An analysis of the use of Croatian exonyms in regard to the characteristics of a geographical feature

Abstract

The use of exonyms is one of the earliest challenges faced by experts who deal with geographical names on an international level. The prevalent view is that exonyms hinder international communication and their use should therefore be reduced. Another opinion is that exonyms are a constituent part of the vocabulary of the linguistic community that creates and uses them, an important part of cultural heritage and identity, and should therefore not be overlooked. Recently, the idea that a middle ground should be found is gaining traction; according to it, exonyms should be used differently depending on the users’ age groups, the purpose of the publication they appear in, and the type of communication (international or national). Following this view, members of the UNGEGN Working Group on Exonyms have reached conclusions regarding the globally shared characteristics of exonyms and the criteria of their use. Three criteria are related to the characteristics of the geographical features for which the exonym is used (type, size, importance, familiarity, and location). Qualitative analysis of the number and distribution of Croatian exonyms in several categories shows that the use of Croatian exonyms is in accordance with these criteria. This means that exonyms are used: a) when a geographical feature has close and traditional ties with the Croatian linguistic community – most commonly features that are geographically nearby; b) when the feature is historically or currently important, globally and/or for Croatian language speakers; c) when the feature covers more than one speaking area.

Keywords

• croatian exonyms
• loanwords
• use of exonyms
• ungegn