Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Apatani naming system


In Apatani tradition we have got two distinct sets of first names for males and females. Most of our names don't bear any meaning, and we also use them only for the sake of naming human beings :)
Many times people asked me : "What does your name mean ???" Huh !!! Luckily my name has got a meaning so I can tell them what it is, but actually most of them don't have any.
While trying to sort out the typical Apatani names I realised that most are very specific to us, and it seems that we don't share a common naming system with other decendants of Abotani such as Nyishis, Adis, Galos, Tagins etc. (anyway I'm sure that we must have a few names in common). In Apatani we prefer to rename the newborn babies with the names of some of our ancestors (close paternal relatives only), with this restriction that two living persons of the same clan should not share the same ancestor's name. That undoubtely encourages the use of a wide array of names. In case of untime death of a man whose son was still in the mother's womb it is preferable to rename the son with the name of his father (this is a rare case). Also, there are few common names which can be used for both sexes, e.g. Sai, Kameng and Yarang. In this post I have tried my best to recall the names we use in Apatani. They are as follows :

Male names

1
APA
46
JILE92
PUNU138
TALING
2
APO47
KACHO93
PUSSANG139
TALLEY
3
ATO48
KAGO94
RADHE140
TALLO
4
BAARO49
KAMENG95
RAMBO141
TALYANG
5
BAAKU
50
KANI96
RANKA
142
TAM
6
BAATH51
KANO97
RAVIN143
TAMA
7
BAKHANG
52
KARA98
RAYO144
TAMANG
8
BIDA
53
KECHI99
RIBYA145
TAMER
9
BUDDA
54
KHODA100
RICHO146
TAMING
10
BUKER
55
KHOKHUNG101
RIKA147
TAMO
11
BUTANG
56
KOJI (KOJEE)102
RIKU148
TANGU
12
BYAI57
KOJING103
RISSANG149
TANHA
13
CHADA58
KOYANG104
RONYA150
TANI
14
CHALO
59
LAAI105
RUJA151
TANYANG
15
CHAMA60
LALI106
SAI152
TANYO
16
CHATUNG61
LALING107
SALA153
TANYUNG
17
CHILYANG
62
LALYANG108
SALU154
TAPA
18
CHOBING63
LAMPUNG109
SAMA155
TAPING
19
DELYANG
64
LASA110
SAMBYO156
TAPU
20
DEMPYO65
LAJI (LAZHEE)111
SIIRA157
TARA
21
DIIBO66
LENTO112
SHAH158
TARE
22
DODUNG67
LODER113
TAAMU159
TARANG
23
DOLANG68
LOMA114
TABING160
TARI
24
DOLLEY
69
MAILYANG115
TABYO161
TARO
25
DOLO70
MAJI116
TACHA162
TAARUN
26
DOLYANG71
MALI117
TACHANG163
TASSANG
27
DONYI72
MILLO118
TACHO164
TASSER
28
DUKHUNG73
MIMA119
TADA165
TATH
29
DURI
74
MOBING120
TADEY166
TATU
30
DUYU75
MODA121
TADII167
TATUNG
31
EKHA
76
MUDO122
TADO168
TAYO
32
GAMBO77
NAKU123
TADUH169
TAYU
33
GRAYU
78
NAPA124
TAGIA170
TAYUNG
34
GYATI
79
NEHA125
TAGIO171
TIINI
35
GYUTHE80
NYIKANG126
TAGLANG172
TUPE
36
HAARE81
NYIME127
TAGO173
UMA GURO
37
HABUNG82
NYIPA128
TAGUR174
YAAPA
32
HACHANG83
OBING129
TAI175
YADO
38
HADU84
OMMO130
TAJANG176
YARANG
39
HAGIO85
PADA131
TAJO177
YUBE
40
HAILYANG86
PAI132
TAKER

41
HALLEY87
PALANG
133
TAKHA

42
HASSANG88
PAYANG134
TAKKE

43
HINDA89
PIILO135
TAKI

44
JARBO90
PILYA136
TAKU

45
JARJO91
PUMBO137
TAKUNG


Female names

1
AMER
32
MODII64
RINYA95
YALO
2
AMPI33
MONYA65
RINYO96
YALU
3
AMUNG34
MOPE66
RIPA97
YALUNG
4
ANKHA35
MUMPA67
SAI98
YALYO
5
BUNE (BIINE)
36
MUNNE68
SHANTII99
YAM
6
BUNYI
37
MUNYA69
SIRI100
YAMA
7
CHAJANG38
MURPING70
SOKI101
YAMANG
8
CHOKU
39
MURYANG71
SOLI102
YAMI
9
CHOZER40
NAAPI72
SUMPA103
YAMII
10
DIMING41
NAMPI73
SUMPI104
YANA
11
DISUNG42
NYIMUNG74
SUNKA105
YAMING
12
DUMI43
ODII75
SUNKU106
YAMUNG
13
JALYANG44
OMANG76
SUNYA107
YANI
14
JAYO45
ONYA77
TAACHI108
YANKA
15
KAKU46
OPYUNG
78
TANE109
YANKU
16
KAMENG47
OTUNG79
TAADO110
YANYA
17
KAMPU48
PABO80
UNYII111
YANYO
18
KANYA49
PAMPI81
YAAJE112
YANYUN
19
KARI50
PAMUNG
82
YAAMI113
YAPA
20
KIIMER51
PANE83
YABII114
YAPII
21
KOLYANG
52
PAPI84
YABO115
YAPYANG
22
KONYA54
PAPU85
YABYANG

116
YARANG
23
KUPU55
PIIRA86
YADI117
YARI
24
MADO56
PUBYANG
87
YADII118
YARING
25
MAMUNG
57
PUMING88
YAGUNG119
YASE
26
MANDI
58
PUYANG89
YAJA120
YASSING
27
MANGKA59
PUNYA90
YAJI121
YASSUNG
28
MANU60
RALYI91
YAKE122
YATUNG
29
MAYU61
REEMU92
YAKANG123
YAYING
30
MENII62
RIJA93
YAKHA

31
MIDU63
RILUNG94
YAKU




Tanii parents generally like to select "rhyming pairs" for naming their sons and daughters, e.g. Chada-Chama for two brothers and Rinyo-Rinya for two sisters. Pairs such as Kojing-Pussang or Dumi-Yami are also said to be "rhyming".
Addressing people by their names is considered as polite among us. But whenever we adress others, depending upon certain factors such as sex/age/relation etc., we also care to address them in a very gentle way. Thus there is a certain decorum for addressing people. For example if a person's name is Rinyo (i.e. female name), we can address her as Anyo, Nanyo, Kanyo.
Similarly for :
Rilung
(female) => Alung, Ilung.
Yanku => Anku,Nanku
Tajo => Ajo
Tatu => Natu
Tai (male) => here we prefer to add prefixes such as Nama => Nama Tai.
Tallo => Lallo, Pallo.
Puming (female) can be sometimes addressed as Ampi
Pubyang (female) can be addressed as Otung

Note*** : Ajo, Ampi, Nama, Nanku and Otung can be used as separate names as well.
Note****Dear Tanii readers, please do not hesitate to point out the missing names from the lists. I might have missed some names and needed your contribution.



14 comments:

Anonymous said...

I understand you, thet own observe their culture.
In Canary Island (sapnish colony), they killed the ancestral culture, the lenguage and all.
The citicens of Canary believe that they are spanish because talk they idiomatic form and names of persons like that use.

Anonymous said...

Good job. Keep this up.

savetanii said...

@Coco,
Thanks for your comment.

parin said...

That was an exhaustive list of names but I think you missed some.
(For all your effort, think of it as a proof-read) ")

tuwang, tayang, taya, talu, talang, taking, takang, taji, tagyung, (rabo), pugang, nobin, nomo, kuru, kime, habin, gumtho, dodin, dobi, butung, bumer, ambing, aka

Some of these names are very rare, nonetheless they are pure Apatani names. and, It's not that I am partial to the the male species, the proof-reading took it's toll on me.

** If (rabo) were to be accepted as a genuine Apatani name, then (ram) must certainly be there as well.

savetanii said...

@Wiian,
No worries!!! you can take this list as readproof and ur corrections on our error or missed out name are always welcome here.

Thanks for ur contribution here.Certain names such as tayang, taya, talu, talang, taking, takang, taji, tagyung, gumtho and dodin mus have been missed by me. Some of them are already existed in the list though our spellings are bit different from each other. But I disagree with your comment about name Rabo and Ram...I never came across of such names in apatani naming system. Rather they must be the new modern names and mind u one thing Noving or obing are not the original names (in my own perception). These are just nick names or pet name used at household for kids and similarly anga or nanga are used for girls. Any way thanks for ur comment here.

Rome Mele said...

This is Good... nice compilation of names... I guess, I can make out my Apatani connections from it.
Well, half of me is a little bit Apatani though !!!

Your Cartoons are really Sweet.
Keep up the Good work!!

Anonymous said...

Hello Team,


Just wanted to mention some of the names that are not included in the list. They are:
Yampi
Tunka
Tumpi
Taler
risang
kunya
Kamin


Thanks

Tasso Tada

PB said...

Thanks Tada, we'll add them up to the list.

Unknown said...

we r habung tassang and nani mali both from oxford university nw working in research in astrophysic. knowing ths from oxford we were shocked sudden enthusiasted. we both proud to see ths. advice for all apatani keeping unity in every forthcoming auspicious. as ths is part of unity. we apatani hv very few unity so please maintain. lastly long live apatani.

NOMO said...

You missed NOMO....my name lolz

Unknown said...

its a very good attempt'keep it up.m proud being a tanii.having said that this is not my name

Unknown said...

it must have been a tedious job for you to recall these names. A very good job indeed. I believe - your attempt will help getting a real apatani names for those parents who have been adopting foreign names like john marry - nancy- tracy etc. for their offspring by uprooting the ancestral heritage of apatanis.

pobee piita said...

you missed most common name OPO

Nani obin said...

You missed little newer namr nabin
We'll keep the spirit up!!

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