Urban Toponymy as a Cultural Identity Marker: An Onomastic Study of the Cina Benteng Community in Tangerang, Indonesia

Abstract

Toponyms of the Cina Benteng community in Tangerang, Indonesia are embedded with cultural identity and historical legacy, to show a geographical and social differentiation. This study examines the toponymic practices of this Cina Benteng community, focusing on how place names reflect and maintain cultural identity in an urban minority context. Through a multidimensional approach combining historical documentation, linguistic analysis, and social investigation, the research analyzed 45 toponyms across five districts in Tangerang. The study employed qualitative methods, including structured interviews with 20 informants representing various community stakeholders, to explore both lexical meaning and presuppositional meaning (categorical, associative, and emotive) of the toponyms. The findings reveal complex patterns of language contact and cultural preservation in naming practices. The lexical analysis identified five languages (Indonesian, Chinese/Hokkien, Sundanese, Sanskrit, and Javanese) in both monolingual and bilingual configurations. The categorical meaning analysis revealed 14 distinct semantic categories, while the associative meaning analysis showed a predominance of positive associations (72%) over negative ones (28%). The emotive meaning analysis identified strong positive emotional connections to place names, particularly expressions of joy, happiness, and pride in community achievements. These findings demonstrate that Cina Benteng toponyms function as sophisticated repositories of cultural memory, social history, and community identity, providing valuable insights for urban planning and cultural preservation. This research contributes to understanding how urban minority communities maintain cultural identity through toponymic practices while adapting to broader social contexts.