Irina Martynenko

Semantic field of health in the Hispanic toponymic discourse

Introduction

Semantic field of health in the hispanic toponymic discourse. Explore the semantic field of health in global Hispanic toponymy. Analyze place names linked to medicine, doctors, and diseases, their distribution, and national identity.

Abstract

Health and medical toponyms are not the most numerous groups in the toponomastics of the world, however, present an important part of the history of a city where they function. The article analyzes the extensive lexical-semantic field of health in Hispanic toponymy of the world in the aspect of its constituting units’ distribution. By means of the GeoNames electronic database, material for the study was selected using the continuous sampling method. The functioning of such units is analyzed from the pragmatic point of view, numerous examples are given. The boundaries of the core and peripheral region of the field are determined. It is established, in particular, that in Paraguay and Uruguay toponyms are associated with the names of outstanding doctors and scientists. And the generalizing concept of Medicina – the Spanish for “medicine” (mainly) – is a component that appears mostly in the urban toponymy. There are also Latin American cities named after diseases. The author comes to the conclusion that the meliorative connotation within this semantic field prevails over the pejorative one. And the linguistic parameters obtained can be viewed as markers of the national identity in toponymy of the indicated regions which are isosemic to the spread of the Spanish language on these terrritories. Parallels are drawn between the semantic field of health, developed by Russian toponymists in the field of regional onomastics, and that in the field of Hispanic toponymy. It is demonstrated that the most abundant Hispanic toponymic unit within the theme of health is Salud which is “health” for Spanish and the core or concept of the considered semantic field. Some place names can be attributed the “health” semantic field only with due caution as they belong to another semantic category. The article contributes to the development of the theory of the semantic field, national identity, toponomastics and linguodidactics.

Review

This article delves into the intriguing and often overlooked semantic field of health within Hispanic toponymy, offering a global analysis of how notions of well-being, illness, and medical practice are embedded in place names. The author posits that while not the most numerous, health and medical toponyms are crucial historical markers within cities. This research promises to contribute significantly to our understanding of the cultural and linguistic layers within onomastics, appealing to scholars across linguistics, geography, and cultural studies interested in the intersection of language, space, and societal values. The study employs a systematic approach, leveraging the GeoNames electronic database with continuous sampling to identify and analyze relevant toponyms. Key findings highlighted in the abstract include the association of place names with prominent medical figures in countries like Paraguay and Uruguay, and the prevalence of "Medicina" (medicine) predominantly in urban contexts. Interestingly, despite the existence of Latin American cities named after diseases, the author concludes that a meliorative connotation generally prevails over a pejorative one within this semantic field. The identification of *Salud* ("health") as the most abundant and core unit, alongside drawing parallels with Russian toponymic research, adds a valuable comparative dimension to the analysis. Ultimately, the article makes a commendable contribution to the theory of the semantic field, national identity studies, toponomastics, and linguodidactics. The assertion that the linguistic parameters derived from these toponyms can serve as markers of national identity in Spanish-speaking regions is a particularly compelling claim, offering a fresh perspective on how language reflects cultural distinctiveness. While the abstract provides a strong overview of the research's scope and findings, the full article will undoubtedly provide richer detail regarding the analytical frameworks, the specific examples, and the 'due caution' exercised for certain place names, further solidifying its valuable insights into the cultural landscape of Hispanic toponymy.

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