I recently read a Bantu folk tale about the sacred importance
of a name. In the folk tale, a drought
has forced the animals of the African plains to wander far and wide to find
food. They come across a tree with a variety
of fruits, but the branches of the tree will only open to expose the fruit when
the name of the tree is spoken. After a
series of failures, a persistent tortoise saves the day by saying the name of
the tree—and the branches open so that the animals may enjoy its gifts.
We all enjoy hearing our own name—it’s been said that a
person’s name is the sweetest sound in any language. Brain research has
indicated that the sound of one’s first name causes unique brain function
activation. Many names represent
important aspects of one’s family history, national culture, or religion.
Given the critical importance of correct name pronunciation,
there is no better time than the start of a new school year to learn the proper
way to say our students’ names. Here are
two very short videos that illustrate the impact of name mispronunciation, giving
a student an anglicized nickname, or calling them by a “pet name”. (For example, calling a student named
Siddharth by the nickname “Sid”, or by “Honey” to avoid difficulty or
awkwardness.)
The name of the tree in the Bantu tale, by the way, was
Ungalli—pronounced OON-gah-lee. The
small tortoise remembered the pronunciation by creating a short rhyming song, and
by doing so, coaxed the tree to share its fruit for the benefit of all.
(If you would like to hear a beautiful reading of the Bantu
tale, The Name of the Tree, click here.)
