Proper Names in Education: Global Tendencies and Local Traditions
Abstract
Within the higher education field proper names can be confusing as identifying them and tracing their
occurences is quite a difficult task. Not only is their history quite unclear. They occur and function in our
conceptual lives in different ways (Reyes, M. et al. 1993). They update dynamically due to all the changes
that evolve in society (Crystal 1986; 1987). Thus their variability inevitably leads to ambiguity and hinders
their use in understanding the cultural and social contexts of other languages.
This paper presents the results of the research of historical, cultural, communicative, semantic and
structural aspects of various types of English proper names in higher education which are considered as
constituents of lexical and semantic fields. The author analyzes their structural, semantic, and cultural
features, and stresses the complexity of their nature.
Peculiarities at the structural and semantic levels, including the number, meaning and the character of
the relationships of their generic and specific (topographical, anthropological, social and cultural, etc.)
components are described. Stressed are the peculiarities revealed in the connotative component of their
meanings, conventional and emotional attitudes. They are viewed as a reflection of global and local social,
cultural and linguistic tendencies as well as natural association of language and local identity (Steedly
1996) of the names of higher educational institutions. In this respect, suggestions are made regarding the
comparative and cross-cultural study of proper names in higher education.
occurences is quite a difficult task. Not only is their history quite unclear. They occur and function in our
conceptual lives in different ways (Reyes, M. et al. 1993). They update dynamically due to all the changes
that evolve in society (Crystal 1986; 1987). Thus their variability inevitably leads to ambiguity and hinders
their use in understanding the cultural and social contexts of other languages.
This paper presents the results of the research of historical, cultural, communicative, semantic and
structural aspects of various types of English proper names in higher education which are considered as
constituents of lexical and semantic fields. The author analyzes their structural, semantic, and cultural
features, and stresses the complexity of their nature.
Peculiarities at the structural and semantic levels, including the number, meaning and the character of
the relationships of their generic and specific (topographical, anthropological, social and cultural, etc.)
components are described. Stressed are the peculiarities revealed in the connotative component of their
meanings, conventional and emotional attitudes. They are viewed as a reflection of global and local social,
cultural and linguistic tendencies as well as natural association of language and local identity (Steedly
1996) of the names of higher educational institutions. In this respect, suggestions are made regarding the
comparative and cross-cultural study of proper names in higher education.