The sociocultural aspects of Xitsonga dog names

Abstract

Some communities, especially African societies, have their own customs and beliefs surrounding the diverse meanings conveyed by the naming of dogs. Domestic animals, such as cats, cattle, goats and many more, share a common environment with human beings, and dogs are no exception. The main aim of this paper is to explore and describe the naming of dogs among Vatsonga. The traditional cultural naming practice of dogs is nowadays being discouraged and discarded by the dominance of Christianity in many of our communities. The argument of this paper is that in terms of Vatsonga customs, dog names are not just for identity, they have a hidden meaning. This article argues that some of the names given to dogs are identical to those of human beings. Dog names are generally given to draw attention to or to address certain problems in the family or community at large. The paper concludes that there is a need to continue maintaining our dog-naming culture because the meanings help to reprimand and rebuke bad behaviour among family and community members.

Onomastics: A Brief Study of Kurya Dog Names of Tanzania

“…"Nyamana" for "Hairy", "Mrito", for dissert like form, "Nyamatwi" for "small ears" as well as "Kyeng'e" for "shortness" were the Kurya dog names and the things for their names. In other words dogs are some of the domestic animals which share a common environment with human beings and play a role in the lives of many people (Babane & Chauke, 2017). That is to say there exists a mutual benefit between dogs and human beings.…”

“…Babane and Chauke (2017) conducted an investigation in unraveling the truth behind the naming of dogs and its significance using Vatsonga as a case study. Their main aim of this paper is to explore and describe the naming of dogs among Vatsonga.…”