YORUBA PERSONALNAMES

This study examines the morpho-semantic features of Yoruba personal names with the aim of uncovering the linguistic structures and cultural meanings they carry. In Yoruba society, naming is a deeply significant practice that goes beyond identification; it communicates parental hopes, historical experiences, social realities, and religious beliefs. Names act as linguistic expressions of identity and often serve as short narratives that reflect the circumstances surrounding a child’s birth, the expectations of the family, and the collective traditions of the people. The research adopts a descriptive and analytical approach. Data were collected from oral interviews with native speakers, collections of Yoruba names in dictionaries, and relevant scholarly works. The analysis considers the morphological composition of the names, focusing on processes such as compounding, derivation, reduplication, and clause contraction. On the semantic level, the study classifies the names into groups such as the ophoric names that reference God or deities, destiny-related names that reflect fate or reincarnation, circumstantial names tied to birth conditions, proverbial names that carry moral or philosophical lessons, and praise names that express admiration or endearment. The findings show that Yoruba personal names are not random words but meaningful linguistic units that preserve and transmit cultural values. The morpho-semantic analysis reveals that names function as cultural texts, offering insight into Yoruba belief systems, family relations, and social values. The study concludes that Yoruba personal names, through their structure and meaning, provide a rich source of information about the Yoruba people and demonstrate the close relationship between language, culture, and identity