Chilean place names semiotics

This article focuses on Chilean place names that are analyzed from semiotic point of view, an aspect barely tackled, or simply neglected, in the descriptions of linguistic studies. The investigation of toponyms is conducted at the intersection of disciplines: history, geography, linguistics. Place names provide useful linguistic, geographical, ethnic, historic information. The authors give the classification of toponyms, their semiotic peculiarities. A whole range of toponyms has Indian backgrounds.