Wariori–Masni toponyms as cultural and geological archives: A review of their original meaning

This study examines the Wariori–Masni toponyms in Manokwari Regency, West Papua, as cultural and geological archives by reconstructing their original meanings in the Biak language and analyzing their relationship to local geomorphological features. Using an interdisciplinary qualitative-descriptive approach, the research combines semantic-etymological analysis with geomorphological observations, supported by in-depth interviews with Biak speakers.

The findings reveal that Wariori derives from war (water), referring to an irregular water system shaped by alluvial dynamics. Masni originates from masen (salty), undergoing morphological changes while retaining its meaning as brackish water. Both toponyms reflect ecological interactions between ancient rivers, coastal sedimentation, and swamp or peatland formation. From a cognitive semantic perspective, Wariori–Masni functions as an ecological marker and a traditional spatial orientation system for the Biak people. These findings confirm the correspondence between linguistic structure and landscape structure, categorizing the toponyms as descriptive-geomorphological and demonstrating that language preserves collective memory of environmental change.