The classification of exonyms

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Exonyms involve adapting geographical names from one language to another, reflecting the movement and interaction of peoples globally. The Working Group on Exonyms of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN) was established by resolution VIII/4 at the 8th UN Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names, which recognized that categorizing exonym use could help reduce their number. The main topic of the 21st meeting of the working group, held in Riga in September 2018, was “The Classification of Exonyms.” This volume, the 8th in the “Name and Place” series, contains 17 papers presented at that meeting. These papers aim to enhance understanding of the nature of exonyms in use worldwide. The first section offers an overview of past UNGEGN deliberations and categorizes exonyms into eight groups, with additional papers exploring Slovenian, Estonian, and East Asian exonyms. The second section discusses the chronological aspects of exonyms, classification challenges, the representation of Baltic names in Arabic, and names in Antarctica. The final section features a paper from Latvia on microtoponyms and oikonyms, alongside two papers on Nubia that provide a philosophical perspective on geographical names.