Thoughts on Javanese Place Names

Abstract

While comparing the ways of naming places in Japan, I have brought together data revealed in existing materials and by on the spot investigations made while in Java during the war. Place names in Java originally derive chiefly from the Djawa, Sunda, and Madura tongues of the Malay language groups, and the influence of the Hindu culture which was dominant until about the fifteenth century is quite pronounced. Over against this, Islam, the dominating religion of the present exercises but small influence. And the few place names from the Dutch were crased following independence.First, in connection with the roots of the name “Djawa” I have introduced the opinion set farth by Prof. Purbatjaraka in his “Rice” and the theory resting upon the common expression “pulo dawa” (long island). In what follows I shall explain the numerous and not so numerous origins of Javanese place names. Outstanding are the extreely large number of instances where village names come from coupling the names of plants and animals, particularly with river (kali, tji), spring (sumber) and pool (kedung).Severally it may be said that names are taken plain and simply directly from the surrounding natural scene and that many of them are directly linked with a naïvelife, very concrete, obvious, and without design. The Javanese tend to link auspicious names for historic places and principal towns (e.g. Djakarta=City of Success) and this manner of name-giving was favored even for the big plantations developed after the arrival of the Dutch. Their form and volcanic activity are reflected just as they are in the names of mountains. By connecting even bazzar (pasar) which are the heart of the farming village's economy to specific market days place names are formed. A want of interest in the sea is shown by the lack of place names alleeding to coves, harbars, ports and beaches. It is thus also with fisheries. The lack of place names having to do with communications and the military as well as with the names of crops including rice, beasts of burden, and particularly with paddies, fields and plains is altogether unexpected. Place names whose origins have to do with religions belief are to be seen occasionally (e.g. Priangan=Per-hijang-an Place of Gods) but rather than sacred terms of the Hindu era or even Islamic institutions giving names to villages, cases where villages lend their names to them are numerous. And there are no names associating religious edifices with villages. Even names connected with minig and the nature of the land practically nonexistant.