Toponyms and Synonyms
Place names change over time. Sometimes, it’s a minor change in spelling and sometimes it’s a different name entirely. This happens for various reasons. It can happen because a place becomes part of a different country, such as when the Kurile Islands became part of the Soviet Union after World War II.
This can be a problem if you’re, say, trying to find a place on a map that’s mentioned in a document from WWII but Google doesn’t find it. The following is a list of toponyms and synonyms germane to the war in the Northern Pacific.
- Kuril Islands
- Kurile Islands
- Кури́льские острова́
- Kurilskiye ostrova
- Kuriru rettō
- Chishima rettō
- 千島列島
- Ostrov
- means island in Russian
- Paramushiro
- Paramushir
- retto
- archipeligo
- chain of islands
- 列島, れっとう
- Shimushu
- Shumshu
Former names of Alaskan places
| Current | Former |
|---|---|
| Adak | Adakh |
| Agattu | Agattou |
| Akutan | Akoutan |
| Alaskan Peninsula | Aliaska Peninsula |
| Amchitka | Amtchitka |
| Atka | Atkha |
| Attu | Attou |
| Bogoslof | Bogoslov |
| Kiska | Kyska |
| Pribilof | Pribylov |
| Sanak | Sanuk |
| Seguam | Segouam |
| Semisopochnoi | Semisopochnoi |
| Sitkin | Sitchin |
| Unalaska | Ounalashka |
| Umnak | Oumnak |
Russian map terms
These are Russian terms that you’ll find on maps.
| Russian | English |
|---|---|
| bukhta | bay |
| gavan | harbor |
| kosa | sandy spit |
| mys | cape |
| ostrov | island |
| poluostrov | peninsula |
| proliv | strait |
| reka | river |
| rif | reef |
| zaliv | bay or gulf |
Japanese map terms
These are Japanese terms that you’ll find on maps.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| bana | cape, headland |
| byochi | anchorage, roadstead |
| dake | mountain, peak |
| gan | rock |
| gawa | river |
| gunto | group of islands |
| hakuchi | anchorage, roadstead |
| hana | cape, headland |
| ishi | rock |
| iwa Iso | rock |
| iima | island |
| kawa | river |
| kaikyo | strait, channel, passage |
| kaku | point, cape |
| ko | harbor, port, little |
| mine | mountain, peak |
| misaki | point, cape |
| ne | bank, rock, reef |
| o | great, large |
| retto | group of islands |
| saki | point, cape |
| san | mount, hill |
| se | bank, rock, reef |
| sha | bank, rock, reef |
| shima | island |
| shoto | large group of islands |
| suido | strait, channel, passage |
| take | mountain, peak |
| to | island, shallow water |
| ura | bay |
| Wan | bay |
| Yama | mount, hill |
| Zaki | point, cape |
| Zan | mount, hill |
| Ze | bank, rock, reef |