Abstract
The paper examines the role of toponyms in constructing social identity
in northern Nigeria and how these names are interpreted. Toponyms
areplace-names or names given to geographical locations such as towns, streets,
tourist centers and other public places. Social identity on the other hand
contains self-descriptions derived from memberships of social categories,
including nationality, gender, ethnicity, occupation, hobby groups etc.
Toponyms are often characterized by different meanings, contexts, and history.
Some of their basic functions are that they have the tendency of revealing the
identity of those who regularly meet in that particular meeting point and hence
impart a certain character on that place. This paper, therefore, investigates
toponyms as descriptive variables that could be used to assess the way of life
of a people especially a social group. The population for the study consists of
focus-group. The paper employs Onomastic
theory. The data comes from interviews with individuals and young teenagers
within the area under study. Fifty (20) toponyms were collected and analysed in
line with Onomastics parameter, and based on Tent and Blair’s (2009) Model of analysis.
The paper found that the toponyms under study have been turned into slang-based
place-names which reflect youth’s own identity and explain the kind of youth
that is being constructed with these various toponyms.
Keywords: Toponyms, Social identity, Youth, Onomastics
DOI: www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i01.006
author/Muhammad, I., Aliero, M. A., & Bako, M.
A.
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 1(1) | June 2025 |
