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Novelist
Thailand
2 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Jan 2007 : 04:27:40
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I am doing lots of research for my second novel, which I plan to set in the Gambia. As I go along, there will many little questions that I need to ask to get my facts right.
To begin with, I need to know how Gambian names work. The elsest son, for instance, is he always Lamin regardless of which tribe he comes from? What about girls? Are they named similarly?
Maybe there is someone who might like to help me regularly - a sort of on-line mentor.
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sylvie |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 22 Jan 2007 : 08:04:20
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Oldest Mandinka girl is called Fatou as far as I am aware.
Good luck with the novel. I am sure many Gambians on this site will offer you help. |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jan 2007 : 11:51:39
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quote:
Originally posted by Novelist
I am doing lots of research for my second novel, which I plan to set in the Gambia. As I go along, there will many little questions that I need to ask to get my facts right.
To begin with, I need to know how Gambian names work. The elsest son, for instance, is he always Lamin regardless of which tribe he comes from? What about girls? Are they named similarly?
Maybe there is someone who might like to help me regularly - a sort of on-line mentor.
the people of badibu usually like to name their first born son Lamin and first daughter Bintou. all region defer. most choose names according to the people of their family example if it is boy the man may want to name the child after his father or gran father. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Novelist
Thailand
2 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2007 : 11:13:57
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Thank you - both replies. Can I assume then that names are regional and not tribal? So, if I wrote about a fictitous Gambian character, could I use pretty much any Gambian name?
Santanfara - Where is Badibu? |
sylvie |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2007 : 22:24:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Novelist
Thank you - both replies. Can I assume then that names are regional and not tribal? So, if I wrote about a fictitous Gambian character, could I use pretty much any Gambian name?
Santanfara - Where is Badibu?
Good question but i will refer the question to brother kondorong. where is badibu kondo ? i am sorry to say but i have never been there. i live most of my life in kombo and basse .,but i quess it should in the north of the gambia . |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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Santanfara
3460 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2007 : 22:32:13
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| Novelist i can savely say badibu is in the north of the gambia river and is also bordered with senegal from farafeni . they have a lot of lamins and bintas .they are nice people who love money so much .they are usually non to say my money may wife and nothing else. just a joke. |
Surah- Ar-Rum 30-22
"And among His signs is the creation of heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge." Qu'ran
www.suntoumana.blogspot.com |
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leokat
United Kingdom
123 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2007 : 12:34:43
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Noevelist,
Hello, IMO the best way to research for a novel is to get first-hand experience. Is there any way you could afford to spend some time in The Gambia, maybe working as a volunteer in a school teaching or something? You could then, hopefully, make friends with familes of different tribes and speak with them about the norms and customs surrounding their family and tribal names. In this way you would perhaps avoid oxymorons and errors that might put the credibility of your novel into question and could even cause offence. It would also help you to place your character in a cultural, and geographical, context.
In my experience the issue of the names given to Gambian chilren is a very complex one. You may already be aware the Alex Hailey got it very wrong when he named his (Mandinka) character 'Kunte Kinte.'
I am in no way an expert but over the past few months I have discoverd the following:
Names have family, tribal, cultral, religious, geographical, even political, significance.
They may also be linked to occupation, character, trait etc. In The Gambia is fairly usual (and not nearly as potentially offensive as it often is here in England) for someone to call another a nickname based on occupation, physical feature, character trait etc; providing it is done with a good heart.
A lot of people residing in the Gambia come from elsewhere. Many from other West African countries - notably: Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Cameroon etc. However, tribal boundaries do not always accord with (European imposed) tribal boundaries so these people may or may not bear names that are 'authenticly Gambian.' Other people came as traders from places such as The Lebanon. They often have names that are not historically Gambian but are (probably) Muslim. and are therefore familiar as Gambian names.
A woman (mostly) maintains her own surname after marriage, though she may - in some cases, add her husband's name (in a way similar to a European double-barelled name).
Many people are known by differing names according to the situation. For example, my friend is known by one name when working with the tourists, another by his family, he also has birth (Muslim) name.
Members of the same family my have the same first name. Even girls and boys of the same family may share a name. For example, all members of a family, whether boy or girl children, may be known as 'Lamarana' if born at Ramadan. However, the family name they are normally addressed by will usually be different (for at least one of them)to avoid confusion.
As has already been said, many (most) first born Mandinka boy childen are called Lamin. However, this may not be true if the child is born 'out of wedlock' or in a mixed tribal (or racial) family. Ditto the first born Mandinka girl child and the name 'Fatou'.
I could go on and on but time is pressing. Hope you understand, and find useful, what I have written. Good luck with the book
Leo (aka Hadi).
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 29 Jan 2007 : 20:55:43
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Many first names for boys is lamin which is the same as Mohammed. Fatou is generally the name of first born girl. Fatou is the same as Binta or Bintou. Its the names of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammed. She was called Fatoumatta Bintou Rasoul. In the Arab culture names are adrresed with the father. Forexample "Lamin Ibin Abubakarr" which means Lamin the son of Abubakarr. It should be noted that the names Lamin and Fatou came with islam and therefore very recent.
However, a more realistic pattern in names of children is that First names of boys are usually named after their paternal grand fathers whilst the daughter is named after the paternal grandmother.
The rule of the tumb especially in Mandingo societies is that the husband gives the names of the first two children born in the family whilst the wife names the third. It has changed over time where people name their first born after a friend neighbor etc.
The name Lamin is a corrupted arabic name for Al-Amin(trusthworthy i believe) |
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