A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of African Languages at the University Of Zululand, 2017. / Lolu cwaningo lumayelana nokwethiwa kwabalingiswa emibhalweni ekhethekile ebhalwe emva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Ukwethiwa kwegama lomuntu kusemqoka kakhulu osikweni lakwaZulu, njengakwamanye amasiko ase-Afrika. Imvamisa lawa magama ahamba nezincazelo kanti futhi ahambisana nezehlo ezithile. Amagama angaveza ulwazi olukhulu ngamasiko nezinkolelo ezahlukene ngokomphakathi nangokwezizwe. Isiko lokwethiwa kwamagama luyaziveza ngendlela ababhali abangama-Afrika abetha ngayo abalingiswa emisebenzini yobuciko eyahlukene. Umbhali usuke enenhloso nezizathu ezithile ngalelo gama. Umbuzo onqala wocwaningo ubheka ukuthi ngabe ababhali babusebenzise kanjani ubuciko bokwethiwa kwamagama emibhalweni (Literary onomastics), ukwakha abalingiswa, emibhalweni eqokiwe yesiZulu ebhalwe ngemuva kokuzuzwa kombuso wentando yabantu. Injongo yalo mbuzo, ukuhlaziya indlela ulimi olusetshenziswe ngayo ukwakha abalingiswa njengalokhu kunobudlelwano obunzulu phakathi kolimi nesimomqondo kanye nencazelo eqondiwe. Kulolu cwaningo kuqokwe uhlobo lobucikomazwi obubhaliwe okungamanoveli ayisihlanu kanye nohlobo lomdlalo owodwa. Ucwaningo lusebenzise insizakuhlaziya yokuHlaziya nokuCofiya iNgxoxombhalo, okuyinto ezinye izingcwaningo ezingayisebenzisanga. Ezinye zezinto ezitholwe ucwaningo zimbandakanya: ukusetshenziswa ngababhali iqhingasu lokwethiwa kwabalingiswa ukugqamisa izindikimba ezifana nemiphumela yokwanda kwezidakamizwa, ukudayisa ngomzimba nokuhlukunyezwa kwezingane nabesifazane emiphakathini. Okunye okutholwe ucwaningo kufakazela osekuvezwe ngongoti abaningi abaphenya ngale ndikimba okuthinta ukuqonela kwabesilisa (patriachy). Kugqamile nokho ocwaningweni ukuthi abanye ababhali bayakugwema ukwetha amagama achemile ngokobulili kunalokho bakhetha amagama akhuthazayo, nadlulisa ukwexwayisa. Ucwaningo luphinde lwathola ukuthi amagama ethiwe akhombisa izinguquko ezenzekile ezweni, ezithinta izigigaba zomlando njengokubuya kwababesekudingisweni, ukuzuzwa kwenkululeko nemithelela yokuthutheleka kwabokufika eNingizimu Afrika. Lolu cwaningo luncoma ukusetshenziswa kwenzululwazi ye-onomastiki njengesu lokufundisa ukuhlaziywa kwemibhalo kulesi sikhathi lapho izikole zibhekene nengwadla yabafundi abangalwazi ulimi nencazelo yamagama esiZulu, kanye nezigigaba ezingumlando wesizwe.