Jamaican place names range from the commonplace to the bizarre. Densely
distributed across the map of the island, they not only intrigue the visitor
and the resident but also provide clues to Jamaica's past landscapes and its
social and economic history. Written from a historical and geographical
perspective by two authors with an intimate knowledge of the island, this
book presents an entirely new approach to the study of Jamaican place
names. Maps and other sources dating from the earliest years of European
contact to the twenty-first century are used to compile a data base of over
20,000 names. Analysis provides clues to the culture and national origins of
the dominant planter population who were the major name-givers but also
include many names with distinctive Jamaican "creole" meanings. Today,
Kingston, May Pen, Rio Bueno, Me No Sen You No Come, George's
Plain Mountain and Content, names derived from a variety of sources, are
all equally Jamaican and equally fascinating. Jamaican Place Names is written
for both the scholar and the general reader with an interest in the island's
landscapes and history.
