| Why the importance on initials?
Why do some name their children after themselves?
Why not more importance on the meaning of the names?, like you have.
Why/how do people decide on names for their children before they
are even born (i.e. no concept of their qualities). Is it to 'instill'
the qualities or self respect in their children? If so, does this
work/help?
I've heard that North American Indians named their children at birth
based on then current events, feelings, hopes, etc. Then the child
would get an 'adult' name when 'becoming an adult' with their adult
name being based on actual qualities of the person; or, acts which were
to describe/represent who that person actually was. Is this true?
For all/most/any tribes or peoples? If ture, is/was this practice
restricted to North America? Could someone be renamed based on
acts later in life?
With the Nigerian names, do Nigerians regard them as 'names' (in
the sense that most north americans haven't a clue to the meaning
of their own name, let alone others) or do they hear/understand the
'meaning' of the name. What about other cultures?
After reading my questions over, I hope you don't take any of them as
an attack or criticism. My questions are a combination of curiosity
and considerable sincerity. They are important to me for reasons
that I suspect are similar to the reasons that the names you have
chosen are imortant to you.
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| This might be too late, but...
My name is Akosua (stress on the "ko" syllable); I was born in Ghana
and my name means "first-born girl, born on a Sunday." The only
other Ghanain name I know is "Ama" (girl born on Friday) and Kwame
(forget which day that belongs to!) Practically everybody I get
introduced to comments on how beautiful my name is (I 've lost my
objectivity, though, and don't know). It does make things fun to
have an unusual name, though; people really remember you as the
years pass and you run into them again!
Good luck -
Akosua
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