The toponyms of Turkey result from the legacy left by several linguistic heritages: the Turkish language (spoken as first language by the majority of the population), the Greek language, the Armenian language, the Kurdish language, the Laz language as well as several other languages once spoken widely in Turkey. Turkey's place names range from those of unknown or unrecognizable origins to more clearly derivable onomastics. Many places have had their names changed throughout history as new language groups dominated the landbridge that present day Turkey is. A systematic turkification of place names was carried out when the worldwide wave of nationalism reached Turkey during the 20. century (main article: Geographical name changes in Turkey).