The Synthetic Place Name in West Virginia

F OR THE purpose of the present study and from the particular standpoint of West Virginia, a synthetic place name is a name that has been formed by combining syllables or smaller parts of other names and words, exclusive of the juxtaposition of an adjective and noun, exclusive of the reversal or permutation of the letters, and exclusive of combination with standard place-name suffixes. Accoville1 is not a true synthetic name, therefore, owing to the suffix -ville. Cressmont2 is not, and for the same reason. Nor is Neola,3 for it is the result of a permutation of the letters; and Bolair4 must be excluded, because it consists of the juxtaposition of an adjective and noun. Such a name as Jane Lew is eliminated for the reason that, though it was earlier mapped as Janelew,5 it is two words today. By narrowing, in the above manner, the designation 'synthetic,' one avoids scores of not overly important names, and opens the way to an account of a few closely similar ones. Albeit the ultimate number is doubtless much greater, though perennially varying, one can cite with reasonable certainty only about forty true synthetic West Virginia names of places. And these forty fall into six groups. The smallest group consists of names composed of a surname preceded by the initials: Elgood, Erbacon, Itmann. Then there are seven names that consist of parts of surnames: Bellwood, Champwood, Dunmore, Gamoca, Hiorra, Lillybrook, and Princewick. Six more are names composed of parts of given names and surnames: Anmoore, Caretta, Ellamore, Mabscott, Raysal, and Wildell. Finally, amongst these names of distinctly personal origin, are those consisting of given names in whole and in part; there are seven: Anjean, Annfred, Glenray, Isaban, Marfrance, Oceana, and Surosa. The synthetic names of purely industrial origin are so impersonal as to warrant, along with the geographical combinations, separate mention

Adjective · Certainty · Genealogy · Linguistics · Noun · Permutation (music · Proper noun · Suffix · Mathematics · Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research · History · Philosophy

• Collections of the American Name Society

  Open Access•Kelsie B Harder•Names•1963

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