Chapter published in:
Socio-onomastics: The pragmatics of names
Edited by Terhi Ainiala and Jan-Ola Östman
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 275] 2017
► pp. 203–226

Chapter 10
The perception of Somali place names among immigrant Somali youth in Helsinki

| University of Helsinki
| University of Jyväskylä
Immigrant Somali youth living in Helsinki are the focus of this article. The study investigates what kind of Somali place names Somali teenagers use in their home surroundings and what kind of perceptions and beliefs they have about these names and their use. The study also discusses Finnish people’s perceptions of these Somali names. Methodologically, the study belongs to the field of folk onomastics which can be defined as the study of people’s beliefs and perceptions about names and name use. The study demonstrates that Mogadishu, which started out as a racist name, has been appropriated by the Somalis themselves. The study also shows how a number of Somali words are used for certain places in Helsinki. Finally, the study discusses the methodological challenges that interviews are faced with in folk onomastic investigations.
Keywords: place names, immigration, youth language, attitudes, folk onomastics
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Research material and research area
  • 3.The Street to Mogadishu
  • 4.Emotional Mogadishu
  • 5.Names of Somali origin
  • 6.Working towards unfamiliar names to please the researcher: On the methodological challenges of interviewing
  • 7.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 09 June 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.275.10ain
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