Importance of Names and the Power of Words: How One Letter Can Change the Game
(The following is just one reason I don’t play with or let people play with my name.)
A Kɔngo proverb says:
Kanda diakuta Nzundu, nkio diawunuka, ukitele Zundu. Nga zeyi diswasani diena va kati kwa Nzundu ye Zundu e?
Meaning: The community named you Nzundu, you thought it was mistaken itself; you call yourself Zundu. Do you know the difference between Nzundu and Zundu?
This proverb contains a very simple, but basic philosophical truth about proper noun and name meaning among Afrikan people, i.e., a) to be what one is supposed to be and live their destiny, and b) live up to what the community (society) expects from you in accordance to the label (name) you bear. If you are supposed to be “Community-Anvil” [Nzundu-a-kanda], be that community “Anvil” and don’t make yourself a “Frog-Within-The-Community” [Zundu-mukanda], i.e. a “Drunkard-Within-The-Community.”
By eliminating the “N” from the above name, the name becomes Zundu (frog); for the Kongo, Zundu is the symbol of a habitual drunkard. By taking certain letters or sections out of Afrikan names many bear names with vulgar meanings or simply meaningless names, as in the case of the name Zundu.
Something similar happens with the Akan and other people who bear day names. Because many of these Afrikans have taken on a European reference to time (12 midnight starting the day), many of them bear the wrong day names. For example, a male born on a Wednesday is called Kweku and a Thursday born male is named Yao. Let’s say a boy is born at 2 am on the Gregorian thursday. Because their worldview has been thwarted by a Western one, most Akan will name that boy Yao when, in actuality, it is still Wednesday according to our original time-reckoning as the day does not actually start until sunrise!
Let’s not fall victim to this form of de-culturalizarion that is effecting the world over due to the negative influence of European culture.
Ayìnɔ̀n Àgɛ̀lɔ̀gbàgàn Jǐsovì Azàsinkpontín Àgbɔ̀vì I