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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:The martial name in the Zimbabwean conflict (1966-1979)
Author:Pfukwa, CharlesISNI
Year:2007
Periodical:Language Matters: Studies in the Languages of Africa
Volume:38
Issue:2
Pages:236-252
Language:English
Geographic term:Zimbabwe
Subjects:nicknames
guerrilla warfare
national liberation struggles
identity
Abstract:This article examines the war names used by ZANLA (Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, ZANU's military wing) guerrillas in the Zimbabwean civil war (1966-1979). It is based on a larger sociolinguistic study dealing with the onomastic and pragmatic significance of these names. The war name was embedded in the history of resistance. Each war name can be seen as a text with a long story about a war. The identity of the fighter was part of a wider social discourse that questioned the status quo and explored new political, social and cultural identities. The article focuses on the small but significant subcategory of martial names. A total of 162 martial names were collected, which are divided into the following subcategories: weaponry, ammunition and explosives, military rank, tactical names, and aircraft. The article examines the way in which these names were used to conceal the identity of the bearer and to create a new identity. Renaming became a process of repossession of political and cultural space, an aggressive engagement with the enemy. The appendix contains a full list of the martial names examined. App., bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]
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