Names and Naming in Gorwaa and Iraqw: a typological Tanzanian perspective

The South Cushitic languages Gorwaa (ISO639-3: gow) and Iraqw (ISO639-3: irk) - both spoken in Tanzania by approximately 130,000 and 500,000 people, respectively – are among the small number of Cushitic languages spoken in the country, setting themselves apart by their phonology, grammar, as well as the wider cultures of their speaker communities. Linguists working from both outsider (Harvey 2019) and insider (Alphonce 2020) perspectives have argued that Gorwaa and Iraqw naming traditions are important conduits of local history, and are under considerable pressure from Christian, Muslim, and Swahili naming conventions. While both of the above works attempt an internal typology of Gorwaa and Iraqw names and naming, no attempt has been made to place them within the larger context of Tanzanian names and naming systems. This talk begins with a detailed discussion of names and naming in Gorwaa and Iraqw, distinguishing several independent mechanisms within the larger whole, including inherited, circumstantial, and talismanic names. Then, drawing on a wealth of newly-available analyses of names and naming in other Tanzanian languages, the Gorwaa and Iraqw systems are compared and contrasted with those present in Bantu-, Nilotic-, and Hadza-speaking communities.