From traditional toponymy to critical toponymy: a historical journey

Abstract

This article aims to present a historical trajectory of studies on place names, starting from the earliest research on place names, going through the systematization and institutionalization of onomastic studies in the 19th century, and concluding with the implementation of toponymic studies in Brazil. The proposal of the article does not end with this approach, as it was necessary to present what has been called traditional toponymy and critical toponymy, an emerging area of place name studies that gained its own terminology at the beginning of the 21st century. The need to write this article arises precisely because Brazil has currently aligned itself with emerging studies that seek to highlight critical-based methodologies in their toponymic studies, but there is no literature that prioritizes bringing this historical trajectory to light, showing such a change in approach. Silva's master's dissertation (2024) focuses on this trajectory, with an emphasis on the emergence of critical toponymy, but here we are doing a larger work, expanding the historical trajectory. Since our proposal is to discuss the paths that led toponymic studies to adopt a critical approach, some authors have become important to mention: Reuben Rose-Redwood, Duncan Light, Derek Alderman, Jani Vuolteenaho, Laerence Berg, among others who played important roles in this methodological shift in toponymy studies. Another important point is the methodology adopted in this article: due to its historiographical profile, the choice of a bibliographical approach proved effective for our purpose.