Geographing the landscape differently and toponymy?

If a toponym is to identify a very specific geographical feature, it has not been assigned by man in an arbitrary manner, but rather to describe the landscape and evoke the activities carried out there by the inhabitants. Knowledge of regional languages is the key to understanding toponyms, whether in the form of a single term, such as Sahuc (elderberry, Gascony), le Cayre (rock, Provenance), or composed of several words, such as Cap du Bosc (end of the wood, Gascony), Riou Bourdous (muddy stream, Provenance), Pra des Mians (adjoining meadow, Hautes-Alpes). The risk then arises of altering the toponym, deformed by erroneous transcription, phonetic adaptation or even abusive francization.

Autorentext

Investigador doutorado em geografia na Universidade Cadi Ayyad e editor convidado da revista Frontiers Canada. Participou em vários projectos de investigação europeus com a ANR, a UNESCO e o IRD. A sua investigação centra-se na ligação entre os criadores de gado e a vegetação, adoptando uma abordagem vernacular e científica da cogestão sustentável.