MACMILLAN Names and Naming: Multicultural Aspects

This edited book examines names and naming policies, trends and practices in a variety of multicultural contexts across America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In the first part of the book, the authors take theoretical and practical approaches to the study of names and naming in these settings, exploring legal, societal, political and other factors. In the second part of the book, the authors explore ways in which names mirror and contribute to the construction of identity in areas defined by multiculturalism. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to onomastics, and it will be of interest to scholars working across a number of fields, including linguistics, sociology, anthropology, politics, geography, history, religion and cultural studies.  Review “This volume is a focused collection of papers by scholars from a wide range of countries and disciplinary backgrounds, all addressing the questions of how stable naming practices are maintained and yet open to transformation. The book is timely and rich. The uniting concept of multiculturalism is politically controversial, and this diverse collection does justice to the complexity of the issues surrounding it in a world problematizing the legacy and the continuing influence of Romantic nationalism on the one hand and internationalism and globality on the other.” (Richard Coates, Bristol Centre for Linguistics, University of the West of England, UK)  “The editors are well-known onomastic scholars, who have achieved a lot during their relatively short scientific career. The contributors come from 17 countries all over the world, and are the best-known specialists in the field, with world-renowned achievements. Their studies offer an interdisciplinary and multicultural perspective on the research of name and naming in various geographical spaces and cultural and historical contexts.” (Milan Harvalík, Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovakia)  “The book projects the comprehensive concept of multiculturalism onto various name categories and exemplifies this relation by most impressive case studies. A group of outstanding onomasticians succeeds in demonstrating that in multicultural situations the general role of names as markers of personal and group identity becomes even more significant. The book considerably augments not only onomastics, but cultural studies in general.” (Peter Jordan, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Co-chair, Joint ICA/IGU Commission on Toponymy)   From the Back Cover This edited book examines names and naming policies, trends and practices in a variety of multicultural contexts across America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In the first part of the book, the authors take theoretical and practical approaches to the study of names and naming in these settings, exploring legal, societal, political and other factors. In the second part of the book, the authors explore ways in which names mirror and contribute to the construction of identity in areas defined by multiculturalism. The book takes an interdisciplinary approach to onomastics, and it will be of interest to scholars working across a number of fields, including linguistics, sociology, anthropology, politics, geography, history, religion and cultural studies.  Oliviu Felecan is a Professor in the Faculty of Letters at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Alina Bugheșiu is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Letters at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. About the Author Oliviu Felecan is a Professor in the Faculty of Letters at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Alina Bugheșiu is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Letters at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania.