Indigenous Knowledge in Acholi Nicknames

Abstract

Rationale of Study – Nicknames are a cultural experience. In some contexts, they are perceived as ‘little’ names that are different from ‘official’ names.  Therefore, a nickname is a part of personal identity. Nicknames are often discreet and sometimes opaque. This article explains the meaning of a  nickname in the African context and specifically discusses Acholi nicknames (mwoch) as an indigenous way of generating, sharing and preserving  knowledge.

Methodology – Data for this paper was obtained through interviews. The author interviewed purposively selected respondents from Mucwini in Kitgum  and other parts of Acholi sub-region in northern Uganda. It is the nicknames that were the subject of these interviews that are presented, analysed and  discussed in this article. The author also tapped into his childhood experience and knowledge of Acholi culture.

Findings – Overall Acholi nicknames communicate indigenous knowledge but they must be unlocked, deconstructed and explained in detail in order to  share their meanings with the wider world in time and space. It is writing and publication that holds a promise of conserving the knowledge so easily lost  because it is considered casual, trivial and peripheral to the core of cultures.

Implications – The findings of this study may be used to demonstrate the power of cultural practices, such as nicknames, to generate, share and  preserve indigenous knowledge. They may also be used by governments and cultural institutions to mainstream indigenous knowledge in the  preservation of the universe of knowledge in communities.

Originality – There is limited literature on African nicknames. This article adds an East African tone to ongoing discourse on names and nicknames by  non-onomastics scholars who view nicknames as a form of indigenous expression and communication that is deeply rooted in knowledge and  philosophy. If not elucidated, the knowledge remains hidden from scholars, and thus unproductive to creativity and eventually lost to all.