Místoplace

Místoplace is a term sometimes used in discussions of geographic information systems and lexicography to describe the linkage between a geographic locale (místo) and its formal place designation in a gazetteer or map database. The word blends the Czech word místо (place) with the English word place, and is used to illustrate cross‑lingual and data‑model considerations in toponymy.

Definition and scope: A místoplace entity represents a specific geographic referent that combines precise coordinates with a standardized place name. Typical attributes include an identifier, name, language tag, latitude and longitude, a bounding box or polygon, a type (such as city, district, street, park), and a set of alternative names or toponyms.

Origin and usage: The term is not part of an official GIS standard. It appears mainly in informal writings, bilingual datasets, and discussions about multilingual cartography. It serves as a convenient label to discuss how places are named, stored, and retrieved across languages and administrative hierarchies.

Relation to other concepts: Místoplace is related to gazetteers, toponymy, place-name disambiguation, and multilingual search. In practical terms, it is a data‑model construct used to support accurate search, display, and linking of place information in apps and maps.

Examples: In a bilingual Czech–English dataset, a místoplace for Prague would include the Czech name Praha (cs) and the English name Prague (en), coordinates for the central area, and hierarchical links to the Czech Republic and the region of Bohemia.

See also: Gazetteer, toponymy, multilingual GIS, place-name disambiguation. Note: as a term, místoplace appears mainly in niche discussions and is not a universal standard.