Standardisation and the Wealth of Place Names – Aspects of a Delicate Relationship is a selection of double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the 6th International Symposium on Place Names that took place virtually 29 September – 1 October 2021. The symposium explored the issues of multiple place names vis-à-vis processes of standardisation. These studies collectively show that there is not a simplistic dichotomy between standardisation and the protection of cultural heritage. Some papers grapple with the implications and execution of standardisation processes, while others explore the emergence of alternative or unofficial names in response to top-down initiatives. The matter of signed place names also receives some attention. A number of papers excavate the layers of multiple place names, thereby contributing to our ‘wealth’ of toponymic knowledge. These proceedings are the product of collaboration between Southern African and international researchers. As such, it is a valuable resource to local as well as international scholars who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of toponymy.

This book presents research on geographical naming on land and sea from a wide range of standpoints on: theory and concepts, case studies and education. Space and place naming or toponymy has a long tradition in the sciences and a renewed critical interest in geography and allied disciplines including the humanities. Place: location and cartographical aspects, etymology and geo-histories so salient in past studies, are now being enhanced from a range of radical perspectives, especially in a globalizing, standardizing world with Googlization and the consequent ‘normalization’ of place names, perceptions and images worldwide including those for marketing purposes. Nonetheless, there are conflicting and contesting voices. The interdisciplinary research is enhanced with authors from regional, national and international toponymy-related institutions and organizations including the UNGEGN, IGU, ICA and so forth.

Explores the interactions between culture and development and puts forward proposals in the form of an international agenda aimed at motivating people to recognize cultural challenges.