The latest issue of Nomina Africana (2024) is here, and it’s packed with insightful articles that delve into the rich and dynamic world of African onomastics. This issue focuses on how naming practices reflect, shape, and challenge societal norms, cultural identity, and historical memory. Through diverse case studies and innovative methodologies, these research articles provide a window into the intricate relationship between names, language, and culture across the African continent.
Highlights from the Issue
1. Addressing Gender-Based Violence through Names
- Livingstone Makondo explores how Shona anthroponyms (personal names) can be used to combat gender-based violence. This article reveals how naming practices carry the potential to shift societal attitudes and foster gender equality by embedding moral and ethical values in names.
2. Names as Moral Agents in Ubuntu Philosophy
- In their article, Maradze Viriri and Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa examine how personal names in Buhera South, Zimbabwe, are instrumental in promoting unhu/ubuntu—the philosophy of communal values and human dignity. The authors shed light on the moral agency embedded in naming practices.
3. Naming Among the amaXhosa
- Mlamli Diko delves into the sociocultural significance of naming among the amaXhosa people. This article uncovers how naming serves as a medium for transmitting values, preserving heritage, and expressing identity within this community.
4. Swahili Nicknames and Their Meanings
- Julius Taji conducts a morphosemantic analysis of personal nicknames in Swahili, demonstrating how nicknames function as linguistic and cultural artifacts that reveal insights into individual and societal characteristics.
5. The Power of Place Names in Limpopo, South Africa
- Lekau Eleazar Mphasha, Kgabo L. Mphela, and M.J. Mogoboya explore the sociocultural importance of Northern Sotho place names in the Molemole District. Their work highlights the role of place names in shaping regional identity and historical consciousness.
6. Errors in Indigenous Place Names
- Yanga LP Majola, Itani P. Mandende, and Madoda Cekiso analyze spelling errors in the indigenous town and village names of South Africa's Eastern Cape. This article discusses the impact of such errors on cultural heritage and the need for linguistic accuracy in official toponyms.
7. Renaming in a Democratic South Africa
- In their study, Xolile Philile Ntshangase, Itani Peter Mandende, and Linda Van Huyssteen assess the toponymic renaming process in the Alfred Duma Local Municipality. This qualitative research sheds light on the complexities of renaming as a tool for reconciliation and transformation in post-apartheid South Africa.
8. Towards a "Historio-Lingual" Approach to Ethnonymy
- Mandla D. Mathebula introduces a historio-lingual framework for studying ethnonyms, merging historical and linguistic approaches to deepen our understanding of the origins and meanings of ethnic group names.
Themes and Significance
This edition of Nomina Africana underscores the power of names as cultural, linguistic, and social tools. From addressing contemporary issues like gender-based violence to preserving indigenous identities, the articles illustrate the profound ways names influence and reflect human experiences.
Why This Issue Matters
As Africa continues to grapple with modernization, globalization, and historical reconciliation, the study of names serves as a critical lens for understanding these transformations. Nomina Africana 2024 offers a scholarly yet accessible exploration of these themes, inviting readers to appreciate the depth and diversity of African onomastic traditions.
Whether you're a linguist, historian, sociologist, or simply someone curious about the power of names, this issue provides a compelling journey into the heart of African cultural and linguistic heritage.
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