How does oral translation transfer a place-name between languages?

Oral translation of a place-name between languages requires at least some degree of bilingualism among the parties involved. Unlike phonetic transfer, which relies on approximating the sounds of a name without necessarily understanding its meaning, oral translation involves conveying the semantic content of the name into the target language.1

This method is typically reserved for significant locations or large geographical features, such as major seas or mountain ranges. For example, the Rocky Mountains are translated into German as Felsengebirge and into Russian as Skalistye Gory.12

When sounds from one language do not easily convert into another, a related process known as folk etymology may occur, where the name is adapted based on its perceived sound or meaning in the second language. While oral translation and phonetic transfer remain common, the rise of printing has also made visual transfer—adopting names directly from maps—a standard practice for communicating place-names across languages.1