place names
What maps identify
Place names are the proper nouns identifying geographic locations—cities, countries, rivers, mountains, regions.
They appear constantly in speech and writing: She's from Chicago, the banks of the Mississippi, somewhere in the Rockies.
Place names often become adjectives (Parisian cafés, California wines) or common nouns (champagne, bourbon).
The study of place names is called toponymy.
Small rural community
- townMid-sized settlement
- cityLarge populated area
- metropolisLarge important city
- hamletTiny rural settlement
suburb · capital · borough · municipality · district · neighborhood · enclave · outpost
Spatial representation of terrain
- atlasBound collection of charts
- cartographyCreating geographic representations
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
- compassDevice showing cardinal directions
waypoint · landmark · route · bearing · direction · surveying · mapping · gazetteer
Word origin study
- nomenclatureSystem of specialized terms
- eponymPerson lending their name
- designationFormal name or title
- christeningCeremony naming a child
renaming · translation · transliteration · exonym · cognate · derivation · suffix · prefix
Family line of descent
- homelandOne's native land
- birthplaceLocation of one's birth
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
- lineageDescent from progenitors
provenance · indigenous · native · aboriginal · ancestral · diaspora · migration · settlement
Location-specifying number pairs
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- longitudeEast-west angular distance
- topographyPhysical feature mapping
- terrainLand's physical features
region · locale · location · borders · boundaries · elevation · landforms · coastline
Stored historical records
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- monumentsStructures commemorating notable achievements
- ruinsDecayed structural remains
dynasties · civilizations · annals · epochs · artifacts · relics · inscription · excavation
village
Small rural community
- townMid-sized settlement
- cityLarge populated area
- metropolisLarge important city
hamlet · suburb · capital · borough · municipality · district · neighborhood · enclave · outpost · township
map
Spatial representation of terrain
- atlasBound collection of charts
- cartographyCreating geographic representations
- GPSSatellite-based location technology
compass · waypoint · landmark · route · bearing · direction · surveying · mapping · gazetteer · legend
etymology
Word origin study
- nomenclatureSystem of specialized terms
- eponymPerson lending their name
- designationFormal name or title
christening · renaming · translation · transliteration · exonym · cognate · derivation · suffix · prefix · corruption
ancestry
Family line of descent
- homelandOne's native land
- birthplaceLocation of one's birth
- rootsUnderground nutrient absorbers
lineage · provenance · indigenous · native · aboriginal · ancestral · diaspora · migration · settlement · founding
coordinates
Location-specifying number pairs
- latitudeGeographic or personal freedom
- longitudeEast-west angular distance
- topographyPhysical feature mapping
terrain · region · locale · location · borders · boundaries · elevation · landforms · coastline · peninsula
archive
Stored historical records
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- antiquityGreat age, ancient era
- monumentsStructures commemorating notable achievements
ruins · dynasties · civilizations · annals · epochs · artifacts · relics · inscription · excavation · archaeology
expedition
Organized exploratory journey
pioneers · uncharted · explorers · trek · odyssey · safari · quest · trailblazing · prospecting · reconnaissance
province
Regional administrative district
- prefectureAdministered regional territory
- countyLocal administrative division
- stateCondition or mode
territory · colony · principality · kingdom · empire · nation · republic · canton · parish · shire
- cultural heritagefolklore, traditions, customs, folk music revival, museum collections
- place namesPeking, Beijing, Bombay, Mumbai, Lincoln
- Gazetteer entriestownships, landmarks, springs, canyons, ridges
- Gazetteer Termstoponyms, atlases, coastal features, landmarks, Bay of Fundy
- map elementscompass rose, scale bar, legend, map scale, labels
- Aboriginal vocabulary
place namescoordinates
Location-specifying number pairs
geographic coordinates · GPS coordinates · latitude and longitude · map coordinates · postal codes