Naming Practices and Identity Construction in the Ghɔmálá’ Community: A Sociolinguistic Analysis of Cultural Meaning, Social Hierarchy, and Global Influences

Abstract

This article examines the sociolinguistic implications of naming practices within the Ghɔmálá’ community. It is guided by the following central research question: How do naming practices within the Ghɔmálá’ community function as sociolinguistic mechanisms for constructing, negotiating, and maintaining cultural identity, social hierarchy, and historical consciousness in a context of multilingualism and globalization? The main objective of this study is to explore the intricate sociolinguistic landscape of Ghɔmálá’ naming practices by illuminating the dynamic interactions between language, culture, and identity. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including observation, interviews, focus groups, and archival data, this study investigates how naming conventions reflect cultural values, social status, and historical influences. The analysis leans on anthropolinguistic theory (Durante 2003; Lévi-Strauss 1958-1973), Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead 1934, 1962), Social Identity Theory (Henri Tajfel and John Turner, 1979) and Postcolonial Theory (Frantz Fanon, 1967 and Edward Said, 1978), to demonstrate how names function as linguistic markers of social roles, kinship relations, and cultural heritage. The findings reveal that naming practices are embedded in complex systems of meaning that encode power relations, identity constructions, and cultural continuity. This study contributes to a broader understanding of the relationship between language and identity in multilingual and multicultural contexts by showing how naming practices serve as a key site for the negotiation of identity, power, and cultural belonging.