Tshivenḓa death-related names as a communicative act: an ethnopragmatic study from Vhembe District in Limpopo province, South Africa

Abstract

This article interrogates Tshivenḓa death-related names against the communication acts they encapsulate among Vhavenḓa society in the Vhembe District. Anthroponym scholars agree that personal naming moves from just identification to becoming a communication act. Like other African groups, the sampled society’s world view sees death as not occurring without the malevolence of supernatural forces through either a witch, dissatisfaction from ancestors, a neighbour, or a disaffected family member. This can be prevented through communication that serves as a warning, reprimand, praise, etc. Among the Vhavenḓa, this is achieved through a death-related personal naming process, which gives them the freedom to communicate controversies without confrontation. This study further demonstrates that this society sees personal names as useful towards creating different messages that communicate with those deemed culpable. Diviners are consulted about the cause of any death, irrespective of the circumstances and age of the deceased in the quest for closure among the surviving family members. Names in this category have different messages directed to suspected perpetrators, whether known or unknown. The article strives to add new knowledge to anthroponym studies.