The Place Names Committee

Objectives
The Greenland Place Names Committee's objectives are to collect, register and authorize place names in Greenland, excluding local road and place names.

Furthermore, the Committee is entitled to give guidance to Greenlandic authorities and the public in questions related to place names in Greenland.

The Committee shall work together with institutions and persons who publish authorized lists over, or with those who gives recommendations about Greenlandic place names.

Criteria for authorization of place names

• Original Greenlandic place names shall be authorized.
• In cases where a name has been replaced with another over the course of a generation, and this name have come into common usage, the name is authorized.
• Proposals for place names, which are not in the Greenlandic language can be authorized only, if they are well-founded.
• Living persons can only be named if extraordinary reasons call for such a naming.
• Institutions can be named only if extraordinary reasons call for such a naming.
• Place names in regular use within municipal boundaries, can give rise to authorization.

Proposals for place names can not be authorized for following reasons:

• If they can be confused with other place names
• If the excact position has not been indicated
• If it has no relevance to Greenland. Authorization however, can be given if the remaining demands have been followed.

By naming in regards to dialectal variations, the principles laid down by the Language Committee
should be followed. The Municipal Authorites have jurisdiction over naming technical installations within city limits.

Members

• Carl Chr. Olsen, chairman
• Abia Abelsen, vicechairman
• Stephen Heilmann
• Tukummeq Qaavigaq
• Lotte Holm

The Committee has five members, appointed for a four year term. Three of which are appointed by the Cabinet and two members are appointed by the Language Committee, among its members.