This research analyses the influence of the power of a name, particularly on Zulu speaking people in South Africa. It further analyses the effect of names in other Nguni speaking communities in this country. On a wider scale it also looks at the power and the influence of names given to people of other countries on the African continent. The research primarily investigates the effects of the power of a name on the life of a black person. A name could actually lure a person to enact its meaning. For instance, the name uBagangile could influence the bearer of the name to be generally naughty or if not so, relatives around her might act naughty in different ways. It is pointed out that the act of name-giving with concomitant power vested in a name originates from God. The bearer was expected to act out the meaning of his/her name. God's power hidden in the name would constrain an individual to behave in a certain way within his/her community. The research points out that a name is not only a label that helps in the identification of an individual or an entity. A name is something that is multi-functional. First it becomes a label, a descriptive tool that may refer to a person's body structure. It is possible that a name may divulge a situation in which the person was born. Most importantly, it has the power to make the bearer become what the name means. Usually names carry one of the above accounts. If the name was chosen by an insightful name giver it may carry more than one of the above qualities. During the years of oppression before the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, community members made extensive use of names from the languages of the white oppressors. White names had an impact on the lives of bearers, because of the meanings and contexts associated with them. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

This research analyses the influence of the power of a name, particularly on Zulu speaking people in South Africa. It further analyses the effect of names in other Nguni speaking communities in this country. On a wider scale it also looks at the power and the influence of names given to people of other countries on the African continent. The research primarily investigates the effects of the power of a name on the life of a black person. A name could actually lure a person to enact its meaning. For instance, the name uBagangile could influence the bearer of the name to be generally naughty or if not so, relatives around her might act naughty in different ways. It is pointed out that the act of name-giving with concomitant power vested in a name originates from God. The bearer was expected to act out the meaning of his/her name. God's power hidden in the name would constrain an individual to behave in a certain way within his/her community. The research points out that a name is not only a label that helps in the identification of an individual or an entity. A name is something that is multi-functional. First it becomes a label, a descriptive tool that may refer to a person's body structure. It is possible that a name may divulge a situation in which the person was born. Most importantly, it has the power to make the bearer become what the name means. Usually names carry one of the above accounts. If the name was chosen by an insightful name giver it may carry more than one of the above qualities. During the years of oppression before the advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994, community members made extensive use of names from the languages of the white oppressors. White names had an impact on the lives of bearers, because of the meanings and contexts associated with them. / African Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (African Languages)

In isiZulu and English abstract / Lolu cwaningo lucubungula amagalelo kaLawrence Molefe ekubhaIweni kwemidlalo yakhe emibili ethi Bengithi Lizokuna kanye nethi Bahlukumezekile Behlakaniphelana Nje. Inhloso yocwaningo kule midlalo ukubheka ukuthi abalingiswa bayo bethiwe kanjani na? Lolu cwaningo luhamba luthinte izinsiza kuhlaziya esingathi amathiyori (theories) nendlela aytha abalingiswa bakhe ngayo kanye nesitayela esisetshenziswe umbhali kule midlalo yakhe emibili. Kukhethwe le mibhalo kaLawrence Molefe ukuze sibone ukuthi ingabe kukhona okusha esingakufunda kuye uma sibheka indlela aytha ngayo abalingiswa bakhe nokuthi uhambisana kanjani kuyiphiramidi kaFreytagi (1863). Lo msebenzi wehlukaniswe waba yizahluko eziyisithupha . Lolu cwaningo lubhekelele indlela elandelwayo uma kwethiwa amagama ukuthi ingabe indlela efanele nokuthi okuphi okumelwe kulandelwe uma kwethiwa amagama. Kubhekwa ukuthi ikuphi lokhu kubaluleka okuqukethwe ukuba khona kwegama emuntwini. Kuyazeka nokho ukuthi lolu hlobo locwaningo lunalo izingqinamba okuhlangatshezwana nazo okungaba ukungatholi izinsiza ezifanele ezizoba nolwazi olwanele mayelana nokwethiwa kwamagama ikakhulukazi asuke ebhalwe ngesiZulu. Kuyatholakala ukuthi kwezinye izilimi akuyona inkinga kangakho ukuthola ulwazi olusuke luxhumene nalo mkhakha. Miningi imiqulu ekhiqiziwe ewusizo ngezilimi zesiNgisi ikakhulukazi. Lokhu kusho ukuthi kumele umcwaningi embule ambulule azame ukuthi abe nezindlela eziphusile azokwazi ukuzisebenzisa ukuqhuba ucwaningo lwakhe. Kubuye kubeke umcwaningi ethubeni lokuthi abheke phela ukuthi izinhloso zocwaningo lwakhe ziwela emkhakheni wesikhashana esifushane noma wesikhathi eside. Kodwa lokhu kuchaza ukuthi azibhekelele lezo zinhloso uma eqhuba ucwaningo lwakhe. Kubalulekile ukuthi umcwaningi abheke ukuthi iyiphi ithiyori yokwethiwa kwamagama angase ayilandele nokuthi athini manye mathiyori na. Lokhu kubuye kweyame esifundweni esitholakala ekwethiweni kwamagama. Kuhle futhi ukuthi sethulelwe ukubaluleka kocwaningo lapho kubhekwe ukuthi yini ezocwaningwa emagameni abalingiswa nokuthi yini edala ugqozi olungaka noma intshisekelo yokwazi kabanzi ngokwethiwa kwamagama ikakhulukazi esiZulu. Kubalulekile futhi ukuthi kubhekwe noma kwethulwe izinsizakuhlaziya ucwaningo oluzohamba phezu kwazo ekwethiweni kwamagama. Nakuba inhloso isekutheni kubhekelelwe lawo esiZulu, kodwa kuhle kuphinde kubhekwe nakwezinye izilimi ukuthi ingabe eyabo indlela ihluke kanjani kweyesiZulu na?Ucwaningo lubuye lulandelele imvelaphi yombhali wezincwadi ezisuke zizocwaningwa ukuze kutholakale kabanzi ngobungaye nezinhloso zakhe ekubhaleni nokuthi uma kubhekwa umlando wakhe yini emenza ahluke kwabanye ababhali. Uma kuqhutshwa ucwaningo kuhle ukugxila ezindleleni ezizosetshenziswa ekuqoqeni ulwazi nezizolandelwa. Akupheleli lapho, kuhle ukuthola ukuthi abanye ongoti noma osolwazi bathini ngokucwaningwa kokwethiwa kwamagama. Kubuye kubhekwe ukuthi ucwaningo luzobhekiswa emibhalweni eyimidlalo lapho kubhekwa ukuthi abalingiswa bawuqhubekisa kanjani umdlalo ngendlela abasuke bethiwe ngayo. Lana kubhekwa imidlalo emibili ebhalwe ngu Molefe ethi ‘Izwe Lizothini’ kanye nothi ‘Bahlukumezekile Behlakaniphelana Nje. Kuhle ukuthi ukuthi umcwaningi athulele abahloli bakhe nomeluleki isithombe ngokuba ethule imidlalo ngamafuphi. Lokhu kuyobasiza ukuba bakwazi ukubona indlela abethiwe ngayo abalingiswa ukuthi kukhona yini okumele akulungise noma anconywe kukho. Ubuye abheke ukuthi kuyisakhiwo nesizinda sayo le midlalo abalingiswa balukhuphula kanjani izinga. Ucwaningo kumele lubheke futhi isitayela sombhali emdlalweni yomibili Izwe Lizothini kanye nothi Bahlukumezekile Behlakaniphelana Nje ukuthi sihluke kanjani kwabanye ababhali nokuthi sime kanjani. Lolu cwaningo kumele manje liyiphothule indima yalo ngokuba lethule okusuke kuhlaziywa, okuphi okuncomekayo okuphawuliwe nokuthi lapho kunegebe okumele livalwe kanjani. Kumele iphothulwe ngokuba kunikwe umhlahlandela ekuthuthukiseni ucwaningo lwalolu hlobo ikakhulukazi olimini lwesiZulu. / This research analyses the impact by Lawrence Molefe made as an author for two drama books known as Izwe Lizothini and Bahlukumezekile Behlakaniphelana Nje. The primary aim of the research in these drama books is to see how much power and influence is in naming of the characters and how have they been named? The research also focuses on theories and ways that can be used in naming characters as well as the style the author used in his two drama books that would be analyzed. The researcher has chosen drama books from the author Lawrence Molefe to see whether is there anything new that can be learnt from him on how he has name his characters. This will go to as far as analyzing how the author has name his characters and how his style of naming does fit in Freytag’s pyramid (1863). This research is divided into six chapters. This research also focuses on acceptable ways and methods that are being followed and used when naming the characters or even children at large. Analysis focuses on the importance of giving a name to a human being. It is also known that this kind of research has some challenges that are usually experienced. Challenges such as relevant resources that can be used in assisting a research especially when research conducted in naming is written in isiZulu. It is well known that these kinds of resources are widely and abundantly available in other languages. There are many resources whether it is books, articles or journals on naming or onomastics in English available. This simply says that it is imperative for the researcher to go all out in finding important ways that would be used in conducting the research. This also gives a researcher an opportunity to look into the aims and objectives of the analysis. The researcher will also be mindful of whether the analysis will be based on the short term or long term period. This means that the researcher will have to take into consideration the aims and objectives of the research. It is imperative for the researcher to be mindful of the theory that will be used in analyzing naming or onomastics and also look at other theories of onomastics. This lies on the theme or lesson that will be found in naming or giving a name in a character. The analysis needs to focus on the theory that focuses on naming . The research analysis also focuses on what will be analyzed on naming the characters and what inspires the research to be conducted especially giving Zulu names. It is important to look at the resources that will be used when conducting the research on naming. Even though, at this stage the focus is on analyzing Zulu names, it is also vital to look at how different analysis is on naming specifically in other languages. The research analysis also looks at the biography of the author regarding drama books that he published. This allows readers to know more about the author and what inspired his love of writing. This go beyond on finding more about the author and what makes him different from other authors when analyzing his name giving his characters. When conducting research analysis, ways or methods of collecting data or information needs to be clearly explained. Again, it is outmost vital to read what other onomasticians or linguists say about how to analyze name giving or naming. The focus is also on analyzing two literary dramas where attention is given to the role that characters play in ensuring that the story is a success of course with the help of how they have been named. We look at the impact their names have in the drama by just being given names. x The researcher also gives a summary or an overview of story from each book so that the supervisor and co-supervisor have understood what the story is about so that they are able to see how characters have been named. This also allows the researcher to see whether is there any gap that needs to be closed when analyzing naming in isiZulu nor commend on the good work done. It also allows the researcher to look at how names of the characters have impacted on plot and the structure of the drama. Research analysis has also to focus on the naming style used by the author in his two drama books namely Izwe Lizothini and Bahlukumezekile Behlakaniphelana Nje and how does his style differ from other authors. At the end, the research summarizes the role and the impact of name giving and its analysis, what are recommendations on the gap identified during the research and how to close challenges identified. The research is concluded by giving way forward or guidelines that would ensure that more researchers engage in analyzing naming in isiZulu and perhaps other African languages. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)