Toponymy and Standardization of Place Names : Official Uses and Spellings in Algeria « TOPONORM »

This project follows two National Research Program (PNR) projects (1999-2004): "Naming and Onomastic Mental Representations (Toponymic and Anthroponymic) in Algeria" and "Algerian Toponymy: Assessment and Perspectives." Currently, no national institution is responsible for managing Algerian toponymy. Its cultural heritage importance, both quantitative and qualitative, as well as its standardization, are matters of supreme national interest (security, mapping, telecommunications, land planning, etc.). Institutional dysfunction is observed in all forms of place and person identification—whether manual or digital—across all national sectors: justice, civil status, taxation, local authorities, banking, archives, mortgages, etc. These practices have led to significant and detrimental inconsistencies over the years, affecting official and private documents both domestically and internationally. Standardization involves treating a toponym according to a set of normative elements established by a recognized authority to ensure a unique way of writing and designating a location.

The present project aims to establish a diagnostic report on the spelling practices of place names in "official" corpora: the nomenclature of place names in the Official Gazette (JORA - 1984 administrative division), cartographic documents (INCT), and the Postal Code (Ministry of Post and Telecommunications).

Objectives:

- Provide novel insights into a corpus of proper names (places) through the lens of writing practices.

- Develop a status report on official toponymy in Algeria: regulatory provisions, administrative management, spelling discrepancies, etc.

- Highlight the role of toponymy as a collective mental representation and a mark of the Algerian nation's intangible territorial legitimacy, emphasizing its importance in constructing the national imagination (places of memory) for younger generations.

Actions Taken / Planned:

- Establishment of the work protocol.

- Setting up a documentary database related to toponymy and its standardization.

- Training investigators in data exploitation software and field surveys.

- Documentary research.

- Comparative study of spelling usages in official Algerian corpora: consistencies and discrepancies in Arabic and French.

Expected Results / Perspectives:

National expertise on the current state of toponymy.