The ethnopragmatic functions of Owe and Tiv personal names in Nigeria. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mensah, Eyo; Alexander, Josephine; Ayeni, Queen
• Is Part Of: Language sciences. Volume 91(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Personal names -- Ethnopragmatics -- Cultural identity -- Cultural scripts -- Linguistic ideology -- Nigeria; Linguistics -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Periodicals; Linguistique -- Périodiques; Langage et langues -- Périodiques; Language and languages; Linguistics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2022.101474
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0388-0001

Abstract

Abstract: This article presents an account of the ethnopragmatic functions of personal names in two onomastic traditions in North-central Nigeria: Owé (Kogi State) and Tiv (Benue State). The study undertakes a narrative ethnographic analysis of names to unearth the hidden meaning underlying their representation as symbolic linguistic resources in these cultural contexts. Drawing on qualitative research approach, using participant observations and semi-structured interviews with twenty participants in each study area, we argue that African indigenous personal names are speech practices and tools of interaction that have implied meanings beyond what they literally communicate in practical situations. Names and naming practices are thus embedded with enormous cultural scripts that enable cultural insiders to understand and interpret cultural experiences. In this way, the ethnopragmatic framework provides an analytic plank to unveil the different layers of signification embodied in personal names based on the values, norms and cultural semantics of the people concerned. Highlights: Ethnopragmatic reading of personal names in Owé and Tiv onomastic traditions. Names encode cultural meanings beyond what they imply on the surface. Cultural scripts provide the basis for the description of cultural attitudes embedded in names. Names have social and cultural rootedness, and perform unique symbolic functions. Documentation and preservation of Owé and Tiv personal names for posterity.