Microsoft Word - PhD Thesis Final.pdf - University of Limpopo ...

after a number of girls 630 . For instance, if a woman bears three girls in
succession and the fourth child becomes a boy, the boy is named Mašilo. If
the situation is vice versa – should a number of boys be succeeded by a
baby girl – the child (girl) is named Morongwa 631 . Other names derive their
significance contextually. Children are named according to the context of
their birth. This is in line with the theoretical notion that the salience of
identities is dependent on the nature of the context 632 . The name, Mmatlala
– which literally means “mother of hunger” – is given to a female child born
during periods of famine 633 . The name, Mmapula – literally meaning
“mother of rain” – is given to a female child born during the rain 634 . The
same goes to Medupi – the name of the gentle rain with no rough storms –
is given to a child born during such kind of rain 635 . The names Sello –
literally meaning “crying” – and Mahlodi – literally meaning “tears” – are
given to children who were born during times of grief such as mourning 636 .
Related to totemism and people’s names are praise poems which are also
still a powerful identity marker in the Makgabeng area. Each and every
630 Interview, Blantina Setumu, Early Dawn village, 30 December 2004.
631 Ibid.
632 A. Gramsci, Selections From the Prison Notebooks, p. 104.
633 Interview, Blantina Setumu, Early Dawn village, 30 December 2004.
634 Ibid.
635 Ibid.
636 Ibid.
363