African Proverbial Names

Though the subject is inadequately explored, many African personal names are associated with African proverbs. Such names stand for words of wisdom, with respect to such aspects as intelligence, friendship, cooperation, trust and mistrust, thankfulness and unappreciation, humility, giving, ignorance, showiness, boastfulness, jealousy, allegiance, alertness, warning, defense, laziness, speed, hastiness, bravery, cowardice, and patience. The Baganda of Uganda have quite a generous assortment of proverbial names. But though there can be slight variations in the message the namer who allots the proverbial name conveys, there exist standard interpretations for the proverbs and the associated proverbial names. However, there can be more than one interpretation of the proverb, and a proverbial name can be associated with more than one proverb. Also, many of the names that are originally proverbial names have become greatly associated with particular clans and families. In this case, the proverbial name becomes more of a kinship identifier, more than what it means in association with the proverb that it denotes.

The personal name Tamusuza "the one not housing the person" is commonly associated with the proverb, "Atamusuza y'amutenda eggonjebwa" 'The one not housing (or looking after) the person, praises this person for being meek, kind, and polite.' It implies that observations are not as praiseworthy as they seem to be, as synonymous with, "Appearances are deceptive."

In the proverb, "Ebigambo tebyasa (~tibyasa) mutwe, nga tebabyogera ku ggwe" 'Words will not shatter your head, just as long as they are not spoken of you,' it is implied that actions and words which appear as trivial to a person they are not directed to, can be significantly hurtful and negatively loaded toward the person the words are directed to. Names associated with this proverb include, Bigambo 'words, sayings, matters, affairs;' Tebyasa/Tibyasa 'words do not shatter' and Mutwe 'head.'

In the proverb, "Enkoko eteefe, etuusa mugenyi" 'The chicken that will not die, would bring fort (or welcomes) a visitor,' the "chicken" represents the would-be victim. The aphorism is subject to several interpretations. In the instance of expecting or getting visitors, the host refrains from killing the chicken for his own meal consumption, thereby giving the chicken the opportunity to live longer. And, the arrival of a visitor can be beneficial, insofar as, the hosts can then turn their attention to the visitor instead of continuing with an ongoing and counterproductive household argument. Additionally, a child who was about to be severely punished, would likely be spared upon the arrival of a vistor. This would be the result of the joy that follows the visitor's arrival; and because the host who was about to mete out the punishment does not want to spoil the occasion by punishing his child, there and then. Similar to this foregone interpretation, a wife-beating or spousal conflict that was about to take place or is going to be severe, is often refrained from or dissolved, upon the arrival of a visitor. Personal names associated with this proverb are, Nkoko 'chicken, hen,' Teefe 'the chicken that will not die,' and Mugenyi 'visitor.'

The personal name Tebujjadda '(lameness) does not come later, in life,' is commonly associated with the proverb, "Obulema tebujja dda" 'Lameness does not come later, in life.' The implication here is that the virtues and vices of a person are displayed early in the person's life; they do not just show up, later in life, from nowhere. The proverb also conveys the message that the young should always be wary and not to think of themselves as invincibly invulnerable to defects and mishaps that are commonly associated with old age.

References Musere, Jonathan. African Names and Naming. Los Angeles, CA: Ariko Publications, 2000.