Abstract
The explorers of the 15th and early 16th century were confronted with the
enormous task of assigning names to all of the places, people, animals, plants
and things they discovered in order to be able to exchange and circulate
information about them. Seldom in history have men been asked to name so
many new entities in such a short time. This work addresses the question of
which entities and classes were named by the explorers and examines the
methods used to derive names.

The study is based on the anthology Paesi novamente retrovati, the first printed
anthology of explorer reports, and its German translation Newe unbekanthe
landte. The anthology contains reports of the travels of ALVISE DA MOSTO,
VASCO DA GAMA, CHRISTOFORO COLOMBO, AMERIGO VESPUCCI and other
explorers.

As the process of naming can only be understood by taking into consideration
the individuals involved and the methods of transmission, an important part of
the work is dedicated to the biography of the editors, printers and
translators of the anthology, the writers and translators of the individual reports
and the history of their corresponding transmission.