to the "great name," that given at birth by the father or grandfather. If a son lightly mentions this name of his father, it is said that "he takes himself out from his birth; he makes himself as one that has not been born." But sons are allowed to mention other names of their father, such as the "regimental name" (igama lobuqawe), given as a mark of special distinction by his chief—such a name, for instance, as Umlamula-inkunzi-zilwako—"Separator of Fighting Bulls." Grown-up sons address their father by this name, when they have a special favour to ask of him—but it appears that this would not be permitted to children. A man's wives and daughters also may call him by this name and usually do so in times of domestic stress, in order to soothe his wounded feelings, "because he is reminded by that name of his actions and his valour." A woman is debarred from pronouncing the name of her father, her husband, or her son. A mother has her own names for her boys, at least as long as they are children—it is the name bestowed by the father—the "great name," which she has to avoid.
A married woman addresses her husband's father as Baba, as her husband does, or as Mezala, or Mamezala[1]=father-in-law.
If a woman mentions her husband's "great name," she is supposed to be abnegating her status as his wife and putting herself on an equality with his father, who gave him that name. "She departs from the position of a daughter-in-law and becomes a sister of the man who begot her husband . . . if she calls him by that name, it seems she is no longer his wife, but has generated him, like his father"—that is, she is putting herself into the position, not of his mother, who would not be allowed, any more than herself, to utter his name, but of his father.
- ↑ Mamezala (or, when spoken of by a third party, uninazala) is used of both the husband's parents, but, if it is necessary to draw a distinction between the two, the father is mezala and the wife mamezala.
