A comparative semantic analysis of personal names in Igbo and Tiv

Abstract

The study entitled ’A comparative semantic analysis of personal names in Igbo and Tiv’ is relevant because the available literature at the disposal of the researchers do not treat the semantics of Igbo and Tiv personal names from the comparative perspective. Hence, the present study is designed to examine the personal names in Igbo and Tiv with the aim of discovering the similarities and differences between Igbo and Tiv personal naming systems. The study is predicated on LoCatsro (2012) notion of Anthropological Pragmatics. LoCatsro notion holds that the interpretation of semantic elements and properties are based on cultural peculiarities that can only be understood using the link between culture and contextual meaning of words. The conceptual framework supports the present study because it accounts for the existing personal names in Igbo and Tiv. The personal names in Igbo and Tiv, which are means of group and individual identities, usually reflect the experiences, wishes, religious beliefs, expectations, opinions, advice and caution among the peoples. The findings of the study show that the naming systems for the Igbo and Tiv personal names share some similarities based on the belief in God Almighty, philosophy about life, importance of children, circumstances surrounding the birth of a baby or the parents at the time of the childbirth. On the contrary, the naming systems of Igbo and Tiv differ due to certain beliefs that are peculiar to the Igbo and the Tiv peoples respectively.