NAMES FASHIONED BY GENDER, stitched perceptions

318pp., paperback, Pretoria, 2022

A collection of essays on onomastics – a linguistics field of study focusing on the origin, form, history and use of proper names.

Contributions include:

"Setswana naming system: a gendered outlook" by Goabilwe N. Ramaeba and Joyce T. Mathangwane

"Gender stereotypes embedded in the labels of female subjects in a cross section of Zimbabwean music" by Duren Jhamba

"Subculture socio-cultural nicknaming phenomena embedded in izindlavini of amaMpondo of the Eastern Cape" by Thenjiwe Meyiwa and Madoda Cekiso

"Xhosa female initiates’ (intonjane) perceptions of meanings and values attached to their new names" by Khanyisile Rose Masha and Ilse du Toit

"‘Hold the roof woman’: exploring how the naming practices amongst isiXhosa speaking people contribute to a high divorce rate in South Africa" by Nosisi Feza

"A feminist approach to the naming and circumstances of women in the Bible in relation to the naming of prominent Zulu women" by Nobuhle Ndimande-Hlongwa and Thandi Mwelase

"Fluid identities: naming and recognition in NoViolet Bulawayo’s We need new names and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah" by Ken Junior Lipenga

"Queer(ing) onomastics: names and the construction of non-normative genders and sexualities in selected short stories in Queer Africa: New and collected fiction" by Gibson Ncube.

Thenjiwe Meyiwa is Deputy Vice-chancellor for Research, Innovation, Commercialisation and Postgraduate Studies at Unisa.

Madoda Cekiso is Senior Professor in the Department of English, Tshwane University of Technology.