Imibhalo kaPurity Ndimande (2001) iveza ukuthi isibongo ngokwamaZulu yigama likakhokho oyinzalabantu okuyaye kubizwe ngalo umndeni wonke ovela kulowo khokho. Izibonelo zezibongo zamaZulu oDuma, Nhlumayo, Cele, Ndlovu, Zungu njll.
Ngokuloba kukaNdimande, isibongo sibaluleke kakhulu esizweni samaZulu ngoba siveza ubuhlobo, okusiza kakhulu uma sekufika esigabeni lapho khona abantu befuna ukuganana. Kwazise phela ukuthi kuyichilo esizweni sakwaZulu ukuthi abantu abahlobeni baganane.
UNdimande uloba ukuthi emlandweni wezibongo kuthiwa into eyayenzeka ukuthi kwakuxabana amadodana endoda eyodwa. Uma sekwenzeke njalo, ayengahlalelani kodwa yilowo nalowo wayephuma inxiwa lakhe nabalandeli bakhe. Sekuyothi uma sebemise amadlangala kuleyo ndawo, bese bezibiza ngomholi wabo noma bazibize ngesehlakalo esabehlela ngesikhathi beza kule ndawo.
Ngokusho kukaNdimande, indlela okuyaye kugcineke ngayo ubuhlobo esibongweni esisha nesidala ukuthi kusetshenziswe izithakazelo ezifanayo, lapho kuvela khona namagama okhokho asebengamadlozi. Izithakazelo zamaZulu zikhombisa uliba Iwesilisa ngoba phela umuntu wesilisa owakha umuzi kayise, akuyena umuntu wesifazane. KumaZulu insizwa ayivele yeshele nje intombi kodwa iqala ngokubuza isibongo ukuze ithole ukuthi abukho yini ubuhlobo obuthile obukhona.
Ukubaluleka kwesibongo kutholakala lapha ke ngokuchaza kukaNdimande:
“Isibongo senza abantu bozalo olulodwa baphilelane, bazwelane ezinkingeni abahlangabezana nazo. Ngokwejwayelekile, izibongo zisetshenziswa ezintweni eziningi: Komazisi, ezincwadini zokushayela, ezitifiketini zemfundo, zemishado, kwezokuzalwa, emabhukwini ezikole nasemabhukwini asemasontweni. Ngenxa yokuxhumana okukhona phakathi kwesibongo nezithakazelo, umcwaningi uzoke abeke ngamafuphi ngezithakazelo.”
Kwingosi elandelayo, sesiyochaza kabanzi ngomlando wezithakazelo nangokubaluleka kwazo.
Article Overview
This article briefly touches on the history, importance and use of surnames within the culture/s of Zulu-speaking people. Taking guidance in literature from Purity Ndimande (2001), this article suggests that origin of contemporary Zulu surnames such as Duma, Cele and Zungu mainly stems from the names of okhokho (ancestors) who lived many generations back and were original unifiers of clans.
This article discusses surnames as having an important role in guiding people with they can have sexual relations and with whom they cannot due to familial relations. The article discusses that surnames are also important insofar as social connections are concerned. In this idea, an expectation is set that people who share the same surname may somewhat share a common ancestor which makes them related, and therefore ought to be sympathetic to each other independent of the time or stage or life of their encounter.