Placenames of the World

Citation

Kirwan, P. (1998), "Placenames of the World", Collection Building, Vol. 17 No. 1, pp. 47-47. https://doi.org/10.1108/cb.1998.17.1.47.6

The lengthy sub‐title reads “Origins and Meanings of the Names for over 5,000 Natural Features, Countries, Capitals, Territories, Cities and Historic Sites.” The useful introduction is silent about Room’s earlier dictionary with a similar title (Room, 1987) which purported to contain more than 1,000 place‐names; thus the present work considerably expands its predecessor and Room has revised several of the explanations in light of more recent work by a number of scholars. Most of the changes and reversions of name following the dissolution of the Soviet Union (Leningrad/St Petersburg) and Yugoslavia (Titograd/Podgorica) are recorded; so are several other earlier changes, though not Calpe/Gibraltar, and presumably the book went to press too early to catch Zaire’s reversion to Congo.

Room cannot be faulted in his suggestions for the meanings of names; where there is doubt, as there often is (see London for instance), he candidly sets the various theories. He seems to be strongest on European and near and middle eastern names, perhaps because their long recorded history offers easier analysis, and on those of the Americas for the very opposite reason: many are of relatively recent origin, either borrowed from the old world or taken over from native Americans whose languages are still understood if more rarely spoken. He is less comprehensive on the Far East; I note that the short, but otherwise reasonable, bibliography offers no source material for China, Japan and Korea. There are several other appendices, some of which may be moderately useful.

You may need the greater details that specialist dictionaries provide for your own area of interest, but the sheer scope of this world‐wide guide justifies its place on your shelves.