Por amor às ruas: a natureza dos topônimos do distrito sede de Cachoeiro de Itapemirim (ES)

Abstract

The study of place names is subject to different interpretations, depending on the perspective from which it is being analyzed. Toponymy is a science in the field of Onomastics that interrelates historical, social, political, pedagogical, physical and geographic aspects. The names of two places are representations of a given moment in reality. The objective of this research is to identify the nature of the toponyms of public places in the Main District of the municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, located in the south of the state of Espírito Santo. To obtain the expected results, 5,100 public places in the spatial area were analyzed, including avenues, streets, alleys and staircases. These names, for the most part, testify to the context of formation of the most urbanized region in the municipality of Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, which is made up of ten other districts. The classification of the roads was carried out based on the taxonomic model proposed by Maria Vicentina de Paula Dick (1980; 1990), a reference professor in toponymic studies in Brazil. The author attributes two main natures to toponymy: physical and anthropocultural. Among the natures, there are sixteen other sub-natures that support the lexicological justification for the naming of places. The method used consisted of classifying public places, as well as quantifying them to obtain data on domination and/or invisibility. In addition to the nature of the toponyms of neighborhoods and public places, aspects related to roads, with emphasis on alleys and staircases, and the number related to the gender of the people honored were considered.