Onomasiological categories of attribute and substance and their reflection in the grammar of place names

Abstract

Cognitive and onomasiological properties of place names are considered in the article. Names of small-scale objects are taken as examples. They are regarded against a background of toponymy of the USA, Slovakia, and Belarus. Special attention is given to the onomasiological structure of toponyms. Onomasiological categories (attribute and substance) that influence the appearance and functioning of natural objects’ names as well as subcategories (quality, relation, belonging) caused by the peculiarities of their percepting and naming in toponymic subsystems are singled out. A cognitive status of word-building in place name studies is proved. Three cognitive models are given on the basis of correlation of the extralinguistic character of the objects and the grammatical properties of the names that designate these objects.