Authors
Bedu, A. M., Modu, M. A.
Abstract
Anthroponyms provide evidence for language history from lexical and semantic content even though certain names establish arbitrary relationship between a label and its referent. The study deploys onomastic theory to explore the source of Bade names from the data which were collected from both primary and secondary sources with a view to taxonomizing them based on their meanings and distinct structures. The research findings reveal that proper names in Bade language are not sociolinguistic phenomena but semantically transparent by encoding the historical evidence of the bearer which always serve as brand-like catalyst for social cohesion among the language speakers.
Keywords
Onomastics, anthroponyms, toponyms, Chadic, Bade language
Introduction
From the onomastic perspectives, names, including anthroponyms that have to do with proper name of a person or a group of persons, provide evidence for language history from lexical and semantic content including the phonological and morphological development of the language (Hough, 2017). It also established in the linguistic literature on many languages that certain names establish arbitrary relationship between a label and its referent (Akinnaso, 1980; Oseni, 1981). Typical example of such names are some English proper names that carry no semantic content to differentiate gender and it can be used to label both male and female as in ‘Evelyn’ or ‘Leslie’, which is used for either sex. On other hand, there are some personal names that clearly have not only the semantic content and socio-cultural functions but they reflect the real-world knowledge in form of positional names, manner names, circumstantial names, and names based on physical appearance (Chamo, 2016).
Content
The Bade are found in the flood plains of the Yobe River in the presence Yobe and Jigawa State. Their language is called Bade which linguistically belongs to a Chadic West ‘B’ branch of Afroasiatic phylum (Newman, 1977). According to oral tradition, Bade people migrated from the city of Badr, in present day Saudi Arabia, (Schuh, 1977). Their movement Southward took them through Yemen, Sudan and finally settled around Lake Chad region. According to Palmer (1928), they first settled at Ngazargamu before proceeding to Dadigar (cited in Shuaibu (1991)). Grema (1998) reveals that Dadigar is a village of about thirteen kilometres away from Gashua, the headquarters of Bade Local Government Council. It is presently in Bursari Local Government of Yobe State, Nigeria.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important that ethnic or traditional names should not only be preserved but they should be used by a way of maintaining them at a time when studies of cultures and norms of some groups, especially minority people, are significantly declined. Even though this can only be reversed when linguists understand that person only learns new grounds for identity through names and names enrich the developed worldview. From the analysis of Bade traditional names, the paper brings further insight that Bade names are influenced by circumstances and events surrounding the child birth and also occupation is also one of the many sources of names in the language. In this regard, naming is a linguistic phenomenon that is not only morphologically, and semantically inclined but culture and traditions play role in naming people and places. As in the case, names is one of the resources that Bade people utilize to preserve their cultural and historical identities.
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