Typology and Characteristics of the Toponyms Brunei-Muara and Tutong Districts, Brunei Darussalam
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TYPOLOGY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOPONYMS OF THE BRUNEI-MUARA AND TUTONG DISTRICTS, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM Dr. Hajah Dulima Jali, Geography & Environmental Studies Department, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Universiti Brunei Darussalam. BACKGROUND • Each name mostly has a definite meaning in a language and a story behind it. • The origin of the names of geographical features – mountains, hills, rivers, swamp, and cultural features reveal who or what in the past was important or significant to people then. • A place name is almost like a survivor form of the past, outliving the changes in people, languages and technology. • The majority of toponymes are derived from identifiable features of both the natural and manmade landscape – water sources, landforms and bioforms. CONT. • By analyzing ( philological, linguistic) of the toponymes, one can get an impression of: - Socio-cultural development - Population movement or migrations - Economic achievement - People understanding of the natural space. - The mentality of the early settlers STANDARDS AND CLASSIFICATION OF TOPONYMES • Very limited literature devoted on typology and categories of toponyms / place names • Small number of classification schemes have been developed. SOME EXISTING CLASSIFICATION SCHEMES Rudnycky, Stewart, 1975 Baker and Carmony (1975) 1958 i. Historical i. Descriptive i. Names for a person ii. Linguistic ii. Associated Names ii. Names for other places iii.Onomastic iii. Incident-names iii. Locational names iv. Possessive names iv. Descriptive names v. Commemorative v. Inspirational names Names vi. Humerous names vi. Commendatory names vii. Indian-psedudo-indian names vii. Folk-etymologies viii. Names from languages other than English viii. Manufacture names ix. Incident names ix. Mistakes – names x. Folk etymology x. Shift names xi. Coined names xii. Mistakes names xiii. Legend and anecdotes CONT. Rennick, 2005 European Place- naming (Tent and Slatyer 2009 i. Personnel names i. Descriptive ii. Names taken from other ii. Associative places or feature iii. Occurent iii. Local descriptive names iv. Evaluative iv. Historic events v. Shift v. Subjective names vi. Indigenous vi. Mistakes names vii.Eponymous vii.Names from more than one sources viii.Underived names CONT. NSW Heritage Office Commonly Used (US) i. Descriptive Names i. Descriptive ii. Incident Names ii. Associative iii. Possessive Names iii. Incident Names iv. Commemorative Names iv. Possessive Names v. Transfer Names v. Commemorative vi. Euphemistic Names Commendatory vii. Manufacture Names vi. Mistaken viii. Shift Names vii. Shift Names ix. Folk etymology viii. Folk etymology x. Mistaken AUSTRALIAN NAME PLACE SURVEY (ANPS) TENT AND BLAIR 2011 BASED ON MECHANISM - MODUS OPERANDI Main Category Sub-category i. Descriptive Indicating inherent characteristic of a feature. Topographic, Relative, Locational , Numerical / Measurement ii. Associative Indicating something which is associated with the feature or its physical context Local, Occupational Activity, Structures iii. Occurrent Recording an event, incident, occasion (date) action associated with the feature Incident, Occasion iv. Evaluative Reflecting the emotional reaction of the name or a strong connotation associated with the feature Commendatory, Condemnatory v. Shift Transfer, Feature Shift, Relational CONT. vi. Indigenous Non-toponymic word, Original place names, Dual name vii. Eponymous commemorating or honouring a person or other named entity by using proper name, tittle or eponymes substitute as toponyme Persons, Expedition member, Living Entity, Non-living entity, Vessel, Others viii. Linguistic Introducing a new linguistic form, by manipulation of language Innovation Blend, Anagram, Humour ix. Erroneous Introducing new form of garbled transmission, misspelling, mistaken, meaning. Popular etymology – Mistaken interpretation leading to corruption of linguistic form Form confusion- Alteration of linguistic form, from misunderstanding or bad transmission of the original x. Unknown Where the meaning, reference, or origin of the toponym is unknown STUDY AREA AND SOURCE OF DATA Place names of Brunei-Muara District and Tutong District Data compile by the Survey Department, Brunei Darussalam STUDY AREA – BRUNEI DARUSSALAM OBJECTIVES • Focuses the socio-cultural meanings of place names – lexicological aspect • The objects of the investigation are the names of natural geographical features and habitable areas ( settlement and villages in the two districts) . • Current population comprises of four ethnic group - the Brunei Malay, the Kedayans, the Tutong, and the Dusun communities which speak different dialects (out of seven ethnic groups of this country – ( Murut, Belait, ) SOURCE OF NAMING • All recognised geographical features - hills, rivers, plains, swamps, water bodies are given names. - Derived from plants and animal which serve as resources for daily life - Place names indicative of function - Place names manifest abstract quality - Place names demonstrate descriptive element - Commerative of name of person or given tittle TOPONYMES CATEGORIES: – ESTABLISHED SETTLEMENT - KAMPONGS Brunei-Muara Tutong Descriptive 26 (18 %) 4 (6%) Kg Masin, Lupak Luas, Saba Laut Supon Besar, Nong Tadion Eponymous: 43 (30 %) 13 (19%) Commemorative Kg Belimbing, Kg Bakut Berumput, Kg Kg Mungkom, Telamba, Kupang Pangiran Siraja Muda Associative 10 (7 %) 6(8% Peramu, Kuala Lurah, Pandai Besi Kg Bukit, Penabai, Pengkalan Mau Shift 23 (15%) 13 (19%) Sg Akar, Batu Marang, Burong Pingai Kg Bukit Sulang, Kuala Abang, Sg Berakas Kelugus Language innovation 4( 3%) None / Manufactured Angggerek Desa, Pancha Delima Erraneous & 41 (29 %) 26(38%) unknown Bengkurong, Kiangeh, Menglait Penanjung, Birau, Bintudoh TOPONYMES CATEGORIES: BY CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES IN THE BRUNEI MUARA DISTRICT Settlement Geographical Features (289) Hill (461) River (313) Others Feature 198 Associative 6 (2%) 15 (4%) 19(6%) 4 (2%) Descriptive 17 (6%) 70 (16%) 60 (20%) 38 (20%) Eponymous / 175 (60%) 256 (56%) 120 (41 %) 101 (51%) Commemorative Shift 41 (15%) 11 (3%) 6 (2%) 7 (3 %) Unknown & 50 (18%) 94 (20%) 95 (31%) 43 (22%) Erroneous TOPONYMES CATEGORIES: BY CULTURAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES IN THE TUTONG DISTRICT Settlement Geographical Features (125) Hill (140) River (103) Others Features (112) Associative 2% 5% 4% 6% Descriptive 23% 19% 16% 22% Eponymous / 45% 42% 53% 41% Commemorative Shift 5% 1% 1% 1% Unknown & 25% 31% 26% 29% Erroneous CHARACTERISTICS: NUMEROUS USED WORDS • Using prefix – ba, ta indicating the nature and characterisitcs of a feature. Sg Bauras, Sg Basamut, • Prefix si – denote a person or the characteristic of a person. Pengkalan Sibabau, Siabdul, Sipusu, Sg Siamas • Using both prefixes and seffix – indicate function - Bukit Pelambain, Pembuangan, Pengasingan • Usage of Pengkalan – place of loading & unloading: Pangkalan Gadong, Pangkalan Sibabau • Use of Panchor – water discharge from upland for water supply: Pancor Murai, Pancur Papan, Pancur Anak Raja • Several names that describe wetland or water bodies – indicative of agricultural activities Luagan, lubok, Lopak, luaian, takat DISTRIBUTION PATTERN • Two distinct characteristics of place names can be discerned. • Coastal areas around the vicinity of the Brunei Bay and the River Brunei Estuary, place names indicate geographical and geological setting (type, colour, location, characteristics) and marine related activities. • Betangga Hill in Serdang, Bebatu River, Batu Bijara Hill in Parit, Batu Takat, Batu Putih River • Fishing related activities: Buang Tawar River, Bebilis River, Sawang Kesili FURTHER INLAND : Place name indicative of Socio Cultural activities • Place names in further inland are clearly indicative of agricultural activities: • Numerous hills, plain, rivers and swamps are named after Fruit trees and tools use in farming. • Bagu Hill in Sengkurung, Balunu Hills in Lugu, Durian Kalang Swamp in Kilanas. • More Varieties fruit species • Durian River in Sungai Basar, Kg Durian Binat in Serasa, Durian Bubuk Hill in Wassan, Kg. Durian Pikok in Kilanas. • Belunu Hill in Lambak, Belunu Ambok Hill in Katimahar, Belunu Kalat River in katimahar, Belunu Panjang Village in Kulapis. • Indicative of less mobile ? IN THE INTERIOR – TUTONG DISTRICT • Place names of swamp, grazing land, poison for bows & arrow are indicative of activities of farming, inland fishing and hunting gathering activities. • Place names derive from fruit trees but with less variety compared to those nearer to coastal areas. HUNTING AND GATHERING ACTIVITIES • Frequent place names related to farming, hunting and gathering • Lubok Sapok (bows)in Kiudang • Tempajak River • Aparita River in Kiudang, • Bakong River Kiudang • Halaman ( refer to grazing land) - Laman Turis, Gana Hill, Sg Kaboh • Luaian (wallow for buffaloes) MANUFACTURED OR LANGUAGE INNOVATION NAMES • Mostly recent resettled settlement • Resettled settlement from the Water Villages the first half of the last century • Commemorative names on tittles and figures are mainly the Water Villages. • Kg Bendahara Lama, Kerma Indera Lama, Kg Pg Siraja Muda. • Kg. Orang Kaya Besar Imas, Kg Panca Delima, Kg Anggerek Desa, Kg Jaya Setia, • Most recent resettlement – Kg Bolkiah, UNKNOWN AND ERRONEOUS NAMES • Most likely errors of recording the phonetic nature of the name by the scribers particularly those spoken by the Tutong and Dusun group. • River Nipoh – Nyipo ( Snake), River Kelias - Keɣias • Indication of layers of migration – different habitants occupying the land leaving their