What's in a name?

About this course

This session introduces the distinction between exonyms, used by outsiders, and endonyms, used by insiders. It considers how place names carry both literal reference and wider associations, using cases including Myanmar and Burma, Türkiye and Turkey, Macedonia and North Macedonia, and Persia and Iran. The discussion also covers Welsh place names such as Eryri and Bannau Brycheiniog, linking naming practices and semantic change to cultural identity, colonial history, public policy and political debate.

What you'll learn

• Explain the difference between exonyms and endonyms
• Analyse the denotation and connotation of place names
• Identify political, cultural and historical influences on naming
• Discuss contemporary debates surrounding place names
• Relate naming practices to examples from personal experience

Is this course right for you?

The course is intended for complete beginners and does not require prior knowledge of linguistics. It suits learners prepared to consider how everyday words relate to language, culture and current affairs, with discussion of examples and contemporary naming debates.

• No previous linguistics knowledge is required
• Designed for complete beginners
• Includes discussion and reflection on examples of naming

Before you go

• No materials are required
• There are no additional costs