A Morphosemantic Analysis of the Kamue Personal Names (Published)
A morphosemantic analysis of Kamuə personal names was examined in order to show the Kamue (Kamuə) norms and values as expressed in their naming patterns. A sample of 128 names for both male and female were used for the analysis. The data was derived from native speakers of Nkafa in twelve (12) selected villages. The analysis shows birth-order terms indicating a child’s birth position and sex; circumstantial names, showing the circumstances surrounding a child’s birth, and twins’ names. Structural components such as noun-based compounds, verb-based compounds, preposition-based compounds, conjunction-based compounds, adverb-based compounds and adjective-based compounds and their sub-categories were also identified in Kamuə proper names. It was also found that, the meanings of some of the proper names are predictable from their structural components. Kamuə native personal names should be reserved as a mark of culture and tradition
Keywords: Kamuə, Morphosemantic, Nkafa, Onomatology