Nombrando América. Una aproximación a la antroponimia y toponimia europea en el Nuevo Mundo

Abstract

Este artículo se centra en el análisis de las dificultades que plantean las fuentes y la metodología de trabajo a la hora de investigar sobre la antroponimia y toponimia americanas, y resume las estrategias seguidas por los distintos autores del dossier dedicado a los nombres europeos en América, desde las costas de Terranova hasta el sur de Brasil para alcanzar sus objetivos. Dada la fragilidad del patrimonio onomástico en lenguas minoritarias, que con frecuencia no figura en mapas oficiales, el artículo propone como campo de investigación el estudio de los nombres asignados a las nuevas poblaciones que son los condominios o urbanizaciones, como ya se ha realizado en algunos lugares de Europa. Estos nuevos nombres remiten con frecuencia a los antiguos propietarios del terreno o idealizan aspectos del pasado que de otro modo no se reflejarían en la toponimia. This article focuses on the analysis of the difficulties posed by sources and research methodology when investigating American anthroponymy and toponymy. It summarizes the strategies followed by various authors in the dossier dedicated to European Names in America, from the coasts of Newfoundland to the south of Brazil, to achieve their objectives. Given the fragility of onomastic heritage in minority languages, which often do not appear on official maps, the article proposes as a field of research the study of names assigned to new populations that are condominiums, as has already been done in some places in Europe. These new names often refer to the former landowners or idealize aspects of the past that would not otherwise be reflected in toponymy.

This article focuses on the analysis of the difficulties posed by sources and research methodology when investigating American anthroponymy and toponymy. It summarizes the strategies followed by various authors in the dossier dedicated to European Names in America, from the coasts of Newfoundland to the south of Brazil, to achieve their objectives. Given the fragility of onomastic heritage in minority languages, which often do not appear on official maps, the article proposes as a field of research the study of names assigned to new populations that are condominiums, as has already been done in some places in Europe. These new names often refer to the former landowners or idealize aspects of the past that would not otherwise be reflected in toponymy.