Place Names in the U.S.A.

Seminar paper from the year 1982 in the subject American Studies - Culture and Applied Geography grade: 10 Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Amerikanistik / American Studies) course: Proseminar 'Einführung in die Lexikologie und Morphologie des amerikanischen Englisch' language: English abstract: Place names or toponyms may represent the best-known specimens of the American variant of English. Like other Americanisms they may be the product of composition derivation or borrowing from another language. A glance at a map shows that they too have their regularities and patterns of regional distribution and they are able to provide important clues to the history of the nation. For those who take an in-depth look they tell stories about the origin of those who gave the names their hopes and beliefs and of persons they wanted to honor.The scope of this paper only permits the presentation of a sample of toponyms to illustrate some of the most influential processes of name formation and it will be limited to names of settlements even though similar processes were at work in naming natural topographical features and administrative units.