Aims: To analyze the
linguistic features of Oicha toponym with the prefix “ma”. In addition, the
study aims to awaken the conscience of the younger generation toward
discovering the cultural richness found in the Oicha toponyms that can rebuild
the roots of their cultural values.
Study Design: This study is corpus-driven research based on a
qualitative approach; it was carried out in the Department of Education from
2017 to 2023.
Methodology: The present study is more inductive and it adopted
ethnographic interviews in order to learn about the semantics of the toponyms
with the prefix “ma”. It focuses, therefore, on three elements: explicit
purpose, ethnographic explanation, and ethnographic questions. The first
element of explicit purpose helped in the interview process for sharing the
reason behind this research with informants, which is to unveil the linguistic
background of some Oicha toponyms that are made up of the prefix “ma” and what
“ma” stands for. With the second element of ethnographic explanation, I shared
the goal of the study and the third and last element of ethnographic questions
helped to examine the reason why the elders decided to name the different
villages so and so, moreover, to discover why some toponyms are undergoing some
changes.
Results: This study discusses the morphological and semantic
analysis of Oicha toponyms with the prefix “ma”. The morphological analysis has
revealed that the Oicha toponyms with the prefix “ma” are found under the
simple form with the structure ma+ substantive theme. The semantics of Oicha
toponyms with the prefix “ma” relate to ecology, environment, and tradition. It
also brings back the souvenir of people who first lived in the area. The names,
in addition, were given to areas in memory of circumstances, experiences, and
events that could occur to the inhabitants of that area.
Conclusion: From this study, we learn that the Oicha toponyms with
the prefix “ma” were not taken by chance, but rather they conveyed a structured
message related to ecology and environment in order to pass the message from
one generation to another and perpetuate their passage and souvenirs. These
toponyms reflect culture, heritage, source of knowledge, and conservation of
people’s memories. They represent the Oicha historical background and provide
information about natural and cultural conditions.
Author(s)
Details
Mumbere
Malonga Mashauri
Christian Bilingual University of Congo, Congo.
Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cpassr/v3/575
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