Directions in English place-name studies : An invitation to debate, with a case study of Salford Quays

Scott, MR; Clark, AJ

Abstract

Since the beginnings of the English Place-Name Survey (EPNS) in the
1920s, analysis of English place-names has focused mainly on historical
questions relating to etymology and the ways that name evidence can
shed light on early cultures, medieval settlement patterns, and so forth.
The county volumes of the English Place-Name Survey are now well
advanced and much important groundwork relating to the collection and
analysis of names and their historical origins has been completed.
However, we contend that the political implication of names and naming,
and the power relations and inequalities behind such practices, have yet
to be fully examined, although some work is emerging in this area. This
article reviews the current position of English place-name research in the
light of the framework of ‘critical toponymy’ advanced by Vuolteenaho
and Berg in Critical Toponymies (2009). Our intention in reflecting on
both ‘traditional’ and ‘critical’ toponymy is to encourage timely and
beneficial dialogue and to suggest that English toponymy can be further
interrogated and interpreted from new perspectives.

Citation

Scott, M., & Clark, A. (2011). Directions in English place-name studies : An invitation to debate, with a case study of Salford Quays. Nomina, 34, 27-50

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Jul 31, 2015
• Journal: Nomina: the Journal of the Society for Name Studies in Britain and Ireland
• Print ISSN: 0141-6340
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 34
• Pages: 27-50
• Publisher URL: http://www.snsbi.org.uk/Nomina.html
• Related Public URLs: http://www.snsbi.org.uk/index.html