toponymbut

Toponymbut is a neologism in onomastics used to describe a proposed pattern of place-name formation. The term combines toponym (the study of place names) with the suffix -but and refers to cases in which a base toponym is extended to form a related secondary locality, often viewed as a subordinate settlement or derivative site linked to the original place. In theoretical discussions, toponymbut is invoked to analyze how naming practices reflect social and economic relations, such as the emergence of satellite hamlets, farmsteads, or administrative annexes associated with a main settlement.

Etymology and scope: The word is a hybrid construct used for analytic purposes; -but is treated as a hypothetical morpheme in these discussions rather than a universally attested historical suffix. Consequently, toponymbut is not a standard category in gazetteers, and its usage varies between scholars or writers.

Examples: The concept is typically illustrated with fictional or archival-like examples to show how a base name might be extended by -but to yield a related locality; actual historical data can show analogous but differently named formations in various language contexts.

Limitations: Because -but does not function as a consistent historical morpheme across languages, the term should be defined clearly when applied, and distinctions between derivation, loanwords, and typological patterns should be kept distinct.

See also: Toponym, Onomastics, Place-name suffixes.