Abstract

This article presents a project by the Toponymy Department of the Belgian National Geographic Institute (IGN-NGI), which began in September 2022 and is still ongoing. The project has recently completed its developmental phase and has demonstrated that the tools it employs yield appropriate results. At present, the initiative is in the consultation stage with the fourteen river contracts in Wallonia, prior to entering its full production phase. The project focuses on hydronyms in response to a common observation among watercourse name users regarding uncertainties over correct naming. It is noted that official designations have not been revised for decades and, in some cases, no longer reflect contemporary usage. In addition, topographical maps, local authority publications, and river contract documents often exhibit variant spellings that deviate from the established official forms. Underpinning this project is the vision that an inquiry regarding the name of any river segment should consistently yield a uniform answer.

How to Cite:

Pierre, O., (2025) “Projet de normalisation des hydronymes wallons”, Handelingen van de Koninklijke Commissie voor Toponymie en Dialectologie 96(1), 41–61. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/hctd.94153

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