek; but the generic terms in toponyms, the words that indicate the kind of feature named, are no less significant
Previous studies of the subject and prior research by the u.s. Geological Survey (USGS) produced a list of twenty-four stream generic terms that were likely to be most prevalent among the country's hydronyms
Summary
Geographic names serve as enduring signposts in the cultural landscape. They reflect historical and cultural motifs, just as barn types, field patterns, and cemetery configurations do. Entering placenames from topographic map sheets into a geographic names data base presents another opportunity for errors in spelling and in classifying placenames into broad feature classes. Despite these shortcomings, the large-scale series of topographic maps published by the USGS render a comprehensive, invaluable collection of placenames of the United States. The large-scale series of topographic maps published by the USGS render a comprehensive, invaluable collection of placenames of the United States The names on these maps constitute a sweeping register of the nation's history and culture
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