"The Welsh Wildcat Story": The structure, meanings and functions of themed place names in UK zoos
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Julkaisu on tekijänoikeussäännösten alainen. Teosta voi lukea ja tulostaa henkilökohtaista käyttöä varten. Käyttö kaupallisiin tarkoituksiin on kielletty.
Lataukset20
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This thesis examines what kinds of place names are found in zoos, including e.g. the names of exhibits, habitats and other themed areas. Zoo place names are a name category that incorporates features from both toponomastics and commercial names. The study aims at providing a typology of the nomenclature, including an examination of the names’ semantic content and functions. The material consisted of 348 zoo place names from 12 different zoos in the United Kingdom. The material was collected online, from the zoos’ websites and maps. The names were analyzed according to the functional-semantic and cognitive meaning analysis models developed by Paula Sjöblom. It was found that approximately 70% of zoo place names resemble compound toponyms in terms of their structure. The nomenclature included more complex structures as well, which is typical to commercial nomenclature. Analysis of the names’ semantic content revealed that zoo places are often compared to existing locations and natural environments, but also mythical places through the use of metaphors. The study’s results highlight both the linguistic variety of the nomenclature, as well as the entertaining role of zoos.