Join us for a panel on names in discourse and the transmission of knowledge at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the American Name Society.
“Names in Contemporary Written Discourse: Sociopragmatic Functions in the Context of Educational Resources” by Emilia Aldrin, Halmstad University, Sweden
This presentation explores the sociopragmatic functions of names in contemporary, written non-fiction, with a focus on the authoritative discourse of school textbooks (Fairclough 2010, Gray 2016). Since naming choices may shape young readers’ perceptions (Macintyre & Hamilton 2010, Keller & Franzak 2016), the study asks: How are names used in textbook discourse, and what functions do they serve? Combining insights from pragmatics, socioonomastics and literary onomastics, an analytical framework is outlined. Identified functions include providing referential knowledge, signalling status, engaging readers, underlining authority, and shaping identities. Examples from Swedish primary school textbooks illustrate the discussion, with relevance beyond educational texts.
“Place Names in the Latin American Literary Discourse” by Irina Martynenko, RUDN University and Kutafin Moscow State Law University, Russia
The presentation examines the functioning of place names in fiction and their connection with real geographical objects. Based on the texts of some outstanding Latin American writers, the author analyzes the origin of toponyms recorded in their works, the historical context and the features of their use in personal artistic discourse. Particular attention is paid to cases when writers use place names in a metaphorical meaning, as well as the role of toponyms in the narrative of national identity. The results of the analysis showed that geonames in fiction perform not only a nominative, locative, but also a symbolic function.
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