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Abstract
Since time immemorial, diverse Shona personal names have been popularised in Zimbabwe, and yet, with the passage of time, they have disappeared almost into oblivion. It is against this background that the discussion explores the perennial use of anthroponyms of the /-nhamo-/ (suffering) stem amongst the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The name is examined within the marked diverse political, economic, religious and social metamorphoses Zimbabwe has gone through since the 16th century, when the European explorers and missionaries set foot in the country. This article explores the reasons behind the preference for first names of the /-nhamo-/ (suffering) stem. Data were gathered from 500 interview respondents above 15 years of age, and from a song ‘Nhamu yangu’ by Thomas Mapfumo (1998) and Blacks Unlimited. According to Makondo (2009, 77) the anthroponym-pragma-semio-semantic decompositional theory provides analytical tools for this predominantly transdisciplinary qualitative discussion. Therefore, the pragmatic political efficacy of the use of personal names is foregrounded.