Contribution of indigenous econaming practices in ecosystems conservation: A case of Ekegusii language

Abstract

This paper aims to explore the role African indigenous languages play in the global campaign against environmental damage. The objective is to examine how linguistic practices impact ecosystems. Econames among the Abagusii community played a key role in preventing ecological destruction. Indigenous linguistic systems were treasured and promoted a variety of plants and animals by naming newborns after them. In this way, the ecosystem earned a special place and was consequently held in high regard. The study compares the meanings and representations associated with the Econaming systems in Ekegusii naming system. Data for this study was drawn from documented Ekegusii econames related to the environment, supplemented by the researcher’s native intuition. The data collection methods included document analysis of existing Ekegusii lexicons, semi-structured interviews with native speakers, and observations of linguistic practices in community settings. The researcher also used his native intuition to collect data. Econames of plant and animal species relating to the environment were inferred for purposes of analysis. This study is based on Evaluation Theory by Stibbe. The indigenous Ekegusii names were correlated with the associated ecosystems among Ekegusii native speakers. Eco-critical analysis of the names under investigation involved semantic and pragmatic analysis of each name collected as well as analysis and discussion of the semantic association of individual names to the related ecosystem. The results showed that the meanings embedded in the Ekegusii econaming system reflect a strategic approach to environmental stewardship, highlighting indigenous practices that could be valuable for sustainable environmental preservation. The data collected showed that indigenous econaming practices are significant and can play a huge role in ecological preservation among rural communities. Consequently, the study recommends that the government and other critical environmental policymakers should focus more on Econaming practices in order to recognise the role played by indigenous communities in environmental conservation