Names of housing subdivisions

Abstract

Names of housing subdivisions

Names of housing subdivisions are considered in this paper as transitional names sharing characteristics with prototypical place names, names of institutions and trade names: apart from identifying a place, their basic function is to inform and influence potential customers. This influence can more easily be exerted if the appellative meanings of the names identifying the housing subdivisions evoke pleasant concepts. The requirements, preferences and values expressed in the names of housing subdivisions (e.g. youth, wealth, exclusivity, elegance, glamour) aim at today’s citizen consumers, whose consciousness is unified in this respect by the media. Housing subdivisions must be sold, and to achieve this all possibilities, including name formation, offered by the language have to be exploited.