The endonym/exonym divide from cultural-geographical perspective

Анотація

Background. The endonym/exonym divide is a much contested and at the same time frequently used concept. New UNGEGN definitions of endonym and exonym have been passed in 2007, but they neither satisfy the requirement of being all-comprehensive, nor do they suffice standardization practice. The UNGEGN Working Group on Exonyms has therefore entered in a profound discussion on this divide succeeding in exploring the essence as well as many facets of this concept but failing to achieve unanimity on it and having it passed at the UN level.

Purpose. The paper aims at reflecting this discussion and presenting theoretically valid and all-comprehensive definitions of endonym and exonym from a cultural-geographical perspective.

Results. Endonyms are thus defined as names applied by a community for geographical features conceived to be part of the area where this group lives and to which it feels to be emotionally attached; exonyms are names applied by other communities for features in this same area and differing in their form from the respective endonym(s). Neither language, nor officiality are considered relevant criteria for the endonym/exonym divide. It is also shown that this view of the endonym/exonym divide is transferable to other name categories and can thus be regarded a wider onomastic concept. The paper finally exemplifies the limits between endonym and exonym by highlighting critical cases that most frequently occur with names of transboundary features.

Key words: toponymy, terms, endonym, exonym, cultural-geographical perspective, transboundary features, United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN).