The Presence of Minority and Indigenous Languages in Urban Naming: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Place Names 2023

Open Access proceedings of the International Symposium on Places Names 2023. Download for free via the website: https://ujonlinepress.uj.ac.za/index.php/ujp/catalog/book/436 or the DOI: https://doi.org/10.64449/9781997468639 Paper on signed toponymy in the proceedings: Jani de Lange, Anele Kotoyi, Mamotete Mapeshoane, Theodorus du Plessis (p. 81-102) "Official language, official names? A case study of SASL place names" ABSTRACT The pending officialisation of South African Sign Language (SASL) as one of South Africa’s twelve official language raises critical questions about its standardisation, application in official domains, and the recognition of SASL place names. Place-name planning, a subset of corpus planning, gains relevance as the Deaf communities uniquely assign signed names to places, often resulting in parallel toponymy that is overlooked in a formal context. This study examines the intersection of language officialisation and the recognition of signed place names and explores the impact of the diverse naming practices employed to create place-name signs. Using a selection of signed names and interviews from an ongoing documentation project, this paper explores the dynamics of language contact, cultural identity, and official recognition in the context of SASL toponymy. ABOUT THE PROCEEDINGS The Presence of Minority and Indigenous Languages in Urban Naming is a collection of double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the 7th International Symposium on Place Names that took place in Bloemfontein (South Africa) 26–29 September 2023. The symposium explored issues of naming in urban areas, and considered the specific matters that have an impact on place names in indigenous and minority languages. Collectively, these studies highlight the importance of investigating and understanding naming processes, whether formal or informal. The need for continuous refinement of authoritative guidelines comes to the fore in all five papers. Additionally, the role of etymological considerations in excavating the rich symbolic value of place names is evident. These proceedings are the product of collaboration between Southern African and international researchers. As such, it is a valuable resource to local as well as international scholars who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of toponymy.