ORTHOGRAPHY OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES.
By Maj.-Gen. Lord Edward Gleichen, K.C.V.O., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O.
Chairman of the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
In 1878 the Council of the R.G.S., impressed with the necessity of endeavouring to reduce the confusion existing in British maps with regard to the spelling of geographical names, in consequence of the variety of systems of orthography used by travellers and others to represent the sound of native place-names in different parts of the world, formally adopted the general principle which had been long used by many, and the recognition of which had been steadily gaining ground, viz., that in writing geographical native names vowels should have their Italian significance, and consonants that which they have in the English language.
This broad principle required elucidation in its details, and a system based upon it was consequently drawn up with the intention of representing the principal syllabic sounds: this has long been known as the R.G.S. system.
The system thus drawn up was largely adopted by the War Office, the Admiralty, and other Government Departments and private societies. But it was never officially sanctioned, for India, China,[19] Egypt, and many of our Colonies had already their own system (or want of system) for spelling foreign words; added to this, the private firms of map-makers had their own views on the subject, and still spelt their names in a bewildering variety of ways.
The matter came to a head in 1919, when the Admiralty approached the Royal Geographical Society with a request for the authoritative spelling of names. A committee was accordingly formed, with representatives from all Government Departments, each of which bound itself to adopt the spelling recommended.
This “Permanent Committee on Geographical Names,” under the chairmanship of a Member of Council, R.G.S., at once got to work and proceeded to draw up:
1. A revised system of Rules and Alphabet, termed the R.G.S. II system, amplifying and improving on the old R.G.S. system of 1878. (This is given in the succeeding pages.)
2. Lists of doubtful names, with their correct spelling and other details concerned. (These will be published periodically, in the form of leaflets, in the ‘Geographical Journal.’)
3. Tables of Foreign Alphabets transcribed into the R.G.S. II system. (These will be published shortly in the R.G.S. Technical Series.)