Obolo Anthroponomastic Trends

Abstract

Anthroponyms communicate the many preferences of their owners (or givers) in terms of real life objects, actions, features and beliefs of the people.The Obolo are a people with systematic naming style. The name given to an Obolo is not disconnected from the events that surround the birth of the child, the family’s existence and the immediate society. In line with this, this paper established the trends upon which Obolo personal names are given. To actualize this, the researcher and his assistants used direct observations at naming ceremonies, chieftaincy installation ceremonies, etc. where names are used for various purposes.  Also, he gathered data through introspection, personal interviews, extensive library work for materials on anthroponomastics, etc. the findings of the showed that among the anthroponomastic trends of the Obolo is Theophoric Obolo anthroponyms, Monumental Obolo Anthroponyms (MOAs), Testimonial Obolo Anthroponyms (TOAs), Ideational Obolo Anthroponyms (IDOAs), Solicitous Obolo Anthroponyms (SOAs), Relational Obolo Anthroponyms (ROAs), Admonitory Obolo Anthroponyms (ADOAs)and so on.

Keywords: Monumental Obolo Anthroponyms, Testimonial Obolo Anthroponyms, Ideational Obolo Anthroponyms, Solicitous Obolo Anthroponyms, Relational Obolo Anthroponyms,