Dili Municipality

Toponymy

Several explanations have been proffered for the origin of the municipality's name. It is often explained, including by the municipality's own website, as being derived from the Tetum word ai-dila, which means pawpaw. According to Australian linguist, ethnologist and historian Geoffrey Hull, however, that explanation is phonologically and historically implausible, as the language spoken in the area now known as Dili before the Portuguese established their seat of administration there in 1769 was Mambai, not Tetum. Hull describes such explanations as "folk etymology".

In Hull's view, the word Dili appears to be cognate with the Bunak word zili (), a reference to the escarpment behind the city; he comments that a Papuan language, of which Bunak is an example, was spoken in the area before the spread of the Austronesian-based Mambai and Tetum languages.

Another "folk etymology" explanation suggested by the municipality is that its name is derived from the Portuguese word Dali, which, in turn, is an approximation of the Tetum expression tali akar (). According to the municipality, there were lots of hemp trees in what is now the suco of at the centre of the then Reino Motaain, which covered present day Dili. Every year, the local community held a traditional dance ceremony and also offered sacrifices for the hemp tree. The local people believed that the Portuguese word Dali meant 'sacred eye', and so they adopted it as the area's name.

Geography

Since 1 January 2022, Dili has been the second smallest municipality in Timor-Leste by area, at 224.0 km2. It also has the highest population. It lies on the north coast of the island of Timor facing Ombai Strait, and borders the municipalities of Manatuto to the east, Aileu to the south, and Liquiçá to the west.

Atauro Island, to the north of the municipality opposite the capital, was one of Dili's administrative posts until the end of 2021, when it became a separate municipality.

Dili is the economic and political centre of the country.

History

Politics

--

Administrative posts

The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:

• Cristo Rei
• Dom Aleixo
• Metinaro
• Nain Feto; and
• Vera Cruz

The administrative posts are divided into 31 sucos ("villages") in total.

Demographics

Economy

Culture

-- File:Sucos Dili.png|Subdivisions of the municipality File:Dili cities rivers.png|Cities in the municipality of Dili

References

Notes

Bibliography

References

1. "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab".
2. "2015 Timor-Leste Census".
3. (June 2006). "The placenames of East Timor". Placenames Australia: Newsletter of the Australian National Placenames Survey.
4. "Perfil: 2. Toponímia".
5. (2015). "Timor-Leste Population and Housing Census - Data Sheet". General Directorate of Statistics.
6. (October 2016). "The Project for Study on Dili Urban Master Plan in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Final Report Part I: Current Conditions". [[Japan International Cooperation Agency]] (JICA).
7. (9 March 2022). "Governo nomeia Domingos Soares para Administrador Municipal de Ataúro".
8. (9 March 2022). "Governo timorense nomeia primeiro administrador do novo município de Ataúro". [[Rádio e Televisão de Portugal.
9. "Dili District".