Proto-Koigus-Ndere Naming Customs

This page describes the naming customs of the Proto-Koigus-Ndere speakers who lived 6,000 - 7,000 years before present. Every PKN name follows the same template of having three names which are the forename, middle name and surname.

=Forenames=

The PKN speakers are pecuilar for not having forenames until they reach 20 years old. Before that an indiviual is referred to only by the patrynomic surname or by the middle name to distinguish between siblings. In the case of twins of the same gender (whose middle name and surname are identical) an adjective may be placed before the middle name to form a nickname. When an individual is 20 he/she chooses his or her own name in a ceremony known as gʷumzòʔɮ ("name choose"). In this tradition a ram has its horns painted yellow (after the yellow horns of the goat goddess Sŋaŋrokgʷò) and is released into the wild. After two days the individual then sets out to find the goat and return with it within 4 days. If the indiviual succeeds in doing so then he/she can choose whatever forename he/she wants. If the task is failed then a second ceremony is held where a shaman is consulted with. The shaman and the individual concerned stand before a ram, again with its horns painted yellow, and the shaman says several names out loud. If the ram faces the individual when a name is called out then that is the person's name whether he/she likes it or not. If the ram looks away then another name is called out until the ram looks at the person. When a name has finally been chosen the ram is sacraficed to Sŋaŋrokgʷò and the ram's flesh is feasted upon. The ram's blood is used as a facial paint. If the blood is washed away/rubbed off within two days then this signals bad luck, if the blood remains after two days then this signals good fortune.

Forenames are typically formed by a word, either a noun (in which case only the collective form is ever used), or adjective with a naming suffix attached. The naming suffix for men is *-wiq and for women it is *-lok. Usually the word is one with positiive connotations within the culture, indeed these are most popular among those who were able to choose their own name. Some unfortunate souls who failed to catch the ram may be stuck with rather unpleasant names. In the case of twins who were reffered to by adjectives plus the middle name, it is common for them to choose the adjective as their own name if they are lucky to succeed the ceremony. Another name formation method is to take a verb and attach the class 11 suffix -aɣ̂ to it to give a menaing of "one who X's", this can then be compounded with a noun which acts as an object (i.e "one who X's Y).

Here are some examples of known forenames:


 * dzòwiq, dzòlok ("wolf man/woman")
 * baŋwiq, baŋlok- ("eagle man/woman")
 * òʔɮaɣ̂ ("one who chooses")
 * beʔɣmzaɣ̂ ("one who milks")
 * gʷìɣ̂ɬaɣ̂gʷàs ("one who follows fish")
 * iʔgaɣ̂gʷjuzk ("one who defies spears")

=Middle Names=

Every middle name is broken into three segments or slots which describe the weather, season and time of the month in which the person was born. It is important to note that the words that the words that can appear in these slots are a closed group. The first slot describes what the weather was like at the time of birth. The words that can appear in this first slot are:


 * elg ("sunnly, clear weather")
 * nopn̂ ("rain")
 * in̂ ("fog, mist")
 * ĝmoɮ ("wind")
 * gʷut (overcast, cloudy")
 * ŋàɮtk ("lightning")

The second slot describes what season the person was born in, as such only four words appear in this slot:


 * bwemq ("spring")
 * tsep ("summer")
 * ìts ("autumn")
 * iɣt ("winter")

The third slot describes the phase of the moon at the time of birth. Since Proto-Koigus-Ndere speakers don't distinguish between a waxing and waning moon only three words appear here:


 * jesɣ ("full")
 * uɮ ("half, waxing/waning")
 * slàn̂ ("empty, new moon").

Due to the very closed nature of the middle names it can be calculated that there are 72 possible middle names (6 x 4 x 3 = 72).

=Surnames=

All surnames are patrynomics which are based on the forename of the father. For men the patrynomic suffix is -bnòèzg (lit. "son") and for women the suffix is *-dznièzg (lit. "daughter"). If we apply these to the above mentioned fornames we get thse examples:


 * dzòwiqbnòèzg, dzòwiqdznièzg ("daughter/son of wolf man")
 * baŋwiqbnòèzg, baŋwiqdznièzg - ("daughter/son of eagle man")
 * òʔɮaɣ̂bnòèzg, òʔɮaɣ̂dznièzg ("daughter/son of one who chooses")
 * beʔɣmzaɣ̂bnòèzg, beʔɣmzaɣ̂dznièzg ("one who milks")
 * gʷìɣ̂ɬaɣ̂gʷàsbnòèzg, gʷìɣ̂ɬaɣ̂gʷàsdznièzg ("daughter/son of one who follows fish")
 * iʔgaɣ̂gʷjuzkbnòèzg, iʔgaɣ̂gʷjuzkdznièzg ("daughter/son of one who defies spears")

Clan names are formed in a similar fashion by suffixing the collective bnò ("sons") onto the male ancestor of the clan.