99% Invisible What’s in a Name
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Jan 27, 2026 
Kim Chakanetsa, Zimbabwean producer and storyteller who traces naming traditions in her country. She explores bold English-word names like Suffer and Medicine. She discusses colonial disruption, reclaiming indigenous names during political struggle, and playful post-independence reinvention. The piece looks at diaspora reactions, social media pressures, and why names can be proud storytelling acts.
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Names As Social Messages
- Shona names traditionally functioned like public messages, carrying hopes, grievances, and requests to the community and ancestors.
- They acted as social signals that explained family situations and shaped reputations within the village.
A Name Born From Fear
- Ignatius Makbasa recounts an uncle named Teacher Pondwa after his family fled a threatened village on the night of the uncle's birth.
- The name literally meant "we will be murdered," reflecting the immediate danger and family history.
Colonial Pressure Shifted Names Publicly
- British colonialism and missionary activity made English the language of power and replaced public use of Shona names.
- Africans adopted English names for public life while keeping Shona names at home to navigate the colonial system.