Orð og tunga - 01.06.2010, Page 33

Ari Páll Kristinsson: Um íslenska örnefnastýringu
23
Örnefnanefnd [Ársskýrslur]. 1. ágúst 1998 til 31. desember 1999/2000
/ 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007. Reykjavík: Örnefna-
nefnd.
Örnefnanefnd. Stofnun Árna Magnússonar í íslenskum fræðum.
http://www.arnastofnun.is/page/arnastofnun_nafn_ornefnanefnd
Skoðað 2. október 2008.
Lykilorð
ömefni, bæjanöfn, málræktarfræði, örnefnastýring, örnefnanefnd
Key words
place names, farm names, language policy and planning studies, place name plan-
ning, place name committee
Abstract
'On Icelandic place name planning'
Place name planning refers to overt and deliberate efforts to influence place names
in a particular speech community, cf. related concepts in language policy and plan-
ning studies. Various actors and authorities may be involved here, and their efforts
may be aimed at place names, which are used in a particular speech community, of
either local or foreign places. This article focuses especially on the activities of the Ice-
landic Place Name Committee, and on the present legislation on farm names in Ice-
land. It seems that people in Iceland generally seek to follow ancient traditions when
choosing names for new farms. However, the owners' suggestions are not formally
validated unless they receive approval by the Place Name Committee. The Icelandic
farm names legislation is quite rigid when it comes to any proposed changes in pre-
viously established farm names. This article describes, among other things, one par-
ticular request for such a change which was subsequently refused by the Place Name
Committee. Such cases can be quite interesting since they reveal in a way the essence
of place name planning, where public interests may be in conflict with private ones.
On the one hand there is the principle that place names are common cultural heritage
which requires protection by proper authorities, and on the other hand there are the
views and interests of the owner of a particular farm who demands full authority
over his/her property, its name included.
Ari Páll Kristinsson
Stofnun Árna Magnússonar ííslenskum fræöum/Háskóla íslands
Neshaga 16
IS-107 Reykjavflc
aripk@hi.is