Geographical names as a research topic for Croatian geographers

Abstract

Geographical names are proper names of geographical features. They are embedded in named areas and are the bearers of geographical data. If interpreted correctly, they can properly explain and refer to geographical phenomena and processes. Therefore, they have become a topic of geographical research over the last decades. The purpose of the article is to present and evaluate the attitude of Croatian geographers towards geographical names. After reviewing Croatian geographical literature that deals with toponyms, several aspects of toponymic research have been specified-one linguistic and five geographical (cartographical, political-geographical, historical-geographical, cultural-geographical, theoretical-methodological)-as well as two approaches in toponymic studies (toponyms as a means of identification, communication, orientation, and as sources in scientific study). Roughly ten Croatian geographers have seriously engaged with toponyms in the last 120 years, which implies that toponyms have not been recognised as a relevant research topic, or as a source of information in studies. However, a change in the attitudes of researchers regarding toponyms in the last twenty years is evident.