Kwita izina mu muco nyarwanda: imigenzo irahinduka ariko ubusobanuro burahoraho
Amazina y’Abanyarwanda yahoraga ashingira ku byabaye mu muryango, ku bihe by’umwaka no ku kwizera. Ubu ababyeyi bakiri bato bahitamo amazina magufi, ariko abakuru bavuga ko ubusobanuro butahindutse.
Mu muco nyarwanda, kwita izina umwana si ikintu cyoroheje: amazina ashingira ku byabaye mu gihe cy’ivuka, ku kwizera no ku murage w’umuryango. Imihango yo kwita izina, harimo n’iyitwa “Kurya ubunnyano”, akenshi ibera mbere gato cyangwa nyuma y’ivuka. Ikinyamakuru The New Times cyaganiriye n’abantu batandukanye ku byahindutse n’ibitarahinduka muri uyu mugenzo.
Uko byakorwaga
Marie-Claire Mukamazimpaka, w’imyaka 74, utuye mu kagari ka Kinyaga mu Bumbogo, i Kigali, yibuka ko izina ritahabwaga ako kanya. Imiryango yabanzaga kureba ibyabaye mu gihe cy’ivuka.
“Abakuru barebaga ibyo umuryango wanyuzemo n’imimerere umwana yavukiyemo, hanyuma bakamwita izina,” yavuze, asobanura ko amazina yatoranywaga yitonderwa, agaragaza ibyishimo, agahinda, gushimira cyangwa kurokoka.
“Izina ryagombaga kugira icyo risobanura,” yongeyeho.
Amazina n’ibisobanuro byayo
Mu Rwanda rwa kera, amazina yashingiraga ku byabaye mu ivuka, ku bihe by’umwaka cyangwa ku byiyumvo. Ayafitanye isano n’igihe cy’imvura akenshi yasobanuraga umugisha n’ubukungu.
Mu ngero zatanzwe mu nkuru y’umwimerere harimo Nkurunziza (amakuru meza), Hakizimana (Imana irakiza), Niyomwungeri (Imana ni umwungeri), Mutanguha (uwizerwa) na Ndayishimiye (ndashimira). Ku bakobwa hari Tuyishimye, Iradukunda, Iragena, Mukobwajana, Ineza, Mushikiwabo na Imvura.
Kwizera na byo ni ishingiro: amazina nka Nsengimana, Ishimwe cyangwa Amahoro agaragaza gusenga, gushimira cyangwa kwiringira Imana. Mu miryango y’Abakristu, kwita izina akenshi bijyana n’amasengesho.
Impinduka n’ivanga
Ubukoloni n’iyobokamana rya gikristu byazanye amazina y’amahanga, ariko nyuma uburyo bwombi burahurira. Imiryango myinshi ubu ivanga imigenzo aho kuyisimbuza.
Phoebe Akanyana yasobanuye impamvu: “Twashakaga izina rigaragaza ukwemera kwacu, ariko na none n’umuco wacu. Guhuza byombi byumvikanye nk’aho ari ho hagati heza.”
Ibiganiro kandi byagiye ku mazina y’umuryango. Nubwo akenshi abana bahabwa izina rya se, bamwe mu babyeyi bakiri bato bo mu mijyi babyitegereza ukundi. Joy Ingabire, ku mwana we wa kabiri, yakoresheje rimwe mu mazina yakundaga nk’izina ry’umuryango. “Hari amazina abiri nakundaga sinshobora guhitamo hagati yayo,” yavuze. “Nuko mfata rimwe ndikoresha nk’izina ry’umuryango.”
Amazina magufi, ubusobanuro busigaye
Ababyeyi bakiri bato barushaho guhitamo amazina magufi ariko afite icyo asobanura, nka Keza, Tesi, Ntwari na Manzi. Jean-Paul Niyonzima, w’imyaka 31, yavuze ati: “Turacyashaka amazina afite icyo asobanura, ariko kandi twifuza ko yoroha.”
Abakuru bo bavuga ko ubusobanuro ari bwo shingiro. Emmanuel Habimana, w’imyaka 80, utuye i Kimironko, yavuze ati: “Izina riracyari umugisha. N’ubwo uburyo buhinduka, icyifuzo kiguma ari kimwe.”
Inkomoko: The New Times, “Rwanda’s naming traditions explained”, 7 Gicurasi 2026.
Soma inkuru y’umwimerere kuri The New Times