Cedros: Origin and permanence of the placenames in a Mexican Pacific island

Abstract

Toponymy is a field of knowledge that provides valuable support to pertaining to geography: it contributes to the naming of geographical space and its parts, and is a sign of the appropriation of territories by human groups. Mexican toponymy has diverse linguistic origins: most stem from indigenous languages and Spanish, and their combinations, on continental and island soils. The geographical names used to designate natural elements and places of itinerant or permanent occupation on island territories have been arbitrarily assigned in different historical eras. This paper analyzes the toponyms of the island of Cedros (Baja California, Mexico), their historical roots and the names assigned by its contemporary inhabitants. The toponyms discussed here are compared to some geographical names from the western shore of the Baja California peninsula and other Mexican islands.