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COOU Journal of Arts and Humanities (CJAH) Vol. 5 No. 3, 2020

Abstract
When a woman is married in Umunze, a town in Igboland, she is expected to be given a 
nickname by other women in the extended family. They call one another by these names in 
events such as cultural dance and meetings organised by these women. Therefore, this study 
examines a sociolinguistic study of nicknaming among women in Umunze. It aims to ascertain 
the meaning of these names as well as their cultural implications. It looked into the patriarchal 
nature of the nicknames and the symbolical elements prevalent in the nicknames. The 
framework hinges on Feminist Linguistic Sex Difference theory. The researcher is a native 
speaker thereby uses her knowledge about the dialect in collecting data for this study. The 
findings are: nicknames among Umunze women are given based on the personalities of the two 
people involved-newly married and the husband. The reasons behind the nicknames are for 
unity, closeness and communal living which exist among Umunze women. The cultural 
implication is to uphold the culture of Umunze people as well as to bring the women together as 
one being that they come from different backgrounds. Some names are derogatory while others 
extol. Symbols are used to make the bearers of the names to think deeply and act accordingly or 
effect a change where possible.

Keywords: Sociolinguistic, nicknaming, women, Umunze, Igboland.

Introduction
Names are given to an individual in order to identify such a person. It could be naming a child, 
nicknaming among women or men, naming among dancing groups and naming among title 
holders. In whichever way to look at it, names are given based on agreement. One may decide 
to take a pet name or any other name one chooses to answer but when it involves a larger 
community, there must be a consensus. 

In Umunze, when a woman is married to a particular family, after the traditional marriage rite 
known as the 'igbankwunwanyi' has been performed, the woman is expected to be given a 
nickname by other women in the extended family. The nicknames are given to show the 
communal living that exists among the women and to draw the attention of the newly married 
to the happenings in the compound, being that they come from different families and 
backgrounds.  Nicknaming among Umunze women is done based on the personality of the 
woman, family background as well as other factors such as the personality of the husband and 
the events surrounding the marriage. This study explores nicknaming among Umunze women, 
the reasons behind those names, their cultural implications, patriarchal nature of the 
nicknames and their symbols.

EZE, PATRICIA E.
Kaduna State University, Kaduna

patwillyeze@gmail.com
07037765252

SOCIOLINGUISTIC STUDY OF NICKNAMING 
AMONG WOMEN IN UMUNZE IGBO



A brief History of the Umunze People
Umunze is the headquarters of Orumba South Local Government Area in Anambra State. 
Umunze is one of the dialects of Igbo spoken in the Eastern part of Nigeria. Igbo language is 
one of the major languages in Nigeria. The language belongs to the Niger-Congo group of Kwa 
language family. Umunze people are the descendants of Nze. The seven villages that make up 
Umunze people are Nsogwu, Ugwunano, Lomu, Ubaha, Ururo, Ozara and Amuda. Other 
neighbouring towns around Umunze are Isulo, Ajalli, Ufuma, Nawfija, Ezira, Umuchu, Ihite, 
Owere-Ezukalla, Eziagu, Umuchukwu, Ogbunka and Isuochi. They are known for their 
farming and trading. Kingship in Umunze is not hereditary but moves from one village to 
another.

Conceptual Framework
Language is a major cultural phenomenon in human society and therefore an important 
regulator of individual consciousness and social interaction. As a cultural phenomenon, 
language is used in naming ceremonies, marriage rites, wrestling and dancing competitions. 
Wale (2008) in Emezue (2011:7) has this to say, “Language is human vocal noise or the 
arbitrary graphic representation of this noise or used systematically and conventionally by 
members of a speech community for purposes of communication”. Two core words in this 
definition are systematically and conventionally. Here, language is not spoken haphazardly; 
rather the words spoken by an individual or community are spoken based on the agreement 
made by those people about the topic of discourse. It implies that one cannot come up with any 
word by oneself; rather there will be a consensus by which people come together to make an 
agreement concerning such topic of discourse. In this regard, names and nicknaming are not 
left out in such communal consensus.

Name is a word or phrase that refers to a specific person, place, thing or group of things. 
Naming is a phenomenon that man cannot do without. Name is a mark of identity in which one 
is known. Not only man is named but also animals and non-living things are named. There are a 
lot of factors that influence naming a person. These factors include circumstances surrounding 
the birth of a child, the position a child is occupying in the family, political, religious and 
social. But  nicknaming among Umunze women is different from child's naming in that the 
personalities of the husband and the wife involved are taken into consideration. According to 
Hornby in Ajileye and Ajileye (2012:195), “A nickname is a name given in addition to, or 
altered from, or used instead of the real name''. It implies that a nickname is another name 
added to the real name of a person.  It is a name that is different from your real name but it is 
what your family and friends call you when they are talking to you or about you. Bechar-Israel 
(1995) states that a nickname is a name we receive in addition to our legal name [which is] 
usually given to us by the people surrounding us. 

The issue of naming cannot be over-emphasized because you are your name and your 
name is you. We cannot but say that our nicknames make us loud, the tones and voices people 
use most time in calling people's nicknames are high and loud. The idea of naming makes you 
to fit in the society; nonetheless, there is nobody without a name. In the same vein, Ogunwale 
(2016), remarked that the idea of naming is onomastic, and is contextualised within the 
premise of its social and cultural ideologies. In nicknaming, the socio-cultural background of 
an individual needs to be taken into cognisance. In other words, different people around the 
globe have expunge different ways of naming. The same name differs based on our cultures. A 

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name given to a child in a particular situation in one culture may be different from the one 
given to another child in that particular situation in a different culture.  

Saeed (2007:27) asserts, “Names after all are labels for people, places, etc and often 
seem to have little other meaning''. When we ask of the meaning of Chimamanda Ngozi 
Adichie, it is quite unreasonable to ask such a question but rather to talk about the individual. It 
is worthy to note that context is important in the use of names. Saeed (2007) advocates names 
are definite in that they carry the speakers' assumptions that their audience can identify the 
referent. It implies that when one makes reference to a definite person, one assumes that one 
can identify the person made reference to. Deciding what to call something according to 
Barbara (2008) can constitute a claim about it. For example, people who sell clothing through 
catalogues or over the internet make highly strategic choices of names for the colours of items, 
since buyers can only see them in pictures. Hudson (2003: 122) sees personal names as: “The 
clearest linguistic markers of social relations. Each person has a number of different names by 
which they may be addressed, including first and family names, and possibly a title''. This 
study aims at examining the title names given to women by other women in the families they 
are married to, so as to make them become part of them, being brought in from different family 
backgrounds. Mbonu (2010:10), differentiates between given names and taken names in Igbo 
tradition. He continues, “Given names represent a family story while taken names express a 
person's current history''. In the same vein, Ezeanya (1994:9) avers, “A person receives a new 
name to indicate a change in his rank or in his appointment to a new post''. When a young girl of 
a marriageable age marries in Umunze, she has changed her position as well as rank; a new 
name is given to her in order to make her acceptable and honourable. 

Title names given to women as the case here cannot be divorced from the socio-
cultural affinity. It depends on where the woman is coming from, her personality and where 
she is settling. Naturally, when a woman is newly married, there is an issue of acceptability 
which most women face in their husbands' place. With the title names given by other women, 
the newly married is drawn a bit closer to other women in her new home. Thomas (2017) does 
not go out of his way when he remarks that in the formation of a name; most African cultures 
do not forget their roots, lineage, future and destiny. Also, a title name may be given by the 
women based on some persons who have achieved prominence as well as on historical figures. 
Basically, they have seen those fits on the newly married before they will give such names to 
her. Scholars that have written on names and nicknaming include Ajileye & Ajileye (2012) on 
“Pragma-sociolinguistic features of Yoruba nicknames”. They examined the stylistic 
significant characteristics of nicknames with a view to identifying the manner of construction, 
expression and perception which they exhibit using a pragma-sociolinguistic model. 

The paper finds out that these nicknames demonstrate particular characteristic 
strategies of naming which implicate certain layers of meanings which include primary, 
secondary and tertiary. Also, Yoruba nicknames are not semantically distinguishable but also 
have distinction and elegance in their forms and functions. Their study added more light in the 
semantic differences on Yoruba nicknames as well as their forms and functions. However, 
there are gaps between this current study and theirs in that this present study attempts to 
analyse the cultural implications behind Umunze women's nicknames. It focuses on the 
patriarchal nature of the nicknames as well as their symbolic elements. But Ajileye and 
Ajileye's works focused in identifying the manner of construction, expression and perception 
found in Yoruba nicknames. Ibukun and Omotosho (2014) analysed a study on a “Socio-



semiotic study of nicknaming among undergraduates in a Nigerian University”. They 
attempted to identify the patterns of nicknaming and see how nicknames function as a socio-
semiotic signification system for identity reformation and reinvention among students of the 
University of Ibadan.  The study finds out the use of irony as a common tool for reinventing the 
identity of others especially where the nicknames are given as derogatory labels to redesign the 
identities of the concerned personalities. 

This current study differs from theirs in the sense that it investigates a sociolinguistic 
study of nicknaming among Umunze women. It looks at the rationale behind the nicknames as 
well as their cultural implications, patriarchal nature of the nicknames and their symbols. So, 
reviewing Ibukun and Omotosho's works has shown that some people use nicknames to 
project themselves especially where the nicknames were the creations of the individual 
concerned.

Anyachonkeya (2014) analysed “Naming in Igbo land: a linguistic and cultural study”. 
The paper examines naming among Omuma people of Oru East Local Government Area of 
Imo in order to ascertain the relationship that exists in their naming with the rest of Ndi Igbo of 
Nigeria and Ndi Igbo in the Diaspora. The study investigates naming under the following 
subheadings: religious, social, historical, linguistic and philosophical. It finds out that 
sentential naming is customary of the Igbo people in general. She asserts that naming has 
religious, social, linguistic and philosophic colouring. The study shows that names children 
bear are reflection of their parents' thoughts and life's travail. Also, names given to children are 
the whims of their parents.

Onumajuru (2016) conducted a study on “Semantic and pragmatic analysis of Igbo 
names”. The paper investigates the semantic and pragmatic contents of personal names and 
naming in the Igbo language and culture. The study examines the structure of Igbo names and 
analyses their semantic and pragmatic contents. The findings show that Igbo names 
structurally fall into three categories: lexical, phrasal and sentential. She posits that for Ndi 
Igbo, a name is not just a tag of identity or personal label but a story and an expression of the 
events and circumstances surrounding the birth of the child as well as the parents' life 
experiences and world view.

Also, Okagbue et al (2017) analysed a study on “Personal name in Igbo culture: a data 
set on randomly selected personal names and their statistical analysis”. They investigated a 
simple random sampling of some selected Igbo personal names. The alphabets were presented 
in their written form. The study shows the statistical analysis of the distribution of the 
following: characters for each name, consonants, vowels, initial letters, terminal letters and 
total or word length and comparative ranking of frequency of occurrence. It is observed that 
the 5 vowels are ranked first to fifth and the consonants are ranked after. Initial and terminal 
letters constitute a major component of the study of words, nouns, proper nouns and personal 
names. 

This present study is different from Anyachonkeya, Onumajuru and Okagbue et al 
works in that it centres on a sociolinguistic study of nicknaming among Umunze women which 
is not the focus of the various scholars' works reviewed. Anyachonkeya, Onumajuru and 
Okagbue et al works, deal on personal names while this present work deals on nicknames 
given to women by other women in the extended family. Their works are relevant to this study 
for they delve into the linguistics, structural and statistical analysis of Igbo personal names 
respectively which give an insight into this present work.

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Nicknaming in Igbo Land
In the olden days, nickname is common among men and women in Igbo land either for their 
achievement, wealth, non-achievement, handsomeness or strength. Then, a winner in a 
wrestling competition is given a name such as 'azueruala' (back that does not touch ground) 
and 'dike' (strong man); a man who has a barn full of yam is nicknamed 'ezeji' (king of yam), 
and in terms of wealth, the person is called 'akajiaku' (hand that holds wealth), 'omeego' 
(always bringing money) and 'omenyiri' (someone who can do more than required). 
Supporting this, Phillip (1990), advocates that male nicknames relate typically 
toconnotestrength, hardness and maturity while female nicknames connotemore of beauty, 
pleasantness, kindness and goodness. Other times, nicknames can be acquired or transferred 
from one person to another, such nicknames include; 'omekannaya' (one that behaves like his 
father) and 'oyirinnaya' (one that resembles his father). According to the study conducted by 
De klerk and Bosch (1996) on nicknames as sex-role stereotypes, it shows that males were 
more likely to have nicknames than females, especially in single-sex schools. Sometimes, 
their names can be shortened to become their business nicknames such as 'Williams' to 
'Willcon', 'Obinna' to 'Obibenz' and 'John' to 'Jonnitex'.

Female nicknames are mostly given by friends and family members because of their 
goodness, kindness, support, beauty and personality etc. Differentiating nicknaming among 
male and female, Deklerk and Bosch (1996), argue that male nicknames were more likely than 
female nicknames to be used by their peer group members, males were more likely to coin 
nicknames than females, parents and family members were more likely to coin female 
nicknames. In terms of the woman's beauty, such nicknames include; 'anyanwuututu' which 
means 'morning sun' and 'apun'anwu' which means someone that should not go under the sun' 
because of her beauty. In terms of support, we have, 'ada di oramma' which means 'a daughter 
that is good for everybody' and 'nneora' which means the 'mother of everybody'. 

Nicknames influence the perceptions of users; this is because of the semantic values 
evident in some nicknames (Holland 1990; Alford 1987). There is the tendency that the bearers 
of those nicknames behave like their names. Therefore, such nicknames have consequences of 
influencing the character of their bearers hereby making them to act the same. De klerk and 
Bosch (1996), concur with Holland and Alford when they say that bearers too may well accept 
their appellations as somehow indicative of the kind of person they are, the nickname 
functioning as a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. 

But in recent time, nickname is no longer in vogue due to the influence of religion. It is 
a practice condemned by the Christian faithful, that it is worldly and against the faith. For this 
reason, most people that have nicknames abhor it, saying that it is barbaric. Although, some 
individuals still answer their nicknames, majority do not. It is pertinent to note that in 
nicknaming, the bearer is aware of the situation unlike in child's naming where he/she is not 
aware. The child is named based on the events surrounding his/her birth; as well as it could be 
political, religious or traditional occurrences. Nicknames are chosen by the individual 
involved or they could be chosen by friends, peer groups or family members. Also Ibukun and 
Omotosho (2014) remarked that nickname could originate from the recognition of a person's 
physical characteristics or verbal relationships or association of ideas.

Theoretical Basis
The theoretical framework for this study hinges on sex difference theory of Feminist 



Linguistics henceforth FL. FL is established on the basis that men and women use language 
differently. Cameron (1992), identifies two main motives FL studies sex difference which are, 
firstly the positive one is the quest for an authentic female language, whether this is taken to 
reflect some deep-seated cognitive difference or the existence in many societies of a female 
subculture. Secondly, the negative one is to identify the sexual power dynamic in language use, 
the conventions and behaviours through which speech reflects and perpetuates gender 
inequality. 

According to Litosseliti (2006:23), “FL aims to theorise gender-related linguistic 
phenomena and language use, and to explicitly link these gender inequality or discrimination 
on the assumption that linguistic change is an important part of social change”. By sex 
difference we mean the social difference between men and women. Litosseliti (2006), views 
sex difference theory between women and men's language as traceable to the two sexes having 
different world experiences, and women's language is not just as different, but positively 
valued. From different studies conducted by scholars, Fishman (1990), believes that women 
ask a lot of question while Wareing (1999), believes that women are less-assertive in language 
use. 

In conclusion, women being different from men in language use are not the cause of 
sexism but the effect of sexism. Therefore, not hiring women to a particular social practice 
brings about the effect over time produces the differences, which are then used to justify the 
original discrimination. In other words, depriving women working in a particular social 
practice becomes the norm and with time, it justifies the claim.

In view of the above, the sex difference feminist theory is relevant in the analysis of this 
study following the propositions made that nicknames are additional names taken by women 
apart from their original names by people surrounding them and men and women are socially 
different. It then implies that the nicknames taken by Umunze women whether they are 
relating to their husbands or personalities or family background do not matter to them. Rather, 
the nicknames denote the manner the women behave different from the men socially and 
linguistically. The nicknames are needful in order for the women to function effectively in their 
domains. The women are more interested in fulfilling their marital vows than in thinking about 
the men's dominance over them.

Methodology
The study uses interview method and personal intuition in the collection of data. The 
researcher interviewed twenty women between ages 25 to 70 so as to ascertain the reasons 
behind their names and their cultural implications. The rationale for the selection is to aid 
culture continuity, hence, old women are the custodians of culture while the young women are 
the recipients. Also, the researcher being a native speaker uses her knowledge about the 
language in the interpretation of data.

Data Presentation and Analysis
The names were analysed based on the names given relating to their husbands, on the women's 
personalities and the family background of the women.

Names given relating to their husbands
Table 1 represents the nicknames given to the women relating to their husbands. The 
references to their husbands denote the patriarchal nature of the nicknames. On the domination 

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of women by the men, Udofot (2009) in Aremu (2016), remarked that females are made to 
accept the male political, social, economic and linguistic dominance over the women folk in 
our society. We cannot but say that the antecedents of gender differentials are influenced by the 
cultural beliefs of the people, social, the biological and psychological forms of the women. On 
the contrary, Ijah (2016), argues that in the traditional society, human activities were limited 
and as such, the divisions of functions on gender basis did not attract any disillusionment or 
dissatisfaction. The men and the women accepted the traditional stereotypes without question. 
Even the traditional Igbo society over- protected the women. Nevertheless, the nicknames by 
Umnze women do not initiate rebellion rather submission as indicated by the women. The 
nicknames are represented below;

Table `1: Names given in relation to one's husband

S/N Nicknames Meaning

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Oyiridiye

Omasiridiye

Osodieme

? l??manaecheak?diye

Obidiye

Anyanw??t?t?diye

Oyoyo?madiyejiejemba

Oladiye

Odoziak?diye

Ihu?madijieme?nu

One who resembles her husband.

Someone that is liked by her husband.

Someone that follows her husband to carry 
out responsibilities.

Beautiful house that protects her husband's wealth.

Heart of her husband.

Morning sun of her husband.

Beautiful thing the husband uses to go to a 
distant land.

Husband's ring.

One who manages her husband's wealth

Favoured one her husband boasts of.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

Ak??madinyere

? ganaechendo

Ugogbeediye

Ugochinyerediye

? nwadijiah??zo

Favoured wealth from the husband.

One protected by her master/husband.

Husband's mirror.

Eagle God has given to her husband

Moon that her husband uses to see.

In the above table, the prevalent issue in the nicknames is the references to the women's 
husbands which is not a matter of concern to them after all they accepted new names on 
account of their husbands. Also, the references to their husbands are conceived as 
complementary rather than domination by the men in conjunction with the biblical counsel 
which admonishes the women to call their husbands 'Lord' (1 Peter 3:6).Awoyemi (2012), 
explains that the place of the African woman in her society cannot be contested so also is her 
contribution in complementing the effort of the man. This is to say that men and women aspire 
to their different roles in the maintenance and survival of the community. Therefore, making 
references to their husbands do not make them less human rather extol them. The implied 
meanings of the nicknames are as follows:



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Datum 1: Oyiridiye means one who resembles her husband. It could be a physical 
resemblance or character wise. In terms of physical resemblance, they will look like children 
of the same parents. As well, it could be a resemblance in terms of attitude and character. In 
other words, she is a woman who will be at peace with her husband because she acts and 
behaves like him. She respects and esteems her husband like no other person. 

Datum 2: Omasiridiye means someone that is liked by her husband. She is the best liked by 
her husband. She is liked by her husband more than every other person in the family. She 
knows how to manage as well as soothe her husband. No one could have done better than her in 
handling her husband.

Datum 3: Osodieme means someone that follows her husband to carry out responsibilities. It 
indicates that the woman is industrious, virtuous and hardworking. She teams up with her 
husband to tackle the issues at home. She is a diligent woman who wants to partner with her 
husband in solving family challenges.

Datum 4 Uloomanaecheak?diye means beautiful house that protects her husband's wealth. A 
woman who is a home maker, she has come to make her home a comfortable place to be, both 
for her husband, children and every member of the family. She is not extravagant in her 
spending rather manages her home and prevents lack.

Datum 5: Obidiye means heart of her husband.  It shows someone that will indeed understand 
and partner with her husband. She knows the needs of her husband and supports him, in 
complement with an adage that says united we stand and divided we fall. 

Datum 9: Odoziakudiye means one who manages her husband's wealth. The woman does not 
spend the resources of her husband extravagantly rather she spends judiciously.

Datum 12: ? ganaechendo means one protected by her husband. The husband is seen as a 
covering or protector over his wife. He is to defend and protect his woman from family 
turbulence. He is to esteem her before his people in order for them to respect her.

Datum 14: Ugochinyerediye means eagle God has given to her husband. She is a gift from 
God to her husband. She is a blessing to him. She has strength like an eagle to subdue evil ones 
and will take her husband to places. She is beautiful, strong and sensitive to issues. She is also 
sophisticated. 'Ugo' (eagle) is a symbol of strength and good vision. Eagle is not seen often, so 
the woman is a rare gem. 

Datum 15: ? nwadijiah??zo means moon that her husband uses to see. This shows that her 
coming into her husband's life has brought in breakthrough, success, and excellence to the 
husband.

The nicknames below on table 2 are based on the personalities of the women. They 
signify excellence of personal or social traits among the women. Despite all these qualities, 
the women are humble rather than pompous and haughty. Such names include:



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Table `2: Nicknames based on the personality of the woman

S/N Nicknames Meaning

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Ikukujos

Ugobechigbuoakwa

Rek?du ?m?nway?

Abubaugoonyetutaonyee

Osisiiwu

? n??g?t?

Akwaji ?ji oke akwa

Obere Nkachifu

Igund?

Ngwamma

Wind from Jos

The best among all the women

Women's recorder.

Eagle's feather that whosoever 
picks becomes happy.

Forbidden tree.

Sweet tendril of  Pumpkin  
that springs forth

Expensive wrapper (George)

Small handkerchief

Fresh palm frond

Beauty paraphernalia

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

Ugomba

Egbeoyibo

? gboo vuu ndioma

? loelu

Acharaugo

Eagle from a distant land

Foreign gun

Car or canoe that carries good people

Storey building

Beautiful eagle

Some of the nicknames are derogatory such as in figs. 20 and 23 which signify 'controversial' 
and 'short' women respectively.  Although the referents may be close to these names but would 
not want to be reminded of them. Examples of nicknames that extol are: fig. 16, 'ikukujos' 
which means 'wind from Jos', fig. 22, 'Akwaji?jiokeakwa' (expensive wrapper-George), fig. 
25, 'Ngwamma' (beauty paraphernalia), fig. 27, 'egbeoyibo' (foreign gun) and fig. 30, 
“acharaugo' (beautiful eagle) etc. 

It is worthy to note that the personalities of these women do not make them rebel rather 
supportive as well as complement their husbands. Achebe (1958), paints a vivid picture of the 
Igbo traditional gender stereotypes, a miniature of Africa and how through informal education 
fathers groom their boys to grow up as men, bold, courageous, audacious and fearless. The 
women on the other hand, groom their girls to become soft, subservient, weak and gentle. As 
noted by Achebe, some of these qualities are possessed and seen in Umunze women. Hence, 
the qualities make the women to submit and not rebel. The explicit meanings of the nicknames 
are seen below:



Datum 16: Ikukujos means wind from Jos. The significant thing about the weather condition 
at Jos is cooler compared to weather in other Middle Belt States. Although Jos is not situated in 
the far North,  the cold weather condition there penetrates inside the body.  When wind blows, 
it lifts things around, so the woman has come to move the family forward. It then implies that 
an extraordinary person has entered as well as to bring a positive change into the family. Wind 
is an agent of change.

Datum 17: Ugobechigbuoakwa means the best among all the women. This shows a beautiful, 
good-looking and elegant woman. When a woman marries a responsible man who takes care 
of her, her beauty will glow and attract others. She is the most beautiful among other women 
because her husband is taking very gosd care of her.

Datum 18: Rek?d??m?nwanyi means women's recorder. She is the spokesperson for the 
women. This is because she can store what has been said or done in a meeting and recall or 
produce it back when needed. She is an entertainer just as radio does. Radio does not stop nor 
get exhausted, so she goes on and on without getting drained.

Datum 19 Ab?baugoonyet?taonyee means eagle's feather that whosoever picks becomes 
happy. It signifies someone that is precious, valuable, rare and worth a lot of money. It is rare to 
see an eagle much less of picking the feather.  She is a woman that is special and also a rare 
gem.

Datum 20 Osisiiwu means forbidden tree. A woman that is tough, proud, and difficult to toy 
with. She is an arrogant woman who feels superior to other persons. She proves difficult to deal 
with.

Datum 21: Onuugut? means sweet tendril of pumpkin that springs forth. The tip or mouth of a 
pumpkin leaf is sweet and tender; therefore it needs a slight or gentle touch; as such, the woman 
married into that particular family is fragile and tender. So, she needs attention and to be guided 
by her husband not to digress. She is beautiful and needs to come out in order to showcase her 
beauty.

Datum 23: Oberenkachifu means a petite but strong person. The woman is small in stature 
but is strong and resilient.

Datum 24: Igund? means fresh palm frond. In Umunze, fresh palm frond is beneficial in that 
it is used to make thatches, shield our barns and acts as a protective covering in our farms and 
compound etc. Therefore, she is seen as an industrious and hardworking woman who will be a 
shield and a protector to her husband's family.

Datum 26: Ugomba means eagle from a distant land. She is a special woman, who thinks and 
acts clearly. She is a rare gem, someone from afar that brings good tidings, so she is unique. She 
has brought good tidings to her husband.

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Datum 27: Egbeoyibo means foreign gun. Gun is a symbol of defence and protection while 
'oyibo' denotes an alien or non-native person. The nickname implies a sophisticated woman.

Datum 28: ? gb?obundi?ma means car or canoe that carries good people. As car or canoe is 
used to convey people or goods from one place to the other and when it does, there is much joy 
and excitement with moving around, meeting with the right people, more so coming home 
with good reports. So, the woman is going to take her husband to places. Therefore, the woman 
has brought a change to the family. Car or canoe is a symbol of change and good tidings.

Datum 29: ? l?elu means storey building. The woman is tall and huge. Therefore, her 
extremely large stature accrues her prominence and respect among other women. She is her 
husband's backbone.

Datum 30: Acharaugo means Beautiful eagle. She is pretty and gorgeous with so much 
strength and vitality to support her husband.

There are also nicknames based on the background of the women. No individual is devoid of 
his/her root, so making reference to one's root is not a wrong assertion; rather, it motivates one 
for  future events. The family background of the women considered in these nicknames either 
rich or poor background is to re-awaken them to forge ahead. Nevertheless, the conclusion of 
the matter is that the women have changed their title names. Below are some of such 
nicknames based on a woman's background:

Table 3:  Nicknames based on a woman's background

S/N Nicknames Meaning

31

32

33

Orikeze

Egooyibo

Egoigwe

One who eats like kings

English money

Iron money

The nicknames above do not change the personalities of these women. The women are married 
to support their husbands, whether from rich or poor background. Ijah (2016), remarked that 
days are gone when women are regarded only as “Oriaku” meaning a consumer of their 
husbands' wealth. Today, they are seen as “Oriaku”, Odoziaku” and “Okpataaku”, that is, 
consumer of wealth, keeper and moderator of wealth and a maker of wealth respectively. That 
is what a newly married should strive hard to achieve when she comes into the family. The 
analysis of the nicknames is as follows:

Datum 31: Orikeze means one who eats like kings. It signifies a woman who has come to 
enjoy her husband's affluence. In other words, her new home is better than the former place. 
Just like the life of a king, he has everything at his beck and call. A woman who is married into a 
wealthy family will have everything at her disposal, and thus will now eat like a king. Eze 
(king) is a symbol of surplus and abundance.



Datum 32: Egooyibo means English money. It shows someone who has been living in 
affluence before marriage. She has brought an extraordinary favour to her husband in 
conjunction with the biblical counsel that says “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and 
obtaineth favour of the Lord” (Proverb 18:22).

Datum 33 Egoigwe means iron money. This shows one who comes from a place of affluence. 
She is a woman of substance.

In view of the above, Umunze women need to take their destinies in their hands no 
matter their family background, with the co-operation of their husband to overcome the lowly 
demeanour. Consequently, these nicknames are to create a conducive environment for a 
friendly relationship among the women in order to co-exist and support their families.

Symbolism in Nicknames
A lot of symbols are used in the nicknaming among Umunze women. The issue of the signifier 
and the signified is arbitrary; that is the named is based on the consensus of a particular speech 
community. Wales (2001:379) opines, “A symbol is a sign, whether visual or verbal, which 
stands for something else within a speech community''. Abram and Harpham (2012:258) 
affirm that, “in symbol, the relation between the signifying item and what it signifies is not a 
natural one, but entirely a matter of social convention”.

The symbols make reference to inanimate objects which include; fig. 21, 'On??g?' 
(sweet tendril of pumpkin) which signifies tenderness, fig.4, '?l?' (house) in 
'Ul??manaecheak?diye' (beautiful house that protects her husband's wealth) which 
symbolises safety of his belongings. It implies one that is a homemaker as well as protector of 
the wealth of her husband. In fig.6 'Anyanw??t?t?' (morning sun) and fig. 15 '? nwa' (moon) 
symbolise brightness, fig. 6 and fig 15 show women that have come to shine forth in their 
husbands’ homes. Fig. 8 'Ola' (ring) symbolises beauty which indicates a woman that is the 
beauty of her husband. Fig. 20, 'Osisi' (tree) symbolises strong and independent which means a 
strong woman. Also, 'Igu' (palm frond), palm frond in Umunze is used for a lot of purposes 
such as making of thatches, shelter and broom. Therefore, the woman will help to develop and 
increase her husband.

'Ugo' (eagle) is known for its strength, vigour, and good vision. Eagle is hardly seen. 
Nicknames in fig.14 'Ugochinyerediye' (eagle God has given to her husband), fig 19 
'Ab?b?ugoonyet?taonyee' (eagle's feather that whosoever picks becomes happy) and 
'Acharaugo' (beautiful eagle) show women with strength, vigour, think deeply and a rare gem. 
'Eze' symbolises honour, abundance and surplus, fig.31'orikeze' means a woman who has 
come to enjoy where there is abundance. 'Oyibo' (foreign) means something that is not of 
African origin and highly developed, as in fig.27 'Egbeoyibo' (foreign gun) and in fig 32 'Ego 
oyibo' (English money). They are not ordinary women.

Nicknames in a Patriarchal Society
The patriarchal nature of the Nigerian society demands that men rule and women take 
instructions. Women are to subject themselves to their husbands, therefore whatever they are 
should be to their husbands. The issue of nicknaming is not left out in this practice. In view of 

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this, Salami (2003) in Olaitan and Omobolanle (2015:179), opines that, “the societies in most 
parts of the world see women as second class citizens as such their portrayal in most works of 
literary art are seen in the negative perspective''. Aremu (2016) affirms that there are many 
linguistic studies on Nigerian languages and Nigerian English which have shown that there is 
often a covert and/or overt linguistic violence against women in the society. In fact, women are 
made to accept the male dominance over them without mincing words, if you do otherwise, the 
women will see you as an outcast.

This is portrayed in some of the nicknames that make references to the women's 
husbands, to show that the women are whatever they chose to be for their husbands; indicating 
that males dominate the society. After all, the men brought the women into their families. There 
are disparities in Umunze, although they bear these names, the women are brought to 
complement and support their husbands. The rationale behind the nickname is for co-existence 
among the women in the family. .Such names include 'oladiye' (husband's ring), 'osodieme' 
(someone that follows her husband to carry out responsibilities) and 'omasiridiye' (someone 
that is liked by her husband). 

However, some names eulogise the women and their latent qualities are extolled. Such 
nicknames include; 'ab?b?ugoonyetutaonyee' (eagle's feather that whoever picks becomes 
happy). It shows someone that is special and precious whom the husband will be chosen as 
wife and be happy, 'egooyibo' (English money) means an extraordinary and a sophisticated 
person. She has brought wealth to the family; wealth they say is transferable. Some names are 
derogatory, such as 'oberenkachifu' (small handkerchief) which implies someone that is short 
as well as small. 'Orikeze' (one who eats like kings) means someone who has come to enjoy in 
the husband's house. It then implies that she is coming from a low background which she needs 
not to be reminded. Umunze women have accepted their fate and are submissive to their 
husbands.

Conclusion
Apart from the personal names given to the women during their birth, Umunze women are 
given nicknames by other women in the place they are married to, in order to show the 
communal living that exists among the women. Not only to show the unity and togetherness 
among the women but also to show the acceptance of the newly married into their fold thereby 
crushing to some extent the spirit of unacceptability that displays itself in most homes. The 
personality of the newly married, her family background as well as where she is married to play 
an important role in the nicknaming among Umunze women. References are made to animate 
things such as 'ugo' (eagle), 'eze' (king) and 'di' (husband) and inanimate things such as 'ugbo' 
(car), 'osisi' (tree) and 'ulo' (house) in the naming. A lot of symbols are used such as 'ugo' (eagle) 
and 'ulo' (house) which signify strength and safety respectively. For the patriarchal nature of 
our society, Umunze women affirmed to the different social roles between men and women, so 
the issue of rebellion does not arise, hence  the cordial relationship between the wives and their 
husbands. Most of the nicknames are descriptive in nature. Nicknames on the other hand are an 
addition to our names.

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