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KABUL (SW): Regardless of the significance and impact of a person’s name on his/ her personality, many folks in Afghanistan name their children with quite strange and often humorous and even meaningless names.
It is widely known the name of a person serves as basic identity. Strange names exist in some other cultures as well. For instance, Russians do have names like Sebaka (собака) which literally means dog, and Petokhov (петух) which means rooster. In Afghanistan, one can come across names like Koti (foal or colt), Kawtar (dove), Charsi (hippy), Kamis (shirt), Landai (dwarf) etc. It has also occurred in some families where a child died at young age, the next child has been named Allah Bibani (hope you live). Or, if too many children are born to a couple, a child can be named ‘Bas Bibi’ (Stop Madame).
Many female names are derived from flowers, which reflect the femininity, beauty and delicacy for example Badam Gula (almond flower), Ghatol (tulip) etc.
Commenting on this, Kamal Sadat, acting minister for Information and Culture, said weird names affects the individuals for their lifetime. Sharing his personal experience, he said he named his son ‘Da Watan Wali Na Joregi Sadat’ which literally means 'why is this country not developing Sadat'.
Afghanistan has another obsession with pet names/ pseudonym or alias. This is chosen by individuals themselves, and it can change from time to time. Most of these names are driven from ancestors, place of birth or tribal lineage. Afghans are very particular in this regard, and love to have pen names like Zahin (intelligent), Door Andesh (futuristic), Kosha (hardworking) etc. Some heartbroken fellows even go for Aafat (calamity), Bimar (sick), Dewana (crazy), Rogh Lewaney (sound crazy), and even Bikhoda (godless) and Aqidati (religious) etc.
Some of the warlords take pride in their pet names that symbolize their might and authority for example Kalantar which is equivalent to sheriff. The advent of electronic media has also left its impacts on the names of children in Afghanistan. Indian, Iranian, Turkish and Pakistani movies and drama serials are quite popular in Afghanistan.
Col. Ghulam Sakhi, former police chief of Zabul province uses the pet name Rogh Lewaney (sound crazy). He told Salam Watandar this name was given to him by his commander due to his bravery against the militants. “At first, I did not like it, but later I became found of it”, he said.
ENDS
