As a product of culture and a part of the identity of a society and\nnation, place names or toponyms are not only shaped by social practice,\nhistory, and culture but have also become objects of state regulation.\nIn Indonesia, the regulation of toponyms is spread across various laws\nand regulations related to language, government, and geospatial\ninformation, as well as the preservation of historical and cultural\nvalues. The existence of these various regulations demonstrates that the\nnaming of places is not merely a linguistic issue. It also involves\ninterconnected administrative, geographical, historical, cultural, and\nlegal interests.<\/p>\n
Several regulations specifically govern place names or geographical\nnames, including Law Number 24 of 2009 concerning the National Flag,\nLanguage, and Emblem, as well as the National Anthem; Law Number 4 of\n2011 concerning Geospatial Information; Geospatial Information Agency\nRegulation Number 6 of 2017 concerning the Implementation of\nGeographical Names Standardisation; Government Regulation Number 2 of\n2021 concerning the Implementation of Geographical Names; and Geospatial\nInformation Agency Regulation Number 6 of 2023 concerning the\nImplementation of Government Regulation Number 2 of 2021. Additionally,\nother regulations that do not specifically govern toponyms contain\nprovisions regarding place names or their linguistic aspects, such as\nthe Enhanced Indonesian Spelling System V (EYD V).<\/p>\n
One important legal foundation is found in Law Number 24 of 2009.\nThis law uses the term \u2018geographical name\u2019. Article 36 paragraph (1)\nmandates the use of the Indonesian language for geographical names in\nIndonesia, and paragraph (2) stipulates that each geographical name\nshall have only one official name. The provision for using the\nIndonesian language also applies to various other objects related to\npublic spaces, such as buildings or structures, roads, apartments or\nsettlements, offices, commercial complexes, trademarks, business\nentities, educational institutions, and organisations founded or owned\nby Indonesian citizens or Indonesian legal entities. Nevertheless, the\nlaw provides exceptions for names that have historical, cultural,\ncustomary, and\/or religious value. This provision shows that language\nuse in naming places cannot be separated from historical and cultural\nconsiderations.<\/p>\n
Regulations concerning toponyms are also found in Law Number 4 of\n2011 concerning Geospatial Information. This law essentially regulates\nthe implementation of geospatial information, which is information\nregarding the geographical location, dimensions, size, and\ncharacteristics of natural and man-made objects located under, on, or\nabove the earth\u2019s surface. In the context of this law, geographical\nnames are an important element because they are used to provide identity\nto geographical objects and are included in geospatial information,\nincluding maps. This law uses the term \u2018geographical name\u2019. The\nelucidation of Article 12 letter d states that a geographical name is a\nname given to a topographical feature, whether a natural or man-made\nelement. The elucidation also mentions that geographical names are also\nknown by the term toponym. Law Number 4 of 2011 provides an important\nlegal basis for the use of both terms in the context of managing\ngeographical names in Indonesia. Although it does not yet regulate\nnaming procedures in detail, this law places geographical names as part\nof the national geospatial information system.<\/p>\n
More specific regulations regarding naming began to appear in\nGeospatial Information Agency Regulation Number 6 of 2017 concerning the\nImplementation of Geographical Names Standardisation. This regulation\ngoverns the process of standardising geographical names in greater\ndetail and can be seen as one of the initial regulations that\nspecifically provides guidelines for the naming and standardisation of\nplace names. In this regulation, geographical names are distinguished\ninto two elements: the generic name and the specific name. The generic\nname indicates the general type or form of a topographical feature,\nwhile the specific name indicates the particular identity of that\nfeature. For example, in \u2018Gunung Singgalang\u2019 (Mount Singgalang),\n\u2018Gunung\u2019 is the generic name, and \u2018Singgalang\u2019 is the specific name.\nSimilarly, in \u2018Danau Maninjau\u2019 (Lake Maninjau), the element \u2018Danau\u2019 is\nthe generic name and \u2018Maninjau\u2019 is the specific name.<\/p>\n
The standardisation of geographical names in this regulation covers\nnot only the written form but also spelling, pronunciation, and\ncoordinates. This demonstrates the close relationship between toponymy,\nlinguistics, and geospatial information. The naming principles require\nthat geographical names use proper and correct Indonesian or regional\nlanguages, be written in the Roman alphabet, have one official name for\neach topographical feature, prioritise local names, respect ethnic,\nreligious, racial, and group diversity, avoid using the names of living\npersons, and not use mathematical symbols. The regulation also governs\nlinguistic aspects more specifically. The writing of geographical names\nbasically uses the Indonesian spelling system. However, names with\ndistinctive pronunciations can be described using an internationally\nrecognised phonetic symbol system. The use of a person\u2019s name as a\ngeographical name is also restricted. A person\u2019s name may only be used\nif the person has been deceased for at least five years and is deemed to\nhave rendered service to the state or the local community. In the\ninventory process, the information that must be considered includes not\nonly the form of the name but also its meaning, alternative names,\nlanguage origin, history, spelling, and pronunciation.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/various-laws-and-regulations-concerning-toponyms-1786352013", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }