Names as Message Vectors in Communication: Oduological Analysis of Traditional Yoruba Personal Names from Ifa

Abstract

Naming systems vary among cultures. Among Africans, names are significant; thus Africans recognise the significance of personal names. While names mean different things to different people, the Yoruba people of Nigeria carefully choose theirs, because they believe names mirror circumstances, reflect connections with households, generational trade, among others. It was against this background that this study specifically sought to answer questions regarding how traditional Yoruba personal names originate from Ifa and the messages that such Ifa-based traditional Yoruba personal names conveyed. The study examined traditional Yorùbá personal naming (TYPN) system within the context of Ifa divination system of the Yoruba. In the absence of a register of practising Ifa priests, from which they could draw a sample, the researchers used snowball sampling, leading to in-depth interviews with four Ifa divination experts (Babalowos). Analysis of their responses was done using the qualitative method of narrative analysis. Anchored on sociolinguistic theory, the study found among others, that Ifa-based traditional Yoruba personal naming differs from general Yoruba personal naming, because the former involves divinatory processes known as ‘Esentaye’ and ‘Igbori’ – pathways to revealing deeper-level messages and information conveyed to the person being named. Traditional Yorùbá personal names of Ifa origin are on the decline as more people embrace foreign religions, now only adopted by adherents of Yorùbá traditional faith, the study found. A contribution to the study of Yoruba anthroponymy, the study recommends that subsequent studies can either adopt larger samples, in addition to surveys or triangulate by mixing two or more research methods or combining research designs, with a view to expanding the frontiers of knowledge.