The present book is the first part of a three-volume series. The author analyses place names of Tapolcafő, a small village in Transdanubia with a population of 1,000 and a territory of 15 km2. Laid out in dictionary format, the book demonstrates the historical and present-day toponyms of the settlement. The entries contain all the name varieties of each location. For an easier orientation, name varieties with morphological differences are listed as referents. The name data succeed one another in chronological order, the spoken forms are often listed in phonetical contexts as well. Apart from the data, the author also describes the geographical features of the place, its position and role in the economic life of the village and the changes it has undergone. An entry ends with the detailed linguistic treatment of the name analysed in it.
The collection of data of the spoken language started back in 1970s, so they make up only a partially synchronic corpus of the language. At that time there were around 250 toponyms used to name about 180 places and objects in the village. The sociological contexts of these names (frequency of use, usage linked to age groups, etc.), however, are very different. Although the author relied on available printed scholarship for the complete historical documentation, he primarily obtained data from archive sources. The historical data brilliantly complete the contemporary registry: several current microtoponyms date back to the medieval period, on the other hand, numerous other historical toponyms can be found in the book that are not used nowadays.
The formation and change of certain names are demonstrated by the author with the help of historical toponym reconstruction, during which he is aware of both the linguistic and extra-linguistic circumstances. He makes fine and minute observations on the basis of the rich documentation, in which the remarkable effect of the onomatosystem on the formation of certain names is given special attention. In this respect it is mentioned that there used to exist several small settlements in the vicinity of Tapolcafő and played a significant role in the formation of the onomatosystem. The book can be an example of how research can be conducted in this branch of toponymic studies. In the next volume the author will demonstrate the methods of comparing onomatosystems on the basis of this work.