Odonymy in Algeria : Denomination Irregularities at the Official and Societal Levels

The odonymic situation, i.e., the naming of neighborhoods and streets, has gone through two main phases in Algeria. The first phase spans from 1830 to 1962, during the French colonial period, when the French authorities assigned names to neighborhoods and streets in Algerian cities, as they were the founders of these areas. The second phase began after 1962, following the recovery of national sovereignty, when the Algerian government issued laws, ministerial, and presidential decrees aimed at renaming these spaces—that is, reconstructing the "colonial" odonymic landscape, which represented a colonial and ideological period.

This step represented a strategic political decision adopted by Algeria, which sometimes resulted in technical and societal imbalances. Therefore, this study focuses on the geographical names in urban settings in the following cities: Oran, Tizi Ouzou, Mila, Blida, and Adrar, examining the formation of names within the urban fabric through the following questions:

What is the referential structure underpinning the naming of geographical features in Algerian urban areas?How is the odonymic space represented, and how is urban naming built at both the official and societal levels?Has the reconstruction of the odonymic space contributed to organizing the system, or has it created societal disorder?

Urban toponymic organization reflects the political and social sophistication of developed cities. Therefore, the authorities responsible for naming and renaming must consider all technical standards during the naming process. This project will serve as a model to document the reality of urban naming in Algeria and to highlight the imbalances resulting from urban renaming.

Project Objectives:

To present all imbalances resulting from the reconstruction of the odonymic space, both at the technical level (spelling, homonyms, allonyms, etc.) and at the societal level (common usage of names).To monitor the reality and representations of these names at political and societal levels.To contribute to opening research avenues for scholars and students interested in the field of naming.

Long-Term Goals:

To attempt the establishment of a registry adhering to technical standards recommended by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names.To create an informational database with a clear methodology, documenting neighborhoods and streets in the selected cities.To establish a bachelor’s program in partnership with the University of Continuing Education in Oran for teaching the science of toponymy.