wan nem

Tok Pisin: wan + nem.

The practice of namesaking is very important in many Papua New Guinea societies. Among the Biangai of the Wau Valley, Morobe Province, older relatives contrive to create namesakes among their nieces, nephews or grandchildren which nominates them, although does not guarantee them to be, the approved successors to their rights in land.

In Urat (and perhaps other Torricelli groups) names, which are owned, signify which group you belong to and which land you have access to. A child may be given a temporarary name, until an old person dies when the deceased’s name will be be given to the child. It is not uncommon for people to change names two or three times during their lives. This form of namesaking is critical to the organisation of land ownership and group membership (BA; see Eyre n.d.).

On Lihir, an older namesake is expected to have an indulgent relationship with the younger and to give small gifts. A baby in the village was given my father’s name; when I visit I am expected to bring a small present from him. On his part, the child is instructed to ask about his namesake to continue the relationship with my father (MM).

In South Wahgi, a child was named after my father. We must now use correct kinship terms, I calling him ‘father’ and he calling me ‘son’, and my children calling him ‘grandfather’ (JB).

Carrying geographical names from one place to another is also a common practice. In some areas, this occurs with high frequency: village sites are relocated and the old name is moved to the new location.

See original Mihalic entry.

Noun forms

  1. Kinship: a person given the name of another, a namesake ® senisim nem
    dispela gel i wan nem long anti bilong em this girl is the namesake of her aunty

  1. a place named after another place
    Tega long Kagamuka i wan nem long Tega long Nebilyer Valley the Tega at Kagamuka is the namesake of the Tega in the Nebilyer Valley
    Madang i no nem tru, em i wan nem long wanpela ples long Finschhafen - misin i bin karim i kam Madang isn’t the real name of the place, it’s a name from Finschhafen that the mission brought with it

  1. anything that coincidentally happens to have the same name as something else

© Revising the Mihalic Project, 26 Jan 2005 [Home]