新北市淡水區地名探討

Abstract

地名是當地人以母語對土地命名，地名的命名者通常不是地名紀錄者。地名以漢字紀錄，容易以漢字作為思考主軸去推論地名的文字意涵，漢語是有聲調的語言，不同的聲調代表不同的字義。因此，地名紀錄若憑藉當地人的讀音去書寫對應的漢字，對於日後對地名意涵的解釋，容易出現形音義不相符的情形。淡水地名在網路上很多人調查過、發表過，但較少從形、音、義結構性來論證。地名相關的論文、期刊多偏向精緻小區域的研究，對於整體大區域地名研究較少。本研究試著以田野調查的方法，透過淡水當地人的發音比對漢字紀錄的地名，試圖了解是否有字面義與實質義的差異。臺灣地名於日治時期開始有系統地整理，傳統的地名多以1904年《臺灣堡圖》為基礎作為參考依據。本研究以新北市淡水區之行政區範圍為研究區，蒐集《台灣地名辭書》淡水區地名及《臺灣堡圖》及經建版地形圖，並比對現代地圖記載的地名，試圖了解在不同時期淡水傳統地名的特色。同時，配合田野調查，檢核上述地名的音、義與涵蓋範圍，發掘地名意涵。歸納與分析這些地名分布的區域特色，地名的歷時演變脈絡等，研究成果條列如下：1.淡水區地名多小稱詞尾「仔」的地名，與淡水區東倚丘陵、山地，放射性水系發達、山谷縱橫，地形被切割有關，小稱詞尾「仔」在地名閩南語構詞上除了有語法意義，表現在區域範圍有規模小的意涵。因地形為山谷河川切割，聚落多散村，故地名多有小規模意涵。同時，依據實察結果，小稱詞尾也表現兩個同名地名之間的區隔，並語意上歸屬感的寓意。例如，表示有小區域或地方歸屬的意思：前洲子、中洲子、竹圍仔等；表示兩個同名地名區隔：田寮-田寮仔、北勢-北勢子等。2.方位詞偏多，「頂、腳」方位詞偏多，顯示「由下往上」的空間視角，該地地形多起伏，此與先民開墾由海岸、淡水河岸往內陸的開墾方向有關。聚落外緣，多以「勢，後、外、下、尾」地名詞表示。3.冠有「大」的地名，除了顯示聚落為大規模範圍之外，也同時具有相對位置或 次序的對應。例如，大竹圍—竹圍仔、大埤頭—水尾子、大龜崙—二龜崙等。此外，與「頭」有關的地名，除了突出地形之外，幾乎都與水源有關，顯示該地為水源源頭。例如，大埤頭、水汴頭、水梘頭、雙圳頭、小坑仔頭等等，都在河川上游。4.地名多以自然環境結合人文景觀命名，先民依照血緣、生活方式差異，依其認知的環境加以命名，顯示族群文化適應環境的結果。例如，社厝坑、瓦磘坑、樟栳寮坪。5.淡水地形地名分布方向有東、西分布趨勢，與地勢東高西低及河川放射性水系有關。6.地名詞中以「埔」字的數量占最多，約占地形地名詞總數的19%，「埔」字的 臺語語義為平緩而可開墾的地形。7.水文的地名，歸納結果多數地名位於等高線100公尺以上，位於河川中、上游，靠近內側山麓地帶。Place names are designated by local people in their native languages for the land they inhabit, and the originators of place names are usually not the same as those who record them. The place names are recorded in Chinese characters, it becomes easy to use Chinese characters as the primary framework for inferring the textual meaning of place names. Therefore, when place names are recorded by writing Chinese characters based on local pronunciation, discrepancies between form, sound, and meaning often arise in subsequent interpretations of place name significance.This study takes Tamsui District, New Taipei City as the study region, collecting place names from the “Taiwan Place Name Dictionary” for Tamsui District, “Taiwan Bao Atlas”, and “1/25,000 topographic maps (Economic Construction Commission version)”, while comparing them with place names recorded on modern maps to understand the characteristics of traditional Tamsui place names across different periods. Additionally, through field investigations, the study examines the sound, meaning, and coverage of these place names to uncover their significance. The research summarizes and analyzes the regional characteristics of place name distribution and the diachronic evolutionary context of place names. The research results are listed as follows:1. Diminutive suffix “á” (仔) is prevalent in Tamsui District place names, related to the area’s eastern hills and mountains, well-developed radial water systems, and crisscrossing valleys that fragment the terrain. The diminutive suffix “á” in Taiwanese place name morphology has grammatical significance and implies small-scale regional scope. Due to terrain fragmentation by valleys and rivers, settlements are mostly scattered villages, hence place names often carry small-scale implications. According to field investigation results, the diminutive suffix also distinguishes between two identically named places and conveys semantic belonging. For example, indicating small regional or local belonging: Tsîng-tsiu-á (前洲仔), Tiong-tsiu-á (中洲仔), Tik-uî-á (竹圍仔); distinguishing between two identically named places: Tshân-liâu (田寮)—Tshân-liâu-á (田寮仔), Pak-si (北勢)—Pak-sì-á (北勢仔).2. Directional terms are abundant, particularly “頂” (tíng, top) and “kha” (腳, bottom), indicating a “bottom-to-top” spatial perspective. The area's undulating terrain relates to early settlers' development pattern from the coast and Tamsui River banks toward the interior. Settlement peripheries are often indicated by place name terms such as “sì” (勢), “āu” (後), “guā” (外), “ē” (下), and “bé” (尾). 3. Place names prefixed with “tuā” (大, big), besides indicating large-scale settlement ranges, also have relative positional or sequential correspondences. For example, Tuā-tik-uî (大竹圍)—Tik-uî-á (竹圍仔), Tuā-poo-thâu (大埔頭)—Tsuí-bé-á (水尾仔), Tuā-kui-lūn (大龜崙)—Lī-kui-lūn (二龜崙). Additionally, place names related to “thâu” (頭, head), besides indicating prominent topography, are almost all related to water sources, indicating these locations as water source origins. For example, Tuā-pi-thâu (大埤頭), Tsuí-pàn-thâu (水汴頭), Tsuí-kíng-thâu (水梘頭), Siang-tsùn-thâu (雙圳頭), Sió-khinn-á-thâu (小坑仔頭),are all located in river upstream areas.4. Place names combine natural environment with cultural landscape, with early settlers naming places according to kinship, lifestyle differences, and their perceived environment, reflecting the results of ethnic cultural adaptation to the environment. Examples include Siā-tshù-khinn (社厝坑), Hiā-iô-khinn (瓦磘坑), Tsiunn-nâ-liâu- pînn- (樟栳寮坪).5. Topographic place name distribution in Tamsui shows east-west trends, related to the terrain's eastern highlands and western lowlands and radial river systems. 6. Among place name terms, “poo” (埔, flat land) is most numerous, accounting for approximately 19% of total topographic place name terms. The Taiwanese semantic meaning of “poo” (埔) refers to gentle, cultivatable terrain. 7. Hydrographic place names are mostly located above the 100-meter contour line, situated in the middle and upper reaches of rivers, near interior foothill zones.