National and cultural specifity of New Zealand English toponyms

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study and analysis of place names in New Zealand. The extralinguistic factors had determined a specific and unique New Zealand toponymy. The article draws attention to the formation of New Zealand toponymic system related to J. Cook’s and A. Tasman’s research activities. The author describes in detail the geographical names of the Maori language which contain a complex of cultural, historical and mythological information about the Maori nation.

Keywords

• New Zealand English
• national and cultural specificity
• toponymic system
• proper names
• Maori
• linguocultural potential
• Borrowings