PRINCIPLES OF STRUCTURING URBAN TOPONYMY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TOPONYMY OF THE FIRST THIRTY YEARS OF THE CITY OF BELO HORIZONTE

ABSTRACT

In this study, a comparative analysis of the toponymy of the first thirty years of the city of Belo Horizonte is presented based on plans from two periods: the cartographic documental set of 1895-1897, composed of four plans, and the general plan of the city of Belo Horizonte organized by the 1st Section of the Sub-Directorate of Works in 1928-1929. From a theoretical point of view, this study was fundamentally based on the toponymy work of Dick (1990a, 1990b and 1996) and Seabra (2016). It was tested the hypothesis that there were relevant changes in the principles of structuring the toponymy of the city of Belo Horizonte during its first thirty years. The hypothesis was confirmed, since changes were found, in terms of principles, to be the relativization of the Principle of Uniqueness and the emergence of the Principle of Supletivity, Anthropotoponymic Vector, Biotopic Relationship and Resilience. Certain constants were also attested, such as the operation of the Principle of Limited Extension, Thematic Unity, Continuity and Legibility and the relativization of the Principle of Impersonality.

Toponymy; Historical Linguistics; Language Change; Belo Horizonte