Nicknaming among Xhosa-speaking children and adolescents

Abstract

This study reports on the nicknames of two separate sets of urban Xhosa-speaking informants; the first set belong to children of 5 to 6 years of age and the second set are the nicknames of adolescents of about 18 years of age. The nicknames were analysed in order to determine what patterns were evident in their coinage, and what the differences in form and function between the petnames of parents for their young children and the nicknames of adolescents were. Findings reveal interesting differences in the nature and function of the nicknames of each group; while all the nicknames show strong evidence of linguistic playfulness and creativity, the social functions of nicknames undergo a marked change from being primarily intimate and playful signals of affection in childhood, to acting as important social indicators of group membership and easy familiarity as well as a means of being mocking or sarcastic in adolescence.