ORIGINS OF AFRICAN PLACE NAMES (a newly published book)
ORIGINS OF AFRICAN PLACE NAMES: AN INTRODUCTION TO TOPONYMYS IN CARTOGRAPHY AND POLITICS IN AFRICA by Viban Ngo, PhD, (London)699 pages (just published)
Published (2009) by;
Baico Publishing
294 Albert Street, Suite 103,
Ottawa, Ontario KIP 6E6, Canada
Tel: + (613) 829-5141
E-mail: baico@...
www.baico.ca
ISBN 978-1-897449-86-8
Price: $ 69.95 Canadian FUNDS
$ 69.95 US FUNDS OUTSIDE CANADA
Summary: Origin of Africa Place Names: An Introduction to Toponyms in Cartography and Politics in Africa
This is a profusely illustrated introductory book that reviews various types of place names, their origins, written forms, changes, and reasons for their changes within the political, psychological and socio-historical contexts with particular reference to those in Africa. Concrete examples are also drawn from other continents. Therefore, this document is not only encyclopedic but useful for its global coverage. It is useful to all students of international relations, environmentalists, military personnel, diplomats, UN field workers, journalists, geographers, GIS specialists, cartographers, linguists or any one concerned with spatial studies, search and rescue operations, history and politics with particular reference to Africa.
Each time an African state changes its place name or names of features within its territory, every map of Africa becomes obsolete. ...A map in this context is a graphic representation with a scale of some part of the world or celestial body, varying in sizes, often portrayed on a plane surface or digitally. Also considered, are effects of place names in the field of cartographic communication that was neglected in the past by spatial scientists, historiography, geography and geopolitical settings. On its pedagogical objectives, emphases are placed on the relevance of place name studies in cartography, ‘cartolinguistics,’ related disciplines, and sensitivity to their intrinsic values that are the concern of individual users and various governments. Cartography in this framework is a science of preparing all categories of maps, charts annotated Landsat imagery with every operation from original survey to final printing of their analogue or digital formats.
The cardinal observation is that political changes that have plagued Africa since the 1500s often lead to the introduction, replacement and modifications of some existing place names of features its predecessors had laid down in their languages or styles to suit their philosophies and practices. That is the assertion of the authorities of the ruling governments. States’ names intended to be provisional, ended up being ingrained and those considered eternal are replaced with the emergence of modern African statehood and the achievement of self-government since the 1960s. These changes will go on indefinitely with the economic, political, educational and social dynamism of the continent with external influences further accelerated by cyber space and modern media of communication.
There was a time when Western Africa was known as the Sudan, Ethiopia, then Nigritia, Upper Guinea and presently it is known as West Africa. The Atlantic Ocean was known as Ethiopian Ocean (Black Ocean) for ‘Ethiopia’ was the term used in antiquities to stand for Black. This was eventually replaced by Atlantic Ocean. A good number of African national names simply mean ‘black’; such are Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Niger, Guinea, and Egypt. This general introductory document traces the history of such changes. These are tackled by looking at their origins and reasons for their changes. By attempting to answer a barrage of questions as what religion, voodoo, politics, apartheid, slavery and slave trade, colonization, political independence, emigration, authenticity and many more have got to do with place names, the author writing as a continuous narrative, has covered all African nation states with several striking revelations dug from original sources and field works. With appended comprehensive references, coordinates of major survey and place name/ geographic information centers of Africa and those in other parts of the world concerned with the studies of place names, toponymy, this works is unique as a reference book for anyone interested in Africa and place name studies in general. It is hoped that it will stir scientific place names studies with the adoption of e-toponymy that is relatively advanced in North America, Europe and some Asian regions.
Reviews:
“This is a highly interesting document from my point of view, as a non specialist in toponymy but rather as a linguist.”
Mr. Alain Landry is the General Director of Fondation Baxter and Alma
Ricard, Ottawa and former Deputy Minister of Multiculturalism and
Citizenship Canada.
“Perhaps if men like President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe peruse this work, no foreign toponym will be left on the African soil.” Mr. J. MacKay, Emeritus Scientist and Senior Scholar at the University of Ottawa, Ottawa.
“A well illustrated, researched and beneficial encyclopedic work ...for academic establishments and general readers.” Helen Kerfoot, Vice Chair of United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN), Ministry of Mines, Ottawa, Canada.
“A bold step in African studies. An excellent eye opener and a must-read for anyone who has anything to do with African history, politics, place names, intelligence, military, search and rescue; emergency preparedness, topographic surveys, geographic information system (GIS) and their relationship with the rest of the world. I thoroughly enjoy reading it.” (anon).
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