Place names considered unusual
Encyclopedia
Unusual place names are names for cities, towns, and other regions which are considered non-ordinary in some manner. Examples would be place names that are also swear words, inadvertently humorous words, or highly charged words in another language, such as Fucking, Austria
, Hell, Norway
, Dunedin, New Zealand or Condom, Gers
(France).
Another example is names which are offensive, due to their no longer being acceptable, often through historic changes in what is tolerated. There is no commonly defined measure for what makes a place name unusual, though unorthodox spelling or pronunciation, short or long names, and names derived from unusual sources, such as Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
, are often seen as unusual, especially by people outside the culture which named them.
Fucking, Austria
Fucking is an Austrian village in the municipality of Tarsdorf, in the Innviertel region of western Upper Austria. The village is north of Salzburg, east of the German border....
, Hell, Norway
Hell, Norway
Hell is a village in the Lånke area of the municipality of Stjørdal in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located in the western part of the municipality, about south of the municipal center of Stjørdalshalsen. The village has a population of 1,418...
, Dunedin, New Zealand or Condom, Gers
Condom, Gers
Condom , also referred to as Condom-en-Armagnac, is a commune in southwestern France in the department of Gers, of which it is a subprefecture.-Way of St. James:...
(France).
Another example is names which are offensive, due to their no longer being acceptable, often through historic changes in what is tolerated. There is no commonly defined measure for what makes a place name unusual, though unorthodox spelling or pronunciation, short or long names, and names derived from unusual sources, such as Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
Truth or Consequences is a spa city and the county seat of Sierra County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 7,289. It is commonly known within New Mexico as T or C....
, are often seen as unusual, especially by people outside the culture which named them.
External links
- University of calgary press
- Arkansas's Colorful Names Amuse Some, Intrigue Others
- From Red Hot to Monkey's Eyebrow. Unusual Kentucky Place Names (1997)
- CNN news, Odd town names strike author's fancy (1998)
- Odd and Unusual Place Names
- Odd Name Places
- Topeka, Kansas, named Google, Kansas for one month
- List of Weird Place Names