Abstract:
This research aimed at exploring the naming system and gender construction in
Safwa ethnic group. The study was conducted through the interviews and focus
group discussion which provided the primary data, where by the semi structured
questions were administered to the respondents who gave the required information
concerning this study, and library reading which gave the experience on how other
researchers have discovered in issues related to my study. The study area was Mbeya
rural specifically in the two divisions which are Usongwe and Tembela. It was
guided by three questions: (1) what are common names in Safwa ethnic group and
how do these names relate to gender construction? (2) What is the relationship
between the meaning of the name and the behavior of the person called that name?
(3)What is the relationship between the naming system and language?
Research findings show that Safwa people give names which are typically
meaningful and are depending to a certain reason. It was also discovered that, there is
a big relationship between the meaning of the name and the behavior of the person
called that name, especially when the name is given during adulthood. Apart from
this it was revealed that naming system and language can not be separated because
there are no names without language and through names one can get a certain
meaning and know the culture of the area where the name is used.
