Jonathan Musere, Shirley C. Byakutaga
Description
Review "...very well written and illustrated...book about key African names and their...significance, culturally. ...book is highly recommended..." --
...
The Griot, Fall 1999, Vol.18, No.2 Product Description 2500 African personal names are, in this book, interpreted in some of their various meanings. This book serves as a naming guide as well as an academic presentation on the various aspects of African naming and the several types of names. This book comprehensively illustrates that African names relate to ceremonies and prayers, proverbs, physical and physiological nature of the newborn, mode of birth, number and sequence of offspring, gods and spirits, earthquakes, war, personal and family relationships, neighborhood relationships, bravery, magic, trees and wildlife, livestock, clan affiliation, as well as pestilences and other tragedies. The study of African names truly reveals a lot about black peoples' pains, feelings, and preferences. A variety of sources have been used to compile this book and they include journals and oral interviews. A lot of submerged African wisdom and other information is revealed. Various interpretations and a lot of proverbs which throw stimulating light on the wisdom and meanings of the names are provided. The names depict the sagacity and creativeness of a people during times of both triumph and hopelessness, the historical passing down of sayings through names, and the relatedness of names to nature. A pronunciation guide is provided. The book is relevant to studies on Africa and the African at the onomastic, anthropological, cultural, ethnological, folklore, historical, literary, linguistic, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and ethical levels. About the Author Jonathan Musere has written numerous books and articles on a variety of sociological areas that include American nativism and immigration, disease spread, African culture, African proverbs, and African personal names.
Read more