La toponomastica come simbolo identitario e come strumento politico. Riflessioni introduttive al convegno

Place names as a symbol of identity and as a political tool. Introductory considerations Giving a name is equivalent to having power over what one names: in the Biblical account of creation, when man was chosen to rule over all other creatures, God invited him to give a name to each of them. The identity of individuals or groups is based on numerous factors, among which language, or "idiom" is one of the most powerful. Personal names (anthroponyms) are obviously those most closely related to the individual, and it is now a widely shared belief that any attempt to impose obligations or prohibitions concerning namegiving is an unacceptable violation of individual liberty (although many countries enforce strict legislation in this area). With regard to naming the places in which human communities live, expressing place names (toponyms) according to the usage of a given language can be a sign of belonging and identity, especially when different linguistic groups are present simultaneously. Personal names and place names display a particular tendency to overlap in regions in which ethnic names ("tribes") are commonly used to refer to geographic areas. In such contexts, strict laws regulating toponyms ultimately also impact on anthroponyms. In the past, neither place names nor personal names were rigidly coded, but in the modern world, in which everything must be codified and defined with precision, some form of fixing and standardization is demanded (this is more the case for place names, given their greater public interest, than for the names of individuals). However, the specific choices adopted by governments in this regard may have socio-political implications. In the presence of nationalistic (or micro-nationalistic) friction in particular, place names may become a source of conflict and rival claims among political forces.

Introduzione generale alle tematiche del convegno "Nomi, Luoghi, Identità. Toponomastica e Politiche Linguistiche (Names, Places, Identities. Toponymy and Linguistics Policies)". 1- Convenzioni, consenso; 2. L’identità; 2.1 Imposizioni "dall’alto"; 3- Toponimi in regioni plurilingui; 3.1. Lo "splitting"; 3.2. Importanza del consenso; 3.3. Il "bilinguismo": toponimi e sistemi linguistici; 3.4. I toponimi come "patrimonio immateriale"