Naming practices in colonial and post-colonial Malawi
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Date
2012-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
In African societies naming practices invariably reflected an important rite of passage as a cultural practice, which was
always in sync with each society’s ordinary citizens’ socio-cultural and historical conditions. These were ideological
conceptions inherent in each society, reflected as a powerful force in naming practices, either of individuals or places.
However, naming practices have been in contact with colonialism in Malawi and the rest of Southern Africa, with the
result that this has affected the socio-cultural ideologies which were traditionally embedded with naming practices. They
have had to change with the times. The result is that such names bestowed on individuals or places changed with the
historical times. At times they remained indigenous, were Westernised or fused indigenous and other African names. This
changing pattern has thus had to change with socio-cultural, economic, education and political influences prevailing at
each time.
The discussion indicates that social issues, which traditionally indicated physical and social environment, beliefs of a
given sub-culture, were essentially a barometer of meanings and moral codes of a society. However, this tended to change
with the attitude and prevailing conditions at specific historical epochs, of how such names were conceived and assigned.
Malawi is given as an example, but this could be applied to the entire Southern African region which has been affected by
the advent of colonialism and post-colonialism.
Description
Peer reviewed article published under Inkanyiso, Volume 4, Issue 1, Jan 2012, p. 10 - 16
Keywords
Naming practices, colonial and post-colonial Malawi, ethno-linguistics
Citation
Moyo, T., 2012. Naming practices in colonial and post-colonial Malawi. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 4(1), pp.10-16.