TOPONOMY, POWER AND IDENTITY: AN APPROACH ABOUT THE CENTRAL ADDRESSES IN SÃO LUÍS, MARANHÃO

Abstract

doi: 10.12957/geouerj.2016.18873

This paper presents a discussion on the addresses toponomy of São Luís City, in terms of its oldest area of occupation, the Center. It has been studied how these toponomies were historically formed and why some of them stay and others do not. The analysis of the existing connections between the toponimic language and the identity of the group, which appropriate of it, it’s another topic that deserves to be emphasize. We try to certify that the designation oh these addresses is a undeniable cultural feature, being a identities constructor and externalizer, but also it constitute a strategy of power, represented by the establishment of laws of the part of public authorities who determine the way this designation will be. The toponomic classification methodology is based on the Dick proposal (1992). The objective of this research is analyze the historic and socio-spatial importance of the toponomies, recovering their ancient names and trying to understand which are the real motivations that the dominant group have at the nomination act.