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.