Naming technique in Maphalla’s drama Tahleho

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to investigate the naming technique in Maphalla’s drama Tahleho. Naming is a very important tool used in various African cultures to convey certain messages, either to an individual, family members, or a community. The naming of various objects is linked with the socio-political factors of countries where anthroponyms and toponyms are found. Naming in literary work also plays a role in any genre. Many African authors use a certain naming technique to achieve their objective. Names are bestowed on characters with a purpose. Maphalla seems to have used a certain naming technique to develop his story. In literary works, choices of names should not be undertaken randomly but should contribute to the development of the elements of the genre. Characters are given names to show their significance in the development of plot structure, characterisation, theme, and style in literary art. This study will adopt literary onomastics, which is concerned with the significance of names in literary works to investigate the naming technique used in Tahleho. To achieve this, Maphalla’s drama Tahleho will be analysed, looking specifically at the naming of characters.