“NAME” – Your Personal Insignia - Tokong Pertin With a name as one’s identity, begins the journey of a man. Human psyche do love the string of words or alphabets that make up his/her name. As such, as a souvenir, people autograph library books, currency notes, benches and desks in classroom, parks and more so bathroom/toilet walls of airport, bus stations etc. with their names. Sometimes, we see the same artistic works on Pillow cover, handkerchief and other personal belongings that carries owner’s name or initials. Many do succeed by praising the Government in power or newspaper’s news items to see their names printed in newspapers. The Adi people have mastery skill and colourful ways in naming their newborn. “Adi names are always an exercise of its rich vocabulary. In true sense, names are words by which an individual, a person, a place, a season, an emotion or a thing is identified and referred to. If one can ponder into the naming of a person amongst the Adis, the most promising tribal community of Siang Valley, he can discover a mine of social customs, the implications and its significance of traditional custom, social behaviors and history, etc. Names discloses the perception of Adi community. Language skills of the Adi’s are revealed through the fantastic naming art based on imagination and guessing endurance. Sometimes, this discloses the psychology affecting mood, situation, conditions, places, crops and seasons. Therefore, Adi names imbibe numerous information, perpetual social norms, explanations characteristics of amusement and rational values by connoting symbolic words. As an instance, second syllable of father’s names comes into first syllable of the child’s name to identify decadency. Likewise, the names of month denote the variations of seasons, crops and other environmental foreshocks besides incorporating social life and social behavior”.1 “The custom is – a baby is immediately named after it’s born by any attending elders or other family members. They do so because of their deep rooted belief in the existence of spirits-both good and bad who are engaged in perpetual fight over the possession of the human child. While the mother is in a state of delivering a child, the ‘UYU’s’ (Spirit) queue themselves up and jostle for taking hold of the baby extending both palms near the mother. ‘Gumin-Soyin’, being the kind and protective spirit of the house and the ‘MUSUP/ DERE’, mercifully stands first and endeavors to hold the baby as soon as it is out of the mother’s womb. If he succeeds in doing so, it is believed the baby grows into a happy and healthy life. However, if it slips through his extended palms, ‘NGITE- PORO’, a spirit causing constant sickness to human beings catches the baby and names it. Babies named by ‘NGITE-PORO’ or ‘NITE PORO’ are pale and weak, and remain afflicted with diseases throughout their life. Third in the line stands ‘MIJENG-OPOM’ who inflicts mental diseases. Children falling into his hands develop constant headache and on certain occasions go mad. Close to this spirit, lines up the dreadful ‘NGIPONG’ or ‘NIPONG’ who causes death to women during child delivery. After him, awaits the designer of fatal accidents, ‘BANJI-BANMANG’, whose victims fall from tree-tops, get killed through bloodshed and meet with various kinds of disastrous accidents. Finally, it is ‘SILI-SIDONG’, the spirit of water, rivers and oceans who causes his victims to die by drowning. Needless to say, more importantly, the neighbouring womenfolk and family members anxiously attends the occasion to see the baby out hale and hearty and name it lest the jealous ‘UYUS’ lay their hands into it before them.”2 “The imagination and guessing endurance of those who attempt to unravel the significance of such audacious names- both males and females, a little bit more of foray and analysis into the secrets of the names finally guides one into the world of the simple, frank, fun loving, liberal as well as abundant language skill of the Adis who finely discloses a lot of history, a little bit of geography and also some psychological thoughts through their naming custom.” 3 The name of a person is most important thing for him. He/she carries it as a ‘Personal Insignia’ for a lifetime. It is his/her identity mark, through which she/he could be distinguished from others. A person feels flattered when an institution, a city, a street, or a prize is named after him. It is a boost to the ego – a guarantee of immortality! Why do we have craving love for our name despite having some funny and unusual names? Because our name is the first sound we respond to as a child, thus it becomes a part and parcel of our personality, a signboard for the world to recognize. One can see reaction of a person if his/her name is misspelt, their immediate emotional reaction is attributed to his/her love for their name through which he/she is distinguished. Some people are happy with his/her name, sometimes others may dislike the name of some persons. I had experienced one such interesting encounter during my childhood days at my village school, it was perhaps when I was hardly 7-8 years old. One fine morning during our school assembly, one of our teachers - Shri Nonong Borang, called up a student named Shri Momok Ngukir and asked him to stand along with them and announced with his full volume of changing the name of Shri Momok’s and declared that henceforth, Shri Momok Ngukir’s name has been changed to Shri Bonyiing Ngukir, a more pleasing name then that of Momok (Generally indicative of a pet animal, specially a dog with speckled and grizzled brown/black hair on its nasal is given “Momok” as its cajoling name). Those were the old days when neither written columns in any of the newspaper nor provision of affidavit before ‘Executive Magistrate Court’ was perhaps not available or not in use. From that day onwards, Shri Momok Ngukir became ‘Shri Bonyiing Nugukir’ to the world but it is not known to me whether he continues to retain his new name given by our teacher, Shri Borang Sir. However, now a days, we find several such advertisements in classified columns of newspapers announcing to the world that such and such person has changed his/her name to more pleasant ones. If the bearer of name is happy enough with his first name, it reveals that he is happy with himself. If the name is unusual and funny, it is looked upon as a social handicap. Those with funny or unusual first names do many a time face more trouble adjusting to the hassles in living than their more conventionally named friends, as a result some people change their name in later stages of their life to more pleasing names. However, such exercises are, perhaps, corrected in official records only in Adi land. The artistic and fun loving, the colorful Adi’s always find an amusement way to such new name by retaining old one to identify the person, say, Shri Keta has changed his name into Shri Kamin but in his locality he is called and identified as Shri Keta Kamin. Few such classic and living examples are given below:- Old name New Adopted name Called and Identified in his locality Shri Keta Shri Kamin Shri Keta Kamin Shri Kaling Shri Vijai Shri Kaling Vijai Shri Komkeng Shri Jomut Gumin Shri Jomut Gumin Komkeng Shri Pokbang Shri Kennedy Shri Kennedy Pokbang Shri Tosu Shri Thomas Shri Thomas Tosu Shri Tokbom Shri Soli Litin Shri Tokbom Soli Common Adi male names like – Ojong, Takkong, Tason, Joyon, Talom, Kabit, Otem, Gemin, Kaling, Takar, Tabit, Tani etc. Common Adi female names like – Ponung, Raseng, Yamoti, Yayam, Yatok, Omang, Opet, Oti, Omem, Toklak etc. Some funny and unusal Adi male and female’s name – Itti (female organs)/ Emak or Mayit (male organs). FROM ITTI (The given below names indicate that at the time of their birth, the parents had given birth to many baby girls in the family). ADI NAME** MEANING/EXPRESSION OF THE NAME IN ADI SOCIETY Tiyon Row of female. Titel Last female child. Tipeng Indicative of female child had been born earlier or simultaneously in a close family. Tigul Sister who will/shall be of assistance to her elder sister. Tilek Series of female child. Tulek Local vegetable garden where green leafy vegetables like mustard leaves/lettuce are grown. Amping Youngest female child who generally assist elder sisters in de-husking of paddy in a traditional mortar. FROM EMAK (The given below names indicate that at the time of their birth, the parents had given birth to many baby boys in the family). ADI NAME** MEANING/EXPRESSION OF THE NAME IN ADI SOCIETY Makpak Indicative of birth of sons in succession as a result the son will either stay away in school or construct its own dwelling house leaving his old parents. Maktel Indicative of last son in the series, which actually means that parents expect to see a daughter as next offspring. Makyon Indicative of keeping paternal hierarchy/ linkages. Makkang Indicative of full of dirty membrane in and around male organ at birth. Makgul Indicative of the son who will assist his elder brother in the household works. Makbul Parents expect a daughter but a son being born instead. Makpel - do - Maksup Son being born in a secluded place. Makrik Son being born at the time of arrival of a prominent member in the house. Makni Younger brother. Some unusual funny names are usually found in Adi society. Some of these are as follows:– ADI NAME** MEANING/EXPRESSION OF THE NAME IN ADI SOCIETY Kosang Bitter in taste- Indicative of stopping Infant Mortality or a name given to ward off evil spirit. Dongkal Earthworm- Indicative of stopping Infant Mortality or a name given to ward off evil spirit. Arik Agricultural field- Indicative of the child had been born in the Arik. Bedang Road- Indicative of the child had been born in the Road, either on the way to Arik or while returning home from Arik. Marsang A small herb used as vegetable by locals, which gives a tingling sensation at the time of eating. Botanical Name – Spilanthes Paniculata. Kotbor Indicative of the child will attend school and read books. Pakong A shelf of maize. Runggep Finger Millet/Clump of Finger Millet or it may also denote an earlobe. Ammo Paddy. Rokpo Cock; Indicative of the son shall be very active in his life like the Cock. Ribi A small fish- Indicative of female child name, named after Ribigaseng (Scarf worn by ladies). Scientific Name-Aborichthys Elongates or Aborichthys Kempi. Sibye Monkey, name given after seeing the appearance of the Child. Tumpuluk Cajoling name of testicles, in plainwords, Tomato. Regum Traditional attached latrine- Indicative of the child had been born in the Regum. Taron Earthquake; Child born during 1950 earthquake. Siana(China) Child born during Chinese aggression. Nonong Cajoling name of male organs. Tonong - do - Batyar/Koyar Indicative of male child name referring to hunting action. Batbo - do - Batna - do - Batpok - do - Bosor Indicative of the child’s birth on the beginning of a new year (Nutun Bosor). Aido Thank you or Good (Out of relief, this name might have been given). Mornig Child might have been born in the morning hour. India A patriotic name. Sadin(Swadin) - do - Agosto August Month – Name after the month of birth. Lobo Child born during monsoon. Each and every Adi names have meaning, therefore, names should not be either disintegrated or broke when writing some ones name. For example if some body writes my name as ‘T. Pertin’ at the whim of reader or writer, one can interpret the initial ‘T’ as Tiger/ Temper/ Terrorist/Tortoise/ Tuklok Pertin. Literary meaning/expression of “Tokong” in an Adi society means being ahead of others and if my name is written as ‘T. Pertin’, the actual meaning of my name will be missing. It is said that even ‘Late Jawaharlal Nehru’ wrote his first two names as one and did not relish a split within it. With the passage of time and exposure to outside world (other than Adi land), people have a changed mindset which reflects in its naming their children. Even an older gentleman/lady may change their name to more influencial names like – Rajiv, India, some even christen their babies as Amitabh, Rajesh, Hema, Rekha etc. Now a days inclination to his or her faith or belief also influences the naming of new ones as can be seen by the names like – Abraham, Philip, Timoti, John, Mary, Gonesh, Kartik, Ragunath, Feroze etc. Since the name of a person is an important insignia, it is, therefore, desirable that parents while naming their new ones give some thought and give a pleasant and meaningful lifetime gift of name to his or her offspring. * Illustrative list, not exhaustive. Courtesy:- R. N. Koley, ARSI, 2007 2&3. Bangkung, ARSI, 1979
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:10:23 +0000
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