Toponymy is the study of place names (cities, villages, towns) through the successive settlements of populations. From the Greek words tópos (τόπος) meaning "place" and ónoma (ὄνομα) meaning "name," toponymy explores the linguistic, cultural, political, and mystical significance of place names, or "toponyms." It aims to investigate their cultural meaning, etymology, evolution, and impact on people's consciousness and societies. Along with anthroponymy (the study of personal names), it is one of the two main branches of onomastics (the study of proper names), itself a branch of linguistics.