A place-name is a word or words used to indicate, denote, or identify a geographic locality such as a town, river, or mountain. Toponymy divides place-names into two broad categories: habitation names and feature names. A habitation name denotes a locality that is peopled or inhabited, such as a homestead, village, or town. Feature names refer to natural or physical features of the landscape. The study of a place-names plays a vital role in medieval studies. The form of the name will often indicate a Celtic, Latin, or Germanic origin, and its prefix or suffix may suggest the type of settlement, for instance, hamlet, village, riverside place, woodland settlement, etc. Two basic assumptions are: every place-name has a meaning, including place-names derived from personal names; place-names describe the site and record some evidence of human occupation or ownership. Toponymy can uncover important historical information about a place, such as the period of time the original language of the inhabitants lasted, settlement history, and population dispersal.