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15.08 Translation of the generic
General rule
The generic of a geographical feature name may be translated:
- lac Beauchamp / Beauchamp Lake
- île Madame / Madame Island
French and English equivalents for generics have been established in the publication Glossary of Generic Terms in Canada’s Geographical Names.2
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- 2 Canada, Glossary of Generic Terms in Canada’s Geographical Names: TB 176 / Glossaire des génériques en usage dans les noms géographiques du Canada : BT 176.
Exceptions
The generic should not be translated in situations (a), (b), (c) and (d) below. The name is left in its official form and is followed, as needed, by a geographical term describing the nature of the entity, which will be indicated in the gazetteer of the province or territory concerned.
(a) The generic does not indicate the actual nature of the entity designated:
- île Cooks (rock) / Île Cooks rock
- lac Cochémère (pond) / Lac Cochémère pond
(b) The generic is rare or borrowed from a language other than English or French:
- Hanbury Kopje hill
- Loch Erne lake
(c) The generic is separated from the specific by one or more linking particles:
- lac aux Saumons / Lac aux Saumons
- baie de la Sorcière / Baie de la Sorcière
- anse de la Pointe / Anse de la Pointe
(d) The name is preceded by the article "Le (La, Les, L’)," which is part of the toponym. The article is retained at the beginning of the toponym and the appropriate geographical term or a short description may be added for clarity:
- Les Chutes / Les Chutes or the falls known as Les Chutes
- La Grande Rivière / La Grande Rivière
- Le Petit Étang / Le Petit Étang or the pond known as Le Petit Étang
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