A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Namesaking and Inheritance Amongst the Anaañ People of Southeastern Nigeria

Datos Bibliográficos

ID8135693
AutoresIdongesit Imohowo Eyakndue (0009-0009-8838-1269, University of Calabar), Arnold Benjamin Udoka (University of Calabar, autor de correspondencia)
Año2026
Volumen10
Número1
Páginas31
Fecha de publicación2026-02-28
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaGenealogy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2313-5778 • E-ISSN: 2313-5778
EditorialMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/genealogy10010031
OpenAlexW7132838748
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas18

Among the Anaañ people in Akwa Ibom State, Southeastern Nigeria, the practice of naming serves as a central mechanism for communicating personal identity, recollecting memory and preserving social hierarchy across generations. The act of naming a child after a revered ancestor or existing relative is a form of moral inheritance that binds the name bearer to certain virtues, histories, and expected cultural nuance associated with the namesake. This article investigates the social functions of namesaking and in its role in family inheritance amongst the Anaañ people. This study examines the rituals, ceremonies, and narratives associated with namesaking, and further analyses the intergenerational authority and social status embedded in the practice. The analysis is rooted in social memory theory by Halbwachs (1992), which views names as memory carriers that connect individuals to their nativity and ancestors. Drawing from ethnographic research design, using participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were purposively sampled, the analysis reveals that namesaking and inheritance are interwoven cultural processes that promote social identity, reproduce lineage hierarchies, and individuate the bearer within the social universe of the community. This study concludes that in the Anaañ society namesaking is a symbol of continuity, with specific social expectations, moral obligations and traditional roles tied to the original name-holder

Ancestor · Ethnography · Hierarchy · Inheritance (genetic algorithm · Lineage (genetic · Narrative · Participant observation · Social hierarchy · Symbol (formal · Forensic and Genetic Research · Multilingual Education and Policy · Names, Identity, and Discrimination Research