The toponymy of Tupi origin in the Intermediate Geographical Region of Rio Verde (GO)

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the indigenous toponymy of physical accidents in nine municipalities in the Intermediate Geographical Region of Rio Verde (GO). By being guided by theoretical and methodological principles of Toponymy, the following specific objectives were established: (i) to verify the etymology and the meanings of the lexical items that came to exercise the function of toponyms, as a way to seek the semantic motivation of these units and classify them according to Dick’s taxonomic model (1990a); (ii) to describe the data in terms of productivity in the studied universe and the morphological structure; (iii) to compare the indigenous names of the Goiás region with those of the south of Mato Grosso do Sul, with the intention of ascertaining whether the influence of indigenous languages is the same in regions where there are indigenous communities today. The analysis showed that the toponyms are mostly motivated by elements of the vegetation and the regional fauna. The comparison of the data showed that toponyms of Tupi origin are found in both compared areas. In Mato Grosso do Sul, however, the current presence of indigenous people gives the local toponymy distinct characteristics, i.e., the languages still spoken by this population interfere directly in the region’s toponymy.