Mythical Place Names: Naming Process and Oral Tradition in Indonesian Toponymy

Indonesian toponymy is a largely unexplored field. By applying a convergent approach based on Historical Toponomastics, Field Linguistics, and Cultural Anthropology, this paper tries to reconstruct the origins and original meanings of four Indonesian place names. The study analyzes the development of the four toponyms both in the light of (historical) written sources and through the lens of local tales and oral traditional stories collected directly (in their different versions) on the field. In this toponymic reconstruction, therefore, Anthropological Linguistics and Language Documentation converge, with the aim to provide a comprehensive study focused not only on the origins of the analyzed place names, but also on the cultural and traditional heritage of Indonesian people that can be unveiled behind local toponymy. Ultimately, the aim of this paper is to provide an initial paradigm for the historical reconstruction of Indonesian place names, representing a potential starting point for further studies on this relevant field in Historical Toponomastics.