The Naming of Zambia's Waterfalls: A Test Case in Critical Toponymy
Keywords:
Critical Toponymy, Toponymic Silencing, Indigenous Names, Waterfalls, Zambia, Place names
Abstract
It has been claimed that the indigenous names of waterfalls were frequently replaced by European names. This critical toponymic claim is challenged in a test case investigating the names of Zambian waterfalls. The research was undertaken in three parts. First, a quantitative study showed that 97 per cent of 150 named waterfalls have indigenous rather than colonial names. Second, the colonial practices and policies that ensured that Zambian waterfalls retained their indigenous names were traced through contemporary documents. Third, the naming motives of 99 waterfalls were examined through a toponymic typology to reveal how the indigenous names reflect aspects of indigenous culture that are in danger of being marginalised or lost. The results refute the critical hypothesis of toponymic silencing and establish an evidence- based narrative of a colonial policy that ensured that the indigenous names of waterfalls were retained. European names were adopted only if an indigenous name could not be identified.References
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31. Stewart, G. R. (1954). A classification of place names. Names, 2, 1–13.
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37. Uluocha, N. O. (2015). Decolonizing place-names: Strategic imperative for preserving indigenous cartography in post-colonial Africa. Journal of African History and Culture, 7(9), 180–192. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJHC2015.0279
38. West, R. I. (forthcoming). Zambian Place Names – Their Origins and the Stories Behind Them. Lusaka: Gadsden Publishing.
39. Zulu, J., & Koudakossi, H. (2023). The intangible in world heritage in Africa. In Abungu, G., & Ndoro, W. (Eds.), Cultural Heritage Management in Africa. Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003199144-13
2. Batoma, A. (2006). African ethnonyms and toponyms: An annotated bibliography. Electronic Journal of Africana Bibliography, 10(6), 1–41. Available at: http://ir.uiowa.edu/ejab/vol10/iss1/1
3. Beyer, H., Brenzinger, M., du Plessis, T., & Raper, P. E. (Eds.). (2017). Critical Toponymy. Bloemfontein: Sun Media.
4. Brelsford, W. V. (1952). A further note on European place names. Northern Rhodesia Journal, 1(6), 41–48.
5. Bryson, B. (1995). Made in America. London: Minerva.
6. Carlin, J. (1964). A new name for Abercorn town. Abercornucopia, 14, 4–5.
7. Chilala, C., & Hang’ombe, K. (2020). Eponymic place names in Zambia: A critical toponymies perspective. Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 3(1), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.53974/unza.jlss.3.1.442
8. Geldenhuys, C. (2017). The influence of missionary societies on place names in South Africa. In Beyer et al. (Eds.), pp. 50–64.
9. Gibbons, A. (1897). A journey in the Marotse and Mashikolumbwe countries. The Geographical Journal, IX(2), 121–143. https://doi.org/10.2307/1773499
10. Hang’ombe, K., Chabata, E., & Mamvura, Z. (2019). Syungu Namutitima or Victoria Falls? Contest for place and place naming. Nomina Africana, 33(1), 19–31. https://doi.org/10.2989/NA.2019.33.1.3.1333
11. Hang’ombe, K., Chabata, E., & Mamvura, Z. (2020). School names in selected districts in Southern Province of Zambia: A Critical Toponymies Perspective. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 8(3), 88–99. http://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijll.20200803.11
12. Hudson, B. J. (2013). The naming of waterfalls. Geographical Research, 51(1), 85–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-5871.2012.00780.x
13. Jenkins, E. (2018). A toponymic typology applied to South Africa. Nomina Africana, 32(1), 23–35. https://doi.org/10.2989/NA.2018.32.1.3.1322
14. Jones, R. L. C. (2016). Responding to modern flooding: Old English place names as a repository of traditional ecological knowledge. Journal of Ecological Anthropology, 18(1), Article 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5038/2162-4593.18.1.9
15. Livingstone, D. (1857). Missionary Travels and Researches in Southern Africa. London: John Murray.
16. Macrae, F. B. (1930). Unrecorded waterfalls in the Livingstone district of Northern Rhodesia. The Geographical Journal, 76(1), 59–63. https://doi.org/10.2307/1784682
17. Macrae, F. B. (1931). More unrecorded waterfalls in the Livingstone district of Northern Rhodesia. The Geographical Journal, 78(1), 53–55. https://doi.org/10.2307/1784996
18. Magudu, S., Muguti, T., & Mutami, N. (2014). Deconstructing the colonial legacy through the naming process in independent Zimbabwe. Journal of Studies in Social Sciences, 6(1), 71–85.
19. Masakure, C., & Nkomo, L. (2023). Purging the lingering shadow of colonialism? Journal of Black Studies, 54(3), 187–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/00219347231154627
20. Matthews, J. L. (1951). First exploration of the Kafue Gorge. Northern Rhodesia Journal, 1(4), 3–15.
21. Mencken, H. L. (1919). The American Language: A Preliminary Inquiry into the Development of English in the United States. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
22. Mukuni, K. (2013). The Mukuni Royal Dynasty’s Short History. Livingstone: Privately published. https://www.calameo.com
23. Mwenge, F. (2020). Available at: https://twitter.com/fmwenge/status/1307598528659820544
24. Piesold, D. D. A., & LePage, W. (1965). Some waterfalls in the Northern and Luapula Provinces. Northern Rhodesia Journal, 6(1), 17–27.
25. Rashleigh, E. C. (1935). Among the Waterfalls of the World. London: Jarrolds Publishers.
26. Room, A. (1994/2008). African Placenames. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.
27. Rose-Redwood, R. (2011). Rethinking the agenda of political toponymy. ACME: An International E-Journal for Critical Geographies, 10(1), 34–41. https://acme-journal.org/index.php/acme/article/view/884
28. Rose-Redwood, R., Alderman, D., & Azaryahu, M. (2010). Geographies of toponymic inscription: New directions in critical place-name studies. Progress in Human Geography, 34(4), 453–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132509351042
29. Sharpe, A. (1893). A journey from the Shire River to Lake Mweru and the upper Luapula. The Geographical Journal, 1(6), 524–533. https://doi.org/10.2307/1773965
30. 1Siegel, B. (2008). Water spirits and mammals: The Copperbelt Chitapo. Anthropology Publications, Paper 2. http://scholarexchange.furman.edu/ant-publications/2
31. Stewart, G. R. (1954). A classification of place names. Names, 2, 1–13.
32. Stewart, G. R. (1975). Names of the Globe. New York: Oxford University Press.
33. Stone, J. C. (1962). Some waterfalls in the vicinity of the Kalomo River. Northern Rhodesia Journal, 5(2), 186–190, 287.
34. Swan, B., & Goss, D. (2012). World Waterfall Database. https://worldwaterfalldatabase.com (Accessed 10 April 2024).
35. Tent, J., & Blair, D. (2011). Motivations for naming: The development of a toponymic typology for Australian placenames. Names: A Journal of Onomastics, 59(2), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.1179/002777311X12976826704000
36. Trevor-Roper, H. (1965). The Rise of Christian Europe. London: Thames and Hudson.
37. Uluocha, N. O. (2015). Decolonizing place-names: Strategic imperative for preserving indigenous cartography in post-colonial Africa. Journal of African History and Culture, 7(9), 180–192. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJHC2015.0279
38. West, R. I. (forthcoming). Zambian Place Names – Their Origins and the Stories Behind Them. Lusaka: Gadsden Publishing.
39. Zulu, J., & Koudakossi, H. (2023). The intangible in world heritage in Africa. In Abungu, G., & Ndoro, W. (Eds.), Cultural Heritage Management in Africa. Abingdon: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003199144-13
Published
2025-01-10
How to Cite
West, R. (2025) “The Naming of Zambia’s Waterfalls: A Test Case in Critical Toponymy”, Journal of Law and Social Sciences, 6(2), pp. 39-53. doi: https://doi.org/10.53974/unza.jlss.6.2.1300.
Section
Articles