Scraping Chohwora off the wheel

[muckefuck]

We've seen some bad, bad names. But some just defy imagination. Today, I'm perusing the biography of a chief from Delta State in Nigeria whose birth name was Ukomomwonmwonchohwora which means "may my womb not host an evil foetus". Seems his mother had seven miscarriages before he was born. I mean, it's great that he has such a meaningful name, isn't it?

Of course, the Urhobo are not an impractical people, so for ease his name was shortened to "Chohwora". I don't know anything of Urhobo grammar, so I can't say what this chunk represents. Is it "foetus"? "evil foetus"? "may it not"? "womb of mine"? Did this name even stand out at school? Or was "Foetus" the "Jason" of Egini High?

The imperialist chauvinists at the Church Missionary School called him "Wilson".

Comments

[kayiwa.livejournal.com]

I am going with "womb of mine" my guesstimate is based on the assumption that this is a Bantu Language. My command of the Nilotic and Cushitic is terrible when its good... in which case it could be "evil foetus"

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

It's not, though--like the Bantu languages--it does belong to Benue-Congo. (Edoid subgroup, which means "Edo" is the one language I've heard of that's most closely related to it.) I know so little about these languages, I can't say how much they have in common. Have you ever attempted to puzzle out Edo?

[kayiwa.livejournal.com]

Have you ever attempted to puzzle out Edo?

Unfortunately -or fortunately- no.

[muckefuck.livejournal.com]

Here are some Edo names I found on the web. I've seperated out the meanings given, but placed them at the end. See how you do!

Onaiwu
Osamamianmianmwen
Ighiwiyisi
Nowamagbe
Iyare
Iyegbekosa
Ikponmwosa
Izevbokun
Okwoemose

"This child will not die again."
"God did not forget me."
"I shall not get lost in a foreign land."
"He who is not harmed by members of his family cannot be harmed by outsiders."
"Safe journey"
"I lean on God."
"I give gratitude to God."
"I have chosen from the basket of gifts." or "I have chosen from the Goddess of the Sea."
"War is not pretty."