About the nature of toponymic proper names

Abstract

In this paper, we use classical theory about the nature of names and discuss in a historiographical way the philosophical thoughts that began these studies, starting from the Platonists in “Cratylus”, through Whitney’s discussion up to the always contemporary studies of Saussure. These authors discuss if the names are formed by natural justice (Physei) or by convention (Thesei). We relate this discussion to the toponymical names in the municipalities of Maranhão state. We then inter-relate the influence of the formal structure of the linguistic sign to the object that it represents in the process of naming.