Toponyms in the Construction of Social Identity Among Youths in Northern Nigeria

Cite this article as: Muhammad, I., Aliero, M. A., & Bako, M. A. (2025). Toponyms in the construction of social identity among youths in Northern Nigeria. Sokoto Journal of Linguistics and Communication Studies (SOJOLICS), 1(1), 36–40 www.doi.org/10.36349/sojolics.2025.v01i01.006

TOPONYMS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOCIAL IDENTITY AMONG YOUTHS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

By

Dr. Isah Muhammad

Department of Linguistics

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

&

Prof. Muhammad Ango Aliero

maaliero82@gmail.com

Department of Linguistics

UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto

&

Dr. Muhammad Aminu Bako

Bak.aminu3@gmail.com

Department of French

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

Abstract

The paper examines the role of toponyms in constructing social identity in northern Nigeria and how these names are interpreted. Toponyms areplace-names or names given to geographical locations such as towns, streets, tourist centers and other public places. Social identity on the other hand contains self-descriptions derived from memberships of social categories, including nationality, gender, ethnicity, occupation, hobby groups etc. Toponyms are often characterized by different meanings, contexts, and history. Some of their basic functions are that they have the tendency of revealing the identity of those who regularly meet in that particular meeting point and hence impart a certain character on that place. This paper, therefore, investigates toponyms as descriptive variables that could be used to assess the way of life of a people especially a social group. The population for the study consists of focus-group. The paper employs Onomastic theory. The data comes from interviews with individuals and young teenagers within the area under study. Fifty (20) toponyms were collected and analysed in line with Onomastics parameter, and based on Tent and Blair’s (2009) Model of analysis. The paper found that the toponyms under study have been turned into slang-based place-names which reflect youth’s own identity and explain the kind of youth that is being constructed with these various toponyms.

Keywords: Toponyms, Social identity, Youth, Onomastics.

1. Introduction

This paper examines the concept of toponyms and the construction of youth Social Identities in Northern Nigeria. There are approximately over 64 million youths that are unemployed in Nigeria. Part of the vicious cycle of poverty and unemployment that existed in Nigeria are largely the causes of youth social frustration, dejection, dependency on family and desperation that forced youths to get involved in anti-social attitudes of violence, bigotry, assault, burglary, extortion, kidnapping, terrorism, militancy and other acts which lead to destruction of lives and properties (Sani, 2016).The youths that join these groups are mostly from disadvantaged homes. The implication here is that, such individuals who are found in these social groups are themselves often by extension disadvantaged. They are largely a group of school drop­outs, uneducated and poverty-stricken youths.

A toponym is the name given to a particular place where each place signifies a unique location reflecting a people’s ideas and / or gives the place a certain character, for instance, giving a place a name “Mount Prospect” or “Mount Misery” (Hogg and Abrams, 1988:24). Therefore, Toponyms are instruments that can be used for identifying social group in a society. Toponymy on the hand is the scientific study of place-names, along with their origins and meanings, based on etymological, historical, and geographical information. This paper investigates the unofficial toponyms that the various social groups use in Northern Nigeria. The paper examines the meaning, interpretation and/or translation of names of young people’s favourite places of gathering.

2. TheToponyms

One of the significances of a toponym is that it can give us a quick glimpse into the history of a place and cultural geography associated with it. Generally, names are of immense significance in world societies. The knowledge of place-names has the tendency of revealing the identity of those who settled in a place and when they did. The study of toponyms, therefore, could unveil important facts about the past, thereby yielding information concerning the history, religion and civilization of the first occupants of the places concerned (El Fasi, 1984).

Furthermore, as noted in Algeo and Algeo (2000), the use of name is generally central to humans and human activities. Croft (2009) posits that proper names are mere symbols that only facilitate identification and categorization of persons, places or other objectsand those proper names may also serve as a link between such persons and a given sociocultural location. He however noted that a name generally gives a bearer a sense of belonging to a given locality or entity.

In his study of proper names, Bright (2003) adopts the viewpoint of anthropological linguistics as applied to personal names and place names among North American Indians. He makes broad-based definitions and classifications of names in terms of ethnic groups and nationalities (ethnonyms), geographical names (toponyms), names of languages (glottonyms) and personal names (anthroponyms). Toponymist George R. Stewart developed a classification system of toponyms based on 10 basic categories of place-names; they are:

i. Descriptive Names (Rocky Mts)

ii. Associate Names (Mill Valley, CA)

iii. Incident Names (Battle Creek, MI)

iv. Possessive Names (Johnston City, TX)

v. Commemorative Names (San Francisco, CA)

vi. Commendatory Names (Paradise Valley, AZ)

vii. Folk-Etymology Names (Plains, GA)

viii. Manufactured Names (Truth or Consequence, NM)

ix. Shift Names (Lancaster, PA; Alpine Mountain)

x. Mistake names, involving historic errors in identification or translation (Lasker, North Carolina); named after Alaska

Some U.S. largest Cities are named after food, hence; Orange, Walnut Creek, Apple

Valley (CA); Sugar Land, Pearland, (TX); Port Orange, Coconut Creek (FL) etc. Some U. S. toponyms are associated with bodies of waters, mountains and hills e. g. Bad Marriage Mountain (Montana); Bitch Mountain (New York); Hateful Hill (Vermont); Killer Mountain (Oklahoma); Frying Pan Creek (Washington); Idiot Creek (Oregon);

Marijuana Tank (New Mexico); Molasses River (Michigan), and sometimes strange names are given to a particular place which include the U. S. Toponyms: Intercourse (Pennsylvania); No Name (Ohio); Poverty (Kentucky); Accident (Maryland); Boring (Oregon) Ding Dong (Texas) etc.

Moreover, the notion of toponymy obtains in the practice of buying, trading, and selling of place toponyms to promote popular culture; for some examples: Tokyo Disneyland, Paris Disneyland, and Disneyworld in the U.S. In the area of sports, many arenas are named after corporations, e.g. Gillette Stadium, FedEx Field, MCI Center, Coors Field, Bank North Garden, Staples Center, etc.

3. Toponyms in the Construction of Social Identities among Youth in Northern Nigeria

We would analyse in this section how roads, wards or street names in northern Nigeria are renamed after names of Cities or countries abroad or in Nigeria. We also account for the historical circumstances that gave rise to these names. These toponyms seem like slang terms. This appears so since these terms are not written but rather spoken words used by a particular social group in a particular environment. Therefore, just like slang, the development of these toponymic terms may be considered to be largely “spontaneous, lively and creative speech process where new meaning takes on a specific social significance having to do with the group term indexes (Partidge 2002).

Table 1: Toponyms derived from Names of foreign countries

	Toponym	Source/Location	Denotational Meaning
a.	Iraki (Sani Mainagge, Kano, Kano State)	Iraq (Foreign Country in Southwest Asia bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia)	Associated with war/conflict/ struggle/violence (Meeting point for thugs)
b.	Iraki (Kofar-Rini, Sokoto, Sokoto State)	Iraq (Foreign Country in Southwest Asia bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia)	Associated with war/ conflict/ struggle (Meeting point for thugs)
c.	Kabul (Potiskum, Yobe State	Afghanistan (Landlocked Country in Southwest Asia between Iran and Pakistan)	Associated with war conflict/ struggle (Meeting point for thugs)
d.	Falluja (Ibbi town, Taraba State)	Iraq (Foreign Country in Southwest Asia bordered by Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia)	Associated with war/conflict/ struggle r/Meeting point for thugs
e.	Tabuka (Fagge, Kano, Kano State)	Tabouk, (Foreign Country in Southwest Asia, a region in north western Saudi Arabia)	Associated with war conflict/ struggle (Meeting point for thugs)

 

The name Iraq is used to refer to the 2003 Iraq inversion which is preceded by air strike, war, violence, conflict and combat operation on Bagdad by the combined force of Troops from the U. S. and its allies. The same thing with Fallujah, another City located 30 miles west of Baghdad where there had been fighting between the Iraq Military forces and an Alliance of Al-Qaida and ISIS Militants. Similar scenario occurred inKabul, a City in Afghanistan where Taliban always launch attack on Afghan Security forces, NATO and other troops from other Alliance Partners like Britain. With regards toTabuka (Tabouk), it is the name of the Capital City of Taboukregion in north western Saudi Arabia. It became famous for its association with battle fought in 8 AH (630ACE) and a centre of Military activities during the 1991 Gulf war as the city faced threat from Iraqi scuds and air attacks.

This study finds that these groups derived these toponyms from these combat zones such as Iraq, Kabul, Fallujah and Tabuka and considered them similar to their meeting points and equating themselves as those combatants that are ready to participate in such struggle provided, they will be paid. These adopted names mark or reflect the attitude of the youth who stay there. Consider these examples:

Table 2: Toponyms derived from foreign Names

	Toponym	Source/Location	Denotational Meaning
a	Jamaika (Yakassai, Kano, Kano State)	Jamaica (Island Foreign Country situated south of Cuba in the Northern Caribbean Sea)	Place name as Meeting point for Indian hemp smokers / Rastafarians
b	Taransifoma (Transformer) (Potiskum, Yobe State)	An area in Potiskum, Yobe State	Place Name as Meeting point for teenagers
c	Right Time/Good time	An area in Damaturu, Yobe State	Quick action/ skillful
d	Genderme (Nigerien Mobile police)	French Name (Officer’s Name from Republic of Niger	armed people
e	Douane (Nigerien Custom Officers)	French Name (Officer’s Name from Republic of Niger	Custom Officers /Control

These names are changed or renamed as so mark to reflect the attitude of the youth who stay there. For instance, the name Jamaica is a country where smoking of Indian hemp / marijuana/ Ganja is legalized. So, the re-aligned name is given as Jamica to indicate decriminalization of smoking and sell of Indian hemp in that particular area. Transformer is simply a name of a street created by loosely organized youths who somehow perform some odd jobs in return for compensation. For Gendermeor Gemdermerie, a French term, refers to Military component with jurisdiction in enforcing civil law or public order. The youths there claim that the place is called so because part of their responsibility of the youth who stay there is to maintain public order. So, this word they used translates to “armed people”. While the French word Douane translates to “good snatchers’, the toponym “right time’ according our source means “quick action and skillful”. Once you come and you needed some nasty jobs to be done for you, it will be done with dispatch.

Table 3: Toponyms derived from foreign and local names

	Toponym	Location	Denotative Meaning
a	Maduri Ghetto, Damaturu, Yobe State	Foreign word (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
b	Dikumari Ghetto, Damaturu, Yobe State	Foreign word (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
c	Bandos, Fawari, Damaturu, Yobe State	Fawari, Damaturu town, Yobe State (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
d	Zam-Zam Kofar Nasarawa, Kano, Kano State.	Kofar Nasarawa, Kano City (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
e	and Haƙon Idi,Kano, Kano State	Kano City (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
f	Dabar Kola, Wasagu, Kebbi State	Wasagu town, Kebbi State Kebbi, (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
f	Kwanarkota, Wasagu, Kebbi State	Wasagu, Kebbi State (Isolated area)	An area lived by underprivileged youths
g	Tulluƙawa (bakingulbi), Zamfara Stata	Gusau town, Isolated area in Gusau town	An area lived by underprivileged youths
h	Dogon Dabino, Zamfara state	Gusau town, Isolated area in Gusau town	An area lived by underprivileged youths
i	Bakin cinema, Zamfara Stae	Gusau town, Isolated area in Gusau town	An area lived by underprivileged youths

From the data above, the location occupied by these youths are impoverished areas. The word ghetto refers to part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially because of social or economic pressure. The English term ghetto in example 3 a-c adopted by these groups together with the Hausa terms in 3 d-f denote isolated or segregated areas inhabited by these underprivileged youths, where they are visited and recruited to carry out certain particular jobs in return for reparation.

4. Conclusion

This paper examines toponyms in the construction of social identity amongyouthsinnorthern Nigeria. The study discovers the essential characteristic of these place toponyms which serve as meeting points where, youth plan and carry out their heinous activities, and what they do reflect the meaning of these place toponyms. The paper shows that the created toponyms reflect the places from where these youths are being hired or used particularly by politicians or highly placed people in order to gain political or economic advantage, or by some well-to-do individuals in the society so as to help them in settling scores against their rivals. Therefore, the services they offer have to do with denotational meaning of the toponyms which include; thuggery, bigotry, violence, assault, struggle, conflict, and other anti­social activities. The study found that these phenomena had led to the formation various social groups whose name and location are defined based on their heinous activities. This in turn brings about the creation of these toponyms.

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