ONOMASTIC STUDY OF NAMES IN THE IZERE LANGUAGE

This dissertation is titled “Onomastic study of Names in the Izere Language”. This is a study that reveals the connection of a name and names usage by a particular group of people or the world at large. In this dissertation, the concepts of Onomastic of anthropology, culture, ethnology and globalization were looked into as it affects name especially in the Izere language. The sole aim and motivation of this research was done with the intention to preserve the culture and language of the Afizere people. This will help prevent the language from going extinct as a result of written documents such as this. The theoretical frame work used for this dissertation are the Sapir Whorf‟s hypothesis and the descriptivist theory of names by Frege-Russell where they both believe that language and culture has a way of affecting the view of a speaker and how he/she views the world around it. Hence thoughts are expressed and transmitted through language which shapes the perception of the speaker. The researcher was able to view names in various sections as the names were derived in the Izere language using factors such as family circumstances, religion, politics, philosophical, myths, wealth and professions. The researcher was also able to look at how modernization and intermarriage has affected names in the Izere language. Borrowed names used by speakers of the Izere language were also analysed. In the sections pet names commonly used and known were also analysed. The researcher was able to visit five different areas in Jos metropolis like Federe, Maijuju, Jos Jarawa, Katon Rikkos and Bukuru were ten elderly speakers of the Izere language were randomly selected for an interview. The interviewees consisted of bothe males and females. Two persons from each area were interviewed ranging from the ages of 55-90 years old. The researcher discovered that since language is dynamic and names are also dynamic, as they both are at the risk of change and extinction as times goes on. Finally, the researcher therefore recommends the encouragement to parents to speak the Izere language to their children from a very tender age and also to teach them the basis that they need to know about the language and how it would affect their views as times goes on.