Von Angst und Not bis Zumpernaul

The settlement names in the canton of Zurich provide insights into the colonization of the area. Some names tell stories of animals that were long thought to be extinct, of former forests, past agricultural practices, and much more.

Almost every settlement name reveals something: the names of former inhabitants, the language of those who named them, what was cultivated there, how the land was managed, and how the landscape was experienced, sometimes even the longings associated with a settlement. Although settlement names designate places, they are directly connected to the people through whom these places received their names. Thus, they preserve the memory of long-gone times and, in a way, also reflect the thoughts of the namers.

This book presents nearly 2000 settlement names from the canton of Zurich, historically contextualized and onomastically analyzed across twelve chapters. It invites readers to explore the canton by name. Additionally, a register allows for quick location of individual settlement names.

The scientific foundation of the book is based on the results of the research project "The Settlement Names of the Canton of Zurich," accessible on ortsnamen.ch, which was conducted at the University of Zurich and the Swiss German Dictionary from 2016 to 2022.