Study Of Place Names Research Articles

A Study of Place Names in Yamagata Prefecture

The Yamagata Kyodo Kenkyu-kai (Society for Geographical Reserach of Yamagata Prefecture) has collected about 40, 000 place names in its prefecture, each of which beside the Chinese letters, are printed in the Japanese syllabary to give their correct pronoun-ciations. It is explained that the number of places having names relating to rice field forms 10 percent of the total, followed by names relating to plants, fields, beasts, and geographical features after which come those of castle, buddhist temple and various graves. The use in names of the old distributions of pasture, deccangrass (Hi-e in Japanese, ) formerly the chief crop in this region, Sanka (a kind of vagapond in the past) and many other points that are very interesting from the historical point of view, are also explained by this study.

Teaching Values in the Study of Place Names

Teaching Values in the Study of Place Names

A History of Surnames of the British Isles: a Concise Account of their Origin, Evolution, Etymology, and Legal Status

THERE is perhaps room for a new history of British surnames since Bardsley and Harrison published their works on the subject. Mr. Ewen has given his history a wider scope than Bardsley and has brought into use much new material. Obviously the “History“ has been a labour of love, and there is an inclination to overload it with matter, industriously collected, which has not much direct bearing on the subject in hand and is not always culled from the best authorities. Apart from this criticism, however, Mr. Ewen has given us a work which will be of considerable value to the genealogist and to a lesser extent to the anthropologist. Although the history of personal names has not the scientific value of its sister study of place names, yet much can be learnt by a cautious use of it to show the migrations of races and the settlements of groups of immigrants from other lands, the prevalence of industries in particular districts and the distribution of dialect. But the mobility of the human race and the change of surnames necessitate the greatest care in its use for these purposes. Mr. Ewen has recognised this difficulty and so has wisely emphasised the genealogical value of his study. Of not the least importance is the bibliography given at the end of the volume, which appears to be most comprehensive.

Problems of place-name study

Problems of place-name study

English Place-names

AT a meeting of the Royal Anthropological Institute held on June 27, Prof. A. Mawer, of the University of Liverpool, read a paper on “A Survey of English Place-names.” He said that from the earliest times the value of place-names as a possible source of historical knowledge has been recognised. Much early history has frankly been invented from them, and historians have speculated freely as to their meaning. More recently, scholars like Kemble have seen the possibilities latent in place-names; but until Prof. Skeat first put place-name study on its only secure basis, namely, the study of the early forms of the names, most of the work in this direction was only idle speculation. Conducted on scientific lines, place-name study could do much to throw fresh light on the dark places in the history of our country and its civilisation, where we had no documentary evidence or only such as has long been worn threadbare. Place-names and archaeology are the only unworked sources of evidence still remaining open to us, and these studies should be conducted in close touch with one another. With the aid of place-names, not only should we have fresh light on long-standing problems, but we should also be furnished with excellent illustrations of many phases of our history and culture.

English Place-Name Study: Its Present Coriditicn and Future Possibilities

Journal Article English Place-Name Study: Its Present Coriditicn and Future Possibilities Get access Notes and Queries, Volume s12-VIII, Issue 154, 26 March 1921, Page 260, https://doi.org/10.1093/nq/s12-VIII.154.260 Published: 26 March 1921