Place-Names and Personal Names

About the course

What was your name? Place names and personal names often reflect our oldest preserved language use. Maybe you have wondered about the origin of the name of the place where you live or why children are often named after an older relative. In this course, you will learn more about place- and personal names and how they have appeared and changed throughout history. You will also learn about social and regional variations that influence name selection. One example of this is the influence of popular culture on the choice of personal names, for example, the book series about Harry Potter which has led to an increase in naming children after the main characters. The course will also give you an introduction to terminology and methods within name research.

Outline for distance course: The course is a distance course and is carried out in a learning platform. Access to an internet-connected computer and headset is necessary. The course is based on self-study and communication in the web-based teaching environment and is aimed at those who feel comfortable with digital teaching formats. Learning, knowledge control and supervision take place via the internet. Keep in mind that a distance learning course requires just as much work as a regular campus course. You are expected to have the ability to plan and manage your own study time.