Pristine toponymy and embedded placenames on Islands

Abstract

Pristine placenaming or pristine toponymy is a concept first put forward by Ross (1958: 333). Ross considers a toponym pristine 'if, and only if, we are cognisant of the actual act of its creation.' This paper redefines and extends Ross's definition of pristine toponymy and considers the role of pristine toponyms and pristine toponymies on small islands which were 'toponymically uninhabited' prior to European colonization, that is, they had no recorded toponymic history.