Naming Places: Dutch Voyagers And Toponyms In The Fifth Part Of The World, 1616-1722

Abstract

Some of the first Europeans to venture into the southern Pacific Ocean were the Dutch during the 17th and early 18th centuries. The linguistic legacy of these expeditions can be found in a small number of Dutch words adopted into Polynesian languages as well as toponyms bestowed by them. The current article was inspired by Douglas (2014). In that article she investigates the expeditions of Le Maire and Tasman into the South Pacific. In response to an assessment made by her regarding their naming practices, I catalogue and quantitatively analyse the toponyms they bestowed and recorded. Included in the examination are the 13 toponyms conferred by Roggeveen. My analysis reveals that Douglas’ assessment is largely correct, however, some differences are noted Show more