Comments on: Speaking of names…

By: anoushka

anoushka — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:42:26 +0000

I wonder if the mispronounciation of African names is down to the fact that to many Westerners that is the only time they have heard that name, plus not necessarily having gorwn up with certain sounds such as clicks.

There could even be a third reason, which is that I think people tend to be very relaxed about mispronounciations of European names. My English friend Sarah, living in Ghana, never corrects people who, though perfect speakers of English, pronounce her name Serra due to their accent. She knows they mean her, so she lets it be.

By: mundundu

mundundu — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:49:05 +0000

i’ve run across plenty of sets of twins with names which meant the same things in two different languages.

ramatou and mercedes was my favorite one; the parents were of two different religions, and were so happy to be having twin girls so they could each name a child appropriate to custom. the parents saw it as a sign that the parents should work out their religious differences.

funnily enough, ramatou is now married to a pentacostal minister, and mercedes is married to an imam — who doesn’t want her to convert. both he and his congregation feel that she grew up muslim enough to be able to marry an imam without converting.

[they also know that her twin is named ramatou, so changing her name would be problematic.]

By: MuAfrika

MuAfrika — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:27:53 +0000

Rolihlahla and Gedleyihlekisa have had events in their lives that you can use their names to explain the event. At one point Rolihlahla ubehola ihlahla and recently Ugedleyihlekisa ubegedla eyihlekisa kanti uphokophelele ukuyigudluza.

By: milly vanilly

milly vanilly — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:25:54 +0000

Let us also not forget Mark Shuttleworth who went to space.

By: La Quebecoise

La Quebecoise — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:09:37 +0000

@MuAfrika. Yes, you’re right; I re-read the chapter. As for your comment: “Anyhow I think there is often a link to destiny in the name like Rolihlahla, Gedleyihlekisa…” two things; Rolihlahla is a lawyer, and neither gentleman applied for a ‘job’ at a corporation. I think you’re on to something though with destiny.

By: Luzelle

Luzelle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:57:03 +0000

This is hilarious, Waldemar!!!
Some coloured people do the same thing — give their children ‘exotic or ‘Days of our lives’ / ‘Bold and the beautiful’ names, such as Autumn or Cassaaaandrah. The best is when the names are constructed from half of the mother and half of the father’s names, something like Hendri and Patricia would make Hendritia, shame… Thank heavens I got a pretty normal name… however, my sister was named Desmarina (a name she despises, she now goes by Dessie), and shame, her second name is Lecretia… as long as the aahhhh and the sh is there, hey.

By: Blip

Blip — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:56:47 +0000

Think of how superbly some names work in practice. Clever people call it “nominative determinism” when you do what your name says.

A Cape Town firm of burial undertakers goes by the quite splendid name of “Human and Pitt”. Durban’s chief speedcop is John Schnell.

By: MuAfrika

MuAfrika — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:41:11 +0000

@ La Quebecoise
—They found that the higher incomes were associated with traditional names; John, Thomas, and so forth. And the lower incomes associated with more, shall we say, um, creative? names: Le Shaun; Shaquille…and so forth—
I’d take a guess and say this is probably because employers found it easy to throw away your CV as soon as they saw the name Shaquille-hence the corporate stereotyping applies world wide. (Although the only Shaq i know got paid in the NBA ha ha)

Anyhow I think there is often a link to destiny in the name like Rolihlahla, Gedleyihlekisa…

By: La Quebecoise

La Quebecoise — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:36:14 +0000

And if it makes you feel any better, I guess every country has odd names: a very old-fashioned French Canadian name was ‘Seraphin”, and he was a tightwad not an angel.

And you might want to take a look at “Freakonomics” and the chapter where the authors analyze the influence of names on success in the Black American community; they looked at First Names and income tax figures (correlating the income/name). They found that the higher incomes were associated with traditional names; John, Thomas, and so forth. And the lower incomes associated with more, shall we say, um, creative? names: Le Shaun; Shaquille…and so forth. The conclusion was that people who named their children after ‘traditional’ names, held ‘traditional’ values, hard work, saving, education. People who went the other route, did not apparently share those values. It makes for interesting reading.

By: La Quebecoise

La Quebecoise — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:27:28 +0000

The best name I’ve heard is ‘Ringshop”; I think his mother must have looked at him at birth and thought ‘he is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen’ and named him after that; the jewellry store.

My children have gaelic/Irish names, which are names of saints; these days we need all the help we can get.

keep on writing; you are an amazing and thoughtful writer.