Zulu Names by Adrian Koopman is an important South African study of the language, history and cultural significance surrounding names within Zulu society. Written by a specialist in Zulu language and onomastics, the book examines naming not simply as a means of identifying people and places, but as an expression of language, relationships, history, tradition and cultural memory.
Koopman explores a wide variety of naming practices, including personal names, nicknames and other forms of address, as well as clan names, praise names, geographical names and names associated with settlements and institutions. Zulu Names also considers the linguistic construction and underlying meanings of Zulu names, making it particularly valuable to readers interested in isiZulu vocabulary, etymology and the wider field of African onomastics.
Its strong KwaZulu-Natal focus makes Zulu Names especially relevant to South African researchers, students, genealogists, historians and readers interested in the cultural heritage of the Zulu people. Place names familiar throughout KwaZulu-Natal are placed within a broader linguistic and historical framework, while the discussion of personal and social naming provides insight into the ways names can reflect family circumstances, beliefs, events and relationships.
Published by the University of Natal Press in 2002, Zulu Names has become a useful reference title for African Studies, linguistics, anthropology and Southern African cultural studies. It is an appealing addition to collections dealing with KwaZulu-Natal, Zulu history, indigenous South African languages and Africana. The work runs to approximately 324 pages and is illustrated.
Condition - Very Good
Light general shelf wear and minor rubbing to the cover edges and corners. Light spotting and foxing are visible to the page edges. Binding remains firm and the internal pages appear clean and well preserved.
