(Re)constructing Traditional African Onomastics: A Case Study of Bapedi Tribe of Moletjie in Limpopo Province, South Africa

This article seeks to (re)construct the relevance of personal naming among the Bapedi of Moletjie. This traditional African onomastics is influenced by the context that prevails during the birth of children. Since names are carriers of cultural information, they are meaningful to the growth and development of children in particular and the society in general. Names signify status, ethnicity, social prestige, privilege, achievement which are all interpreted as significant in particular social contexts. The qualitative approach, underpinned by the Pragmatic theory of Properhood (TPTP) was used to extract a corpus of names, and motivation for choosing those names. The informants were all Sepedi speakers. The study, therefore, pertains specifically to the Bapedi people and their name-giving. Twelve (12) participants residing in the Moletjie area of Limpopo Province of South Africa contributed to the corpus of names and gave reasons for such kind of name-giving. The study found that names are given to children taking into account issues such as status, marital wealth, health, biological and social relationships, nature, and the environment. Sometimes names given within a particular cultural environment can become a challenge when they are perceived differently in another environment. This article recommends that parents should consider giving their children names carefully since this could influence their identity and perspective on life as well as the way they are perceived by others.