Banten
/ˈbæn.tən/noun
A province of Indonesia on the western end of Java, also historically known to Europeans as Bantam.
Did you know?European traders called the region Bantam, and the name later became attached to the bantam chicken because the birds were associated with Banten and its trading networks.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Sundanese
Banten
“The traditional name of the region in western Java; its deeper linguistic origin is uncertain.”
16th Century
Indonesian
Banten
“The name of the powerful Islamic sultanate and port centered in western Java.”
16th–17th Century
Portuguese
Bantam
“European rendering of Banten, used for the port and sultanate in trade records.”
17th Century
Dutch
Bantam
“Colonial and commercial form of the place-name used in Dutch accounts of Java.”
17th Century
English
bantam
“A small chicken associated with the Banten region; the word later broadened to mean something unusually small.”
Modern English
English
Banten
“The modern English name of the Indonesian province.”
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