horni

Horni is a geographic term used in several Slavic-language place names, typically as an ASCII rendering of the Czech and Slovak word Horní, meaning "upper" or "top." In toponymy it designates the upper part of a settlement, the upper hillside, or the higher section of a valley, and it is commonly paired with Dolní ("lower") to distinguish two parts of the same locality.

Etymology and usage: The form derives from a Slavic root meaning height, with cognates across Slavic languages. In Czech and Slovak, Horní is the standard spelling; Horni appears primarily as a non-diacritic variant in older texts, databases, or contexts where diacritics are not preserved.

Notable examples include Horní Planá in South Bohemia; Horní Slavkov in the Karlovy Vary Region; Horní Bečva in the Zlín Region; Horní Jelení in the Pardubice Region; and Horní Cerekev in the Vysočina Region. There are numerous other villages and municipalities that contain Horni/Horní in their names across the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

In a broader sense, the element Horni/Horní is part of a common toponymic pattern that helps orient visitors and residents by indicating relative position within a landscape, often contrasted with the corresponding Dolní toponym.