A religiosidade no estado do Tocantins: um recorte sócio-histórico toponímico

Abstract

Your research emerged from the need to deepen the understanding of religiosity’s influence on place names in the state of Tocantins. The focus lies on the religiosity present in the names of municipalities originating during the gold exploration period when the region was still part of the Province of Goiás in the 18th century. Natividade and Monte do Carmo are the selected municipalities for this study, aiming to investigate the reasons that led the namers to choose elements from the Catholic Christian religion to baptize these places. The goal is to contribute to the appreciation of linguistic, sociocultural, and historical knowledge related to Tocantins’ toponymy. The methodological approach is qualitative, and the research type is documentary, with a focus on onomasiological aspects related to toponymy. Data obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) helped understand the process of naming these places. The information is presented through adapted lexicographic-toponymic sheets, following the model developed by Dick (1990, 2004). The theoretical foundations used in this research encompass the works of Dick (1990, 1992), Biderman (2001), Megale (1980), Palacin (1994-2001), Sapir (1969), and others. The results confirm the initial hypothesis that the choices of names with religious connotations reflect significant social, ideological, and political aspects of the time, demonstrating the influence of Portuguese colonizers in religious denominations.