Urban Local Toponymy as an Indicator of Spatial Self-Organization of Society

Abstract

Local toponym is one of the indicators of space perception, a process in which society’s spatial self- organization and sense of place are formed. The very process of territory naming transforms abstract space into special place filled with mental and social meaning. Awareness of such toponyms and their everyday usage turn out to be a kind of “local-alien” test. This article analyses features of usage, genesis and life cycle of urban local toponyms.