Overview

Almost a millennium has passed since the Norse first discovered Vinland; but even earlier the Amerindian and Inuit people bestowed their own place names on Atlantic Canada. Many of these have survived not only the centuries and a variety of translations but also several attempts at cultural assimilation. There followed names from Basque, Portuguese, French, British, and other sources. Information about the evolution of place names is never static; new archaeological, historical, and linguistic sources are always being discovered. In Place Names of Atlantic Canada, historian William B. Hamilton provides a wide-ranging overview of the origin and meaning of hundreds of regional place names to reveal the colourful history of the area. Some element of selectivity was needed in the compilation of the book; there are currently 62,880 officially approved Atlantic Canadian place names recorded by the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Place Names. In Newfoundland alone there are 200 distinct features that incorporate the word 'Green.' Hamilton concentrates on three broad categories: size - the major centres of population and most important physical features; history - those locations that have had an impact on the evolution of the Atlantic region; and human interest - those place names most likely to provoke the question 'Where did they get that name?' Based on archival research supplemented by field studies, Place Names of Atlantic Canada is the first volume to approach this topic from a regional perspective. Hundreds of cross-references lead the reader to related information in all four provinces. The book also breaks new ground in tracing the evolution of names of important undersea features on the Grand Banks and off the Nova Scotia coastline. An ideal reference book with more than 2000 entries arranged by province, alphabetically, and aided by five maps, Place Names of Atlantic Canada will appeal to anyone interested in place naming in general or in the culture and social history of Atlantic Canada.

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9780802004710

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Reviews

'More than a useful reference, it's also an entertaining read.' -- Kathleen Hickey Quill and Quire 'As the first point of European contact in what is now Canada, the Atlantic Provinces possess our richest trove of toponyms, and William B. Hamilton's new book is an indispensable guide to them.' -- Fraser Sutherland Books in Canada 'Place Names of Atlantic Canada is the type of book that no doubt will find a place on the coffee table of nearly every home in Canada's four Atlantic Provinces.' -- Wallie Sears Moncton Times-Transcript 'Although Hamilton's selections represent a small sample of the 62,880 recorded names in Atlantic Canada, they offer a tantalizing glimpse into the diversity and complexity of the region's past which challenges our present obsession with two solitudes divided by language.' -- Eric Marks St John Telegraph Journal

'More than a useful reference, it's also an entertaining read.' -- Kathleen Hickey 'As the first point of European contact in what is now Canada, the Atlantic Provinces possess our richest trove of toponyms, and William B. Hamilton's new book is an indispensable guide to them.' -- Fraser Sutherland 'Place Names of Atlantic Canada is the type of book that no doubt will find a place on the coffee table of nearly every home in Canada's four Atlantic Provinces.' -- Wallie Sears 'Although Hamilton's selections represent a small sample of the 62,880 recorded names in Atlantic Canada, they offer a tantalizing glimpse into the diversity and complexity of the region's past which challenges our present obsession with two solitudes divided by language.' -- Eric Marks 'This is a good book for anyone interested in the culture and general history of the [Atlantic] region.' -- Ben Benson 'Buy or beg a copy of this book which will surely enrich your next vacation to one of the planet's nicer corners.' -- John Lisenmeyer

<p>'Although Hamilton's selections represent a small sample of the 62,880 recorded names in Atlantic Canada, they offer a tantalizing glimpse into the diversity and complexity of the region's past which challenges our present obsession with two solitudes divided by language.' -- Eric Marks St John Telegraph Journal

Author Information

William B. Hamilton is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Mount Allison University. A former chair of the Toponymic Research Committee of the Canadian Permanent Committee on Geographical Names, he has written extensively on place names. His books include Local History in Atlantic Canada and The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names.

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