Semantics And Pragmatics Of Oromo Personal Names Eastern Wollegga

The objective of this research is to describe the personal naming practices andrnmeanings of personal names in Eastern Wollega of selected woredas. Arndescriptive survey method is used in the study. The subjects of the study arernp eople with ample experience in personal naming. To collect the data tools likerninterviews, observation, tape recording, and document analysis have beenrnemployed. The data are analysed using qualitative approaches.rnThe results of the study reveal that the p eople of the study area give names tornbabies in five different ways. These are 'haammaeiisaa', 'ayyaana heduu,rnnaming after days, time of the day, and birth seasons. The results thus indicaternthat Oromo personal names have meaning which may be descriptive,rnconnotative, associate or contextual. In addition, there are personal names whichrnhave both symbolic and referential meanings. These different meanings can bernrecognized on the basis of the culture of the society. The names are classified onrnthe bas is of the themes they represent. In Oromo personal names, there arerndistinct gender marks which distinguish masculine and feminine gender. SomernOromo names serve as temporal and personal deixis.

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