John Koigi
1 March 2008
column
Nairobi — What's in a name? Ask Viterlis Wafula Sitati. He is the first Kenyan to compile a names dictionary, which contains meanings and origins of some of the world's most prominent.
From Kogwang' to Kamau, Wairimu to Were, Comprehensive Names Dictionary, which was released late last year, contains more than 30,000 names in its 622 pages.
It is a 30-year labour of love for this career teacher and medical laboratory technologist. Published by SAS Enterprise, the book is available at Nairobi's Text Book Centre, Prestige and Bookpoint, among other places.
Upon its release, it invariably topped the Sunday Nation weekly best seller list for several weeks.
"Names form an integral part of the human society, since they serve as factors which bear people's personal and official identities, social, cultural and economic values," says Sitati, a stickler for discipline with an apparent eye for detail. "Every name bears a valid meaning."
His interest in names was ignited in 1978 when he attended the funeral of a cousin in his home village in Moi's Bridge.
Sitati had already been compiling an English-Swahili-Luhya dictionary, the first of its kind then. He recounts: "One of the guest speakers, a village elder, questioned the relevance of names. He gave the example of the name, Khaemba, which is derived from kama emba or sorghum.
Sorghum harvest
"One born during the sorghum harvesting season was called so. From then on, I reckoned that names in other cultures had familiar origins, and immediately sought to explore this."
He began by writing down all the names he came across, beginning with those of friends and family members, and then sought to demystify their origins and meanings. Then a lecturer at the Kenya Medical Teachers College, Sitati tapped into the names diversity offered among students who contributed to his effort.
In the course of his teaching, he also visited different countries and bolstered his names bank. "What intrigued me was the uncanny connection in the meaning of different names. Huai is a Chinese name of a girl, which means flower," he says.
"In Kiswahili, flower is simply maua. Kenyatta (among the Gikuyu) is Shinyatta in the Luhya language. Eshiwani is derived from Einsworth and Kisinja from Kissinger. Tulani is a South African name given to one who is cool and laid back. Tulia is the Kiswahili version."
The honorary lecturer at the University of Nairobi's school of medicine says these similarities should be tapped to ensure harmony within the community.
Comprehensive Names Dictionary also contains first and second names in other countries in and outside Africa. "I decided to broaden my research since I had ready input from my students, who included Nigerians, Zimbabweans and Zambians," he points out.
Sitati, though 62, does not look a day older than 40, thanks to what he describes as a strict religious life and purposeful living. He has sharp, prodding eyes, a neatly cropped moustache and not a strand of white hair on his head. "A good name gives a person a good reputation," he says. "But most communities shun debating a coming baby's name since they feel there is no need worrying about crossing the bridge before reaching it."
However, he says, different communities have different ways of naming new-borns. Names are generally sourced from the time of the day. For example, Koech is one born at dawn and Muroki early morning; seasons (Cherop, Lenchan, Nafula), baby features, order of birth, praise for, in line with the chain of in-laws, events of the day and so on.
"Luhyas and Luos, especially, get names from the events of the time. Therefore, babies born around this time will be given names to reflect the prevailing political strife," he says.
The dictionary was preceded by Luhya Names of Overseas Origin (1997) and Introduction To People's Names and Meanings (2006). It is a resource tool for students, especially of political science and sociology, and the community at large.
In the foreword, Prof Hannington Ouma of the department of microbiology at the University of Nairobi says the book will "open scholastic windows in many learning institutions" as well as enlighten people who select names.
However, some people will question the veracity of some contents. Wangari, for example, is a common Gikuyu name which the book says has been popularised by environmentalist Wangari Maathai. But the name was long in use before the 1940-born former university professor rose to prominence.
Born in Kitale in 1946, Sitati, a father of five, has written several other titles, notably Time Management, Handbook of Clinical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry for Laboratory Students and eight titles of Revised Questions and Answers in the medical laboratory sciences.
His love for the written word began way back in 1963 when he was a member of the editorial board of the Chewoyet high school magazine, Eagle. He honed his writing skills throughout college - Kenya Medical Training College, Kenya Polytechnic and University of Sussex in the UK, amongst others - and his teaching career.
He is an active member of different local writers' forums besides his teaching at African Medical and Research Foundation. He also boasts of several unpublished manuscripts.
His name, Wafula and Sitati, which means one born during the rains and a bludgeon made from a Cassia siamea tree, might as well represent the showering and hammering with information that Comprehensive Names Dictionary has brought to the local book arena.
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