The Attachement of Sundanese and Javanese in Place Names at Provincial Borders (Pangandaran and Banjar Regencies)

Abstract

The places naming at the border of West Java and Central Java is based on the strong combination of the two major cultures that exist on the island of Java, namely Sundanese and Javanese. The place names at the border of Java and Sunda have strong and deep relation in meaning and history because they are attached thousand years ago.  By the historic background at the border area of West Java and Central Java, This study aims to describe the relationship between Javanese and Sundanese in the Pangandaran-Banjar region. Data was collected through literature study and in-depth interviews with respondents related to the history of Pangandaran and Banjar. The data that has been transcribed is classified based on the theory of place attachment which consists of word meaning, history/origin, and identity characteristics. After being classified, the data were analyzed and discussed qualitatively in a descriptive manner to find the connection between place names and the identity of the owner/community. The results of the study state that the village names in Pangandaran and Banjar have a common thread from the history of their origins. This two major tribes are always recorded in attachments, namely Sundanese and Javanese in Sundanese land. Regardless of the characteristics and markers made by each tribe, the proverb 'where the land is upheld, there the earth is stepped on' can represent the Javanese in Sundanese land. They do not forget their ancestral culture but do not reject the culture in which they live.