The other day I was
lazily going through the list of Shona names, that some good hearted soul
helpfully circulated on social media, to build the language capacity of
parents, that are frightened to face the
homework, brought from school by their bundles of joy. This is a list of names
of people, animals, places, things and so on that we rarely use in everyday
communication, but we might or might not
have learnt them at school in our happier early years, and forgot them
immediately after the end year examinations.
Being of a great age and happily free from such tasks as
assisting with homework, I was particularly enjoying re-learning the names of the young ones of animals.
However, it suddenly occurred to me that there are so many names associated
with women in the Shona language. I
returned to the top of the list and read again. I then inspired to compile my
own list of names that women might or might not acquire during the course of
their lives. Here goes…….
When you are born you are immediately identified as girl
(female) - musikana! Or musikana?, (happily
or unhappily)
You are a daughter and therefore you are mwanasikana.
You reach puberty and you become mhandara.
Mhandara is also
the name of a virgin.
But when you are about 2years old and can fetch little
things for your mum or granny, you become Zimhandara.
"Waita zimhandara", you
are a big girl now you can do some chores (notably fetching)
When your virginity disappears to somewhere, you are now a mvana.
But no one can call you mvana
because, as you walk around the
community, there is no evidence to prove the disappearance of virginity. So,
you are called mvana if you had a
baby or fell pregnant but had miscarried
or had still birth.
Although you might be a mvana,
as married woman, this term is not used on you. It is used if you have a
child out wedlock but within certain age limits. That is to say you are only
called mvana when you are still within
of the age when marriage is still expected of you. Above that, no one really
cares, they actually wonder why, if you are not a mvana. Along the line, term mvana
has become tagged with immorality.
However, if you are
married, you are Mumvana but this term refers to a daughter who is married. In other
words it is used in the context of “Mrs Moyo’s mumvana”. This is a term of
respect or even affection.
If the community thinks you now above the age of marriage
but still single, you are a tsikombi (unkind)
But if they feel you are beyond marriage, you become mbonga. (to be pitied as this state is
usually associated with spiritual problems)
If you cannot have a child you are a ngomwa (derogatory)
If you cannot have a child you are also called mhanje
Note that in some Shona dialects ngomwa is a man who is sterile
As a daughter-in-law you are muroora
But you are also free to address your mother-in-law as muroora. The logic here is that your son is his grandfather’s
reincarnate.
As the first wife in a polygamous marriage, you are Vahosi. This a power name, respect and be very afraid.
If you are a second or third or fourth etc wife in a
polygamy situation you are a mukaranga.
If the husband
prefers/loves you more than other wives, in the polygamy set up, you are a nyachide or svovi. There is guilt associated with this status. You will mostly
likely to deny that you are a nyachide
or svovi to all and sundry but privately brag to your
female friends, sisters, aunts and grandmother but not to your mother.
If you are a second or third etc wife but you are sister to
one of the wives, you are a bondwe
A wife who was married after you in a polygamy is mukadzinin'ina
Mukadzinin'ina is
also your husband's young brother's wife
Mukadzinin'ina
can also affectionately refer to your brother's daughter (because she qualifies
to be a bondwe or chimutsamapfihwa )
Before you marry or even become a nyachide you will be dating the married man and you are temporarily
called hure.(derogatory, “husband
thief”
Hure also means a
sex worker
Hure can also
mean a woman with multiple partners.
Lately the term hure is
now carelessly being used to mock a woman in public view, notably politicians,
musicians, actresses, models etc. This also includes a woman speaking out their
minds in a public spaces like in a bus terminus, girls on a night out or a girl
dancing to music at a shopping centre.
As a sex worker you
have other names like pfambi, joki, chipfeve
As a mother you are amai
or mhai
Your mother's young and older sister is mainini and maiguru
respectively
Mainini and maiguru are also your husband's younger and elder brother’s wife respectively.
You can also address your young sister as mainini
Your uncle (mother’s brother)’s daughter is mainini.
Maiguru is also
your brother's wife.
Maiguru is also
your mother’s aunt (her father’s sister)
Tete is your
father's sister
Tete is also your
husband's sister
A grandmother is ambuya.
Mbuya is short
form for ambuya
Mbuya can be used
derogatory for an older woman in the context ageism. For example if you are
dating a younger man, your mocked as a Mbuya.
You can also earn that name if you are behaving in a manner that is
believed to be the for your people such as dressing and sometimes just by
having sexual relations with a man.
An old woman is muchembere
Muchembere is
also a spirit medium of any age
Lately muchembere
has been adopted as an affectionate name for mother.
If husband dies you become a shirikadzi.
Chigadzamapfihwa
is a widow who has been inherited as a wife by the late husband's brother or
nephew.
Chimutsamapfihwa is
a woman who has been inherited as a wife by her brother in law or uncle on the
death of her sister or aunt (referring
to father's sister)
Note that some in some dialects chigadzamapfihwa is used interchangeably with chimutsamapfihwa.
Mambokadzi is our
Queen.
Partriarchy in action indeed. It is all about giving birth
and marriage.
