BIBLIOGRAPHIC STANDARDS
COMMITTEE
LATIN
PLACE
NAMES
Created and maintained by Robert L. Maxwell
Initially created 1997 with the
assistance of Karen Larson
A note on orthography: This database was compiled from the imprint information in cataloging
records of several Anglo-American research libraries. Because these records were created over a
long period of time and under different standards and rules of transcription, the orthography of
the place names with respect to I/J and U/V/W does not necessarily reflect what was found in the
original. Therefore, the orthography is standardized in this database. I/J will always be
transcribed
"I"; U/V will be transcribed "V" for upper case, and "u" for lower case; "VV", "uu", "Vu", etc.,
will be transcribed "W."
It is currently only possible to enter ASCII characters in HTML files. This limits the availability
of
diacritical marks to the most common. Therefore, some AACR2 forms, especially those for
Eastern European cities, are missing their diacritics. These entries should be checked against the
National Authority File for the exact form.
Main entry points for names are given in the locative case, as they generally appear in the books.
Other forms, if they appear in early printed books, are given as cross references.
Places
whose jurisdictions have changed over time may have more than one valid AACR2 form. Second
and subsequent valid forms will be preceded by an equals sign (=). In the case of identical Latin
forms that refer to different modern locations, the various AACR2 forms are presented
without connecting equals signs.
Main entries accompanied by asterisk (*) have a note giving the documentation for the place
name. The main sources are R.A. Peddie, Place names in imprints : an index to the Latin and
other forms
used on title pages (1968) [cited as: Peddie], and J.G.T. Graesse, F. Benedict, and H.
Plechl, Orbis Latinus :
Lexikon lateinischer geographischer Namen des Mittelalters und der Neuzeit (1972) [cited
as: Graesse]. For a translation of many of the abbreviations and German words found in Graesse,
click here. For an electronic version of the 1909 edition of Graesse at
Columbia University, click
here.
For a glossary of Latin terms other than place names found in early imprints, click here.
For the Cathedral Libraries Catalogue Names of Printing Towns site, click
here.
Suggested citation form: RBMS/BSC Latin Place Names File.
Questions, additions, corrections, or comments? Please contact
Robert L.
Maxwell, rare books cataloger, Harold B. Lee Library.
Last updated:
November 29, 2007.
The RBMS/BSC Latin Place Names File has been accessed
times since 1 December 1997.