Publisher's Synopsis
This book is for anyone who has ever wondered how places get their names. How Place-Names Grow reveals the subtle language behind the names on maps and how they have evolved over thousands of years. The erudite aspects of name-studies are brought to life in a landscape of wolves and wildcats, gold and kings, mock beggars and giddy fools. Comprehensive but accessible, the author traces all the ways in which we create, change, move, imitate and translate names. He reveals names' historic value and explains how to avoid the many pitfalls when studying them. How Place-Names Grow is the starting point for anyone who wants to more fully understand place-name dictionaries.
