Examining the Significance of Names of Rivers in South Africa: aNorthern Sotho Perspective

Abstract

Naming expresses reality in various ways around the globe. Names form part of people’s collective identityand heritage (Mphela& Mogoboya, 2019). In other words, they are carriers of people’s culture and tradition which, in Africa, is passed on to posterity by word of mouth. Rivers are named because they are natural assets cherished by communities that live next to them. They carry sanctimonious significance in Africa. Furthermore, names of rivers reveal people’s richness of their spoken and written language.Therefore, people need to keep these rivers clean and free from pollution. By allowing them to flow, people will be drinking clean water, which is a health benefit. The other benefit is that they prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases which are harmful and detrimental to the human life. This is a qualitative study whose aim is to examine the significanceof names of rivers in South Africa from a Northern Sotho perspective. Afrocentric theoretical assumptions have been employed to underpin the study. Interviews were used to collect data which was later on analysed morphologically and semantically. Participants were purposefully sampled in relation to the title of the study. This study recommends for active involvement of all stakeholders in preserving the names and identity of the rivers as part of people’s cultural heritage.