Socio-cognitive onomastics and mobility: Names for (groups of) people in Malacca and Macau

Abstract

This article explores terms for individuals and groups, such as ethno­nyms, in a multilingual context shaped by mobility: the former Portuguese over­seas empire or Estado da Índia, particularly the harbour cities of Malacca and Macau. The focus lies on a historical analysis with a scope from the early 16th to mid-20th century. From the standpoint of Cognitive Linguistics, the analysis re­vealed a gradient transition between ethnonyms (and sometimes glottonyms) and class labels. Practices for naming a colonial Other rely on conventional lexemes applied metaphorically and metonymically to new social actors. Often, these practices are strategies of conscious distinction between one’s in-group and the out-group. Furthermore, perceptions of colonial Others encompass prejudices re­garding their language use, which affects one’s own language choice in cross-lingual interactions. The etymological analysis presented here emphasises the relevance of contextual life-worlds, as seemingly synonymous designations for people may entail disparate semantics.]