Karanga bovonyms in the Nyajena area of Masvingo: a socio-onomastic perspective

Abstract

There is a burgeoning body of Shona onomastic literature in Zimbabwe. However, the focus has been mainly on toponyms and anthroponyms. There is a dearth of Shona onomastic research on the naming of domestic animals, let alone cattle. This study, therefore, examines the cattle-naming system among the Karanga people under Chief Nyajena in Masvingo, Zimbabwe. Generally, names of all categories reflect the sociocultural world of the society in which they are used. The study uses a socio-onomastic perspective to explore the circumstances that motivate the bovonyms’ creation and the different sociocultural meanings they index. Out of the different categories of zoonyms, this article focuses on bovonyms because cattle perform multiple uses, at least in this community, than any other indigenous livestock breed. The naming of cattle reflects the lived experiences of the society that gives rise to the names. This study advances the frontiers of onomastic knowledge in Zimbabwe by focussing on bovonyms.

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