The naming of seas, maritime features and currents

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The naming of seas, maritime features and
currents

• Mátyás MÁRTON and Gábor GERCSÁK
• (Budapest, Hungary)
• 26 April 2007

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Eötvös Loránd University
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Major points of discussion

• Structure of names
• Specific and generic elements
• Word-for-word translations
• General geographical attributes or cardinal
  points as specific terms
• Identification of objects
• Examples in English, German and Hungarian

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Names and their origin

• Names of seas
• Names of parts of seas
• Names of sea currents
• Names of undersea features
• (Names of islands)

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Word-for-word translations

• Sea Black Sea Schwarzes Meer Fekete-tenger
• Part of sea Bay of Mexico Golf von Mexiko
  Mexikói-öböl
• Sea current Gulf Stream Golfstrom
  Golf-áramlás
• Undersea feature Guinea Rise Guineaschwelle
  Guineai-hát

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Generic terms

• Sea Baltic Sea Ostsee Balti-tenger
  (Keleti-tenger)
• Part of sea Drake Passage Drake-Straße
  Drake-átjáró
• Sea current Kuro Shio Kuroschio Kuro-shio
• Undersea feature Sunda Shelf Sundaschelf
  Szunda-self

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Specific terms

• Sea White Sea Weißes Meer Fehér-tenger
• Part of sea Bay of Biscay Golf von Biskaya
  Vizcayai-öböl
• Perzsa-öböl (1959)
• Perzsa (Arab)-öböl (19612001)
• Perzsa-öböl (2004)
• Currents Peru Current Humboldstrom Perui
  (Humboldt)-áramlás

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Specific terms of undersea features describing
the location

• Near to Madagascar Basin Madagaskarbecken
  Madagaszkári-medence
• Direction South Honshu Ridge Süd-Honschurücken
  Déli-Honshui-hátság
• Extension Azores-Gibraltar Ridge
  Azorenschwelle AzoriGibraltári-hátság

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Specific terms of undersea features as "reminder
names"

• Ship Atlantis Seamount Atlantis Kuppe
  Atlantis-fenékhegy
• Expedition Northern Holiday Seamount ?
  Northern Holiday-fenékhegy
• Institution An Rise ? AN-hát
• Person Gauss Seamount ? Gauss-fenékhegy

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"Inexpressive" terms in names

• General geographical attributes
• Great Groß Nagy-
• New Neu Új-
• Mid Mittel Közép-
• Cardinal points
• North Nord Észak-
• Southeast Südost Délkelet-

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"Inexpressive" names

• Sea North Sea Nordsee Északi-tenger
• Part of sea Canal do Norte Canal do Norte
  Északi-csatorna
• Sea current Nord Cape Current Norwegischer
  Strom Északi-foki-áramlás
• Undersea feature East Cape Ridge ?
  Keleti-foki-hátság

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Translation of geographical names in publications

• National Geographic World Atlas (2005, in
  Hungarian from the German edition)
• Sea of Japan - Japán-tenger - East Sea - ?
  (Inconsistent, but logical for Germans)
• Possible confusion with Ostsee (East Sea) for the
  German readers and with the outdated
  Keleti-tenger ( East Sea Baltic Sea) for
  Hungarian map users

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• Extract