Standardisation and the Wealth of Place Names – Aspects of a Delicate Relationship is a selection of double-blind peer-reviewed papers from the 6th International Symposium on Place Names that took place virtually 29 September – 1 October 2021. The symposium explored the issues of multiple place names vis-à-vis processes of standardisation. These studies collectively show that there is not a simplistic dichotomy between standardisation and the protection of cultural heritage. Some papers grapple with the implications and execution of standardisation processes, while others explore the emergence of alternative or unofficial names in response to top-down initiatives. The matter of signed place names also receives some attention. A number of papers excavate the layers of multiple place names, thereby contributing to our ‘wealth’ of toponymic knowledge. These proceedings are the product of collaboration between Southern African and international researchers. As such, it is a valuable resource to local as well as international scholars who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of toponymy.

This bulletin is one in a series published by the College of Arts and Science in which pertinent and interesting information that has been collected and analyzed in the research activities of regular departments of the College is made available to the public. The study of Missouri place names has been a project of Professor Robert L. Ramsay of the Department of English for a number of years. He has directed a series of eighteen masters theses in the field, and as a result of the research conducted by his students and through his own activities, a master file of Missouri place names has been prepared. This bulletin is only a sample of the information that has been collected and classified. The College of Arts and Science is making it available to the citizens of the State at a nominal price so that the public can have some knowledge and appreciation of this interesting and worthwhile study. The bulletin records a very significant part of our history and culture.