Reforms of municipal names promoted by the Real Sociedad Geográfica (1916) and Generalitat of Catalonia (1933). Chronicle of a misspelling: el Pinell... de Brai?

Abstract

In order to differentiate homonyms municipalities is usual add a distinguishing element or nominal complement; for example the name of the county, or a river... The State has often intervened in this case, in order to avoid confusion of localities. Two large general provisions affected Place names of Catalan municipalities. The first one was an initiative of the Real Sociedad Geográfica from Madrid, and assumed by the State as its own, by a decree of 1916. It involved the incorporation of a complement in the name of 56 towns. The second, in 1933, it’s part of the recovery process of self-government of Catalonia and standardization of the Catalan language. Geographers, as Pau Vila, also take part in this change. The reform (in the aspect that we study) affected 117 municipalities. Finally we note the lack of justification for the nominal complement applied to a town in southern

Catalonia, in 1916.

Keywords: place names, Catalonia, Real Sociedad Geográfica, el Pinell de Brai.