The term of naming (nomination in French) may look quite straightforward,
but it in fact begs many questions, some of which are quite fundamental ones, such
as categorisation in language, specificities of the noun and name, and ambiguities in
linguistic terminology itself. The aim of this article is to clarify the concept of
naming on the theoretical level. By examining how this concept is identified in the
paradigm of synonyms (designation, appellation, denomination) and how the terms
in question are used, we obtain a series of underlying epistemological options to
choose between. Some arguments are then mustered in favour of a theory of naming
and then illustrated in the analysis of a particular praxematic case, that of casbah.
This word was borrowed in an intercultural situation marked by conflicting tensions.
We examine how it is used in French.
CLIL theme: 3147 -- SCIENCES HUMAINES ET SOCIALES, LETTRES -- Lettres et Sciences du langage -- Linguistique, Sciences du langage