Toponimia amazónica y memoria cultural: análisis lingüístico de nueve topónimos del nororiente peruano

José Manuel Alomia - Lucero; Liana Sixto-Dávila · Investigación Valdizana (2026) · DOI: 10.33554/riv.19.4.2510

Resumen

Toponymy is an interdisciplinary field that allows us to understand the relationship between language, territory, and cultural identity. In multilingual regions such as the Peruvian Amazon, place names preserve linguistic vestiges of Indigenous peoples and reflect historical processes of cultural interaction. The objective of this study was to analyze the linguistic origin and territorial significance of nine Amazonian toponyms: Aguaytía, Juanjuí, Pachitea, Saposoa, Tarapoto, Tocache, Tulumayo, Ucayali, and Uchiza. A qualitative, documentary-based research approach was developed, focusing on the etymological analysis of lexicographical sources, specialized linguistic studies, and historical documents. The results demonstrate the presence of linguistic roots in various Amazonian and Andean languages, including Kukama, Shipibo-Konibo, Cashibo-Cacataibo, Yagua, and Quechua. Furthermore, three predominant semantic patterns were identified in the formation of place names: references to the natural landscape, allusions to local flora or fauna, and names linked to sociocultural experiences of the territory. It is concluded that Amazonian toponymy can be interpreted as a system of territorial knowledge encoded in language, through which Indigenous communities have transmitted ecological and cultural information about the space they inhabit.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Agraria de la Selva; Universidad Nacional del Centro del Perú