A typical kipsigis has four names apart from Christian or religious name. According to Kipsigis names were given at birth, as individual matures, during initiation and has he/she marries.
The name carries both the culture and identity of the person.
Our cultural name tells where we belong to.
The following factors were considered in naming;
- Naming according to time of birth.
- Naming according to events.
- Naming according to ancestors.
- Naming according to place of birth.
- Naming according to seasons.
- Naming according to the situation of birth
- Naming according to the character
- Naming according to body posture
- Naming after heroes and heroines.
The expectant mother is called Tamonet/chi nyigis and after giving birth is called saloita (ne kochuut go).
In naming boys or male child, the prefix Kip starts and then time except Cheruiyot.
For girls or females Chep starts followed by time, in Nandi Chep sometimes is replaced with Jep probably based on pronunciation. The following are few examples;
Kipkoech/Chepkoech - Born towards morning 5.am
Kipkorir - Born shortly before dawn
Kipyegon – Born between 6.00a.m –7.00 am.
Kipkemoi/Chepkemoi -Born at midnight 11pm-3am
Kipkirui/Chepkirui – Born at 10 p.m to 11p.m.
Kiplangat/Chelangat – Born between 7p.m – 8p.m.
Chebet/Kibet - Born between 11am – 2p.m(midday)
Kipngeno--born when goats are waking up
Kipngetich/Chepngetich - born when cows are taken to pasture after morning milking (between 7a.m – 9.00 a.m)
Cheruiyot - Born between 9p.m -11p.m.
Kiprono/cherono - Born between 2p.m – 4p.m
Kimutai/chemutai -morning session. Mutai means morning
Actually there was no time frame as above but biological clocks such as ;
cockcrows, donkey bays, birds singing among other living creatures were used to tell on time frame and also the use of both Sun and Moon position and location were used.
NB: Close family members should not share time name it is considered to be abomination, this is why similar time can have different names to give room for that provision.
In Tugen the Chep name can be used for both male and female especially among the Aror. Actually Kiprono should be Kiprotno while Kiprotich should be Kiprottich.The Kip and Chep name according to kipsigis is also called Kainap musar (Name of porridge) and are normally withdrawn silently upon initiation.
Naming according to Events
The prevailing events or circumstances during time of birth leads to naming of the born child according to that situation for example:Kiptoo/Cheptoo - Born in presence of visitors or away from home.
Kipruto/Cheruto - Born during visits to other places.
Kipngeno/chepngeno-born when goats are walking up.
Kipkeino-born when sheep or goats are being milked
Kiptum-born during circumcision ceremonies
Kimaiyo/komen/Chebore/Misik-born when beer is being brewed or drunk.
Kiptalam-born during infestation of locust.
Kipkechei-born in the night when there was a lot of stars in sky.
Chemesunde -born in deep darkness because of absence of moon.
Kipkeitany-born in the course of the milking on the cattle
Kipkesio/chepkesio-born during the harvest.
Kipyator-opening the way possibly a primary born.
Kipsiele-born when beer is at its optimum of ripening
Kiptabut-born when an individual went to the firewood storage rack near the roof.
Kipserem-born alongside the outer wall in the hut.
Kiptarbei-the mother drink a lot of water during the labour pains.
Chepkalya/kipkalya - Born during peace making process.
Chepkemei/Kipkemei - Born during drought.
Kiprugut/Cherugut - Born during famine.
Kimetet -born outside home where millet chaff are removed
Kipchumba/ chepchumba – born in foreign land
Kipsigei/chesigei – mother gave birth without assistant
Naming According to Ancestors
When a child was born among the Kipsigis, it was named after a dead ancestor. The spirit of the dead was said to have been recalled to life in the new born child. It was believed that the dead never completely disappear but instead hover around homes and communicate with the living to even to a point of punishing them in case of wrong doings. The ancestral name was generally called kurenet. Names were given according to departed ancestors of the clan. An ancestor who was famous and hero or good will have many named after him/her.The person named after an ancestor who never married was sometimes called Arap Mageso (the unmarried one). So as to provoke him to marry unlike his ancestor, mature unmarried man with no intention to marry is actually called kipsongoiyat, which comes from word kesongoi meaning
to hang, that is umarried man only hangs his genitals without using them for reproduction.
Boys were mainly named after male ancestors. But in some circumstances a boy may be named after a female for example malakwen reffering to a male named after a female ancestor, where during her life time she vow or swear that I will be named after a boy so that she will no longer carry firewood on her back.
Malakwen (one who does not carry firewood).This is because the women in the society are the one vested with the responsibility of carrying firewood and fetching water among other chores of the family.
In case the child didn’t respond to accept any ancestral name the girl was to be called Chebwogen in some and at the same time Chebwogen is name based on time of birth.
Koe was a woman married to another clan but she was named in her father’s clan after her demise. Ancestral name was a form of reincarnation of departed ancestors to the born child.
During naming all names of the departed ancestors of the close relatives belonging to the same clan were named as elderly woman sings and gather flowers until the child sneezes indicating the acceptance of the ancestral name.
Naming according to place of Birth
The venue or place of birth was a determining factor on the name of a child during time of birth. Forexample.
Kipchoge – Born near granary.
Chebii/Kibii – Born outside the house.
Chelelgo/kiplelgo – Born in new house
Kipchumba/Chepchumba – Born in white man land or foreign land.
Kibor/chebor - Born at road side.
Kipsang/Chesang – Born outside homestead.
Kipketer/Chepketer – Born outside near wall of the house/back of the house/Verandah
Kipkurgat/Chepkurgat - Born on the door
Chebitok/kibitok -born at bed room
Chesiror/kipsiror-born after crossing a road
Kiptegek-born near bamboo trees
Kimengich/chemengich-born where sheep rest at night
Kipkok/chepkok-born where it is normally seated outside
Kipsoi/kimisoi-born in a dryland areas
Cheptim/kiptim-born in bush
Cheriro-born in swampy areas
Sino-one born in a warm and fertile place i.e.sineet.
Naming according to season
The prevailing weather and climatic conditions determines the name ofthe child to be born. For example:
Cherop/Kiprop - Born during sudden rain down pour.
Kipkones/chepkones - Born when rain is drizzling
Chepkemei/kipkemei - Born during drought
Kiprugut/cherugut - Born during famine.
Kibiwot-born during dry climate or famine
Chebonjo/kibonjo-born during migration to new places
Kwambai-born during harvesting of plenty millet
Kimurgor-born during sub-division of land or surveying
Naming According to situation of Birth
The prevailing situation during pregnancy of delivery determines the child’s name for example:Kipchirchir/Chepchirchir - Born during emergency of birth
Kipkoskei/Chepkoskei - child born with difficulty and takes time to sneeze
Kitur-along awaited son i.e. usually born after several daughters and as a result of situation.
Kibichii/chebichii-one of the many mothers and fathers or any other relative was very harsh.
Kimaru -potentially the mother was not sleeping effectively right before the birth of the child or perhaps the child was not a good after start.
Kimagut/chemagut -born right after the more mature sibling experienced died.To be certain which the younger ones survives it is actually taken on the ant eaters i.e. Aardvark hole to be picked by a person and presented again to the mother.
Kiptonui/Cheptonui – child who fainted immediately after birth
Kipleting/Chepleting – mother was stressed at birth
Kipmitei/Chemitei - The mother’s pregnancy was not noticed
Kipngeny/chepngeny – Born in salt lick areas
Kipsigei/Chesigei - The mother gave birth without assistance
Cheluget -born during raid or war activities
Naming after heroes and heroines.
Most instances for children named after heroes, the name starts with prefix Bar meaning great one. For example:Barkutwo – Hero who brought crown from raid.
Barchilei – Hero who brought metalii part of spear called chileiwot from raid.
Barchok – Named after a hero who snatched housing of sword from enemy in raid.
Bartonjo – One who destroys his enemies
Barkochut – One who kills enemy from raid and drag him.
Barmaasai – One who brought precious things from Maasai raid
Barmoi – One who brought calf from raid
Barngetuny – One who killed lion
Barno – One who brought goat from raid
Barsambu – One who brought crown from enemy raid.
Bartany – One who brought cow from raid.
Bartie – One who brought girl child from raid.
Bartwol – One who brought livestock bell from raid.
Barusei – One who brought light skin cow from raid
Barkokwet – person named after a person who lived for several years after the demise for his/her age sets until it was difficult for others to be named, hence a ceremony was performed to name him/her as he/she was alive.
Barosho – One who brought a woman from Maasai land
Barsolaja – Hero who killed Maasai laibon at solai who had been the architect of Kipsigise defeat against Maasai.
Bartore – Hero who killed warthog bare handed.
Bartiony- One who killed alone a large python
Barngok – Hero who killed fierce enemy dog in raid.
Barmei -one who brought a worker(meiwot) as a form of slave from raid
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