Empaako
naming system of western Uganda
Empaako (Tooro pronunciation: [empáːko], Nyoro pronunciation: [empâːko], sing.: empaako), also known as praise names or pet names, is a pet name which affirms one's social ties; it may be used as a greeting, a declaration of affection, respect, honour or love.
Empaako is a naming system practiced among the Banyoro, Batooro, Batuku, Batagwenda, and Banyabindi people of Uganda as well as the Bahema of Eastern D.R. Congo by which children are given a name. They were introduced after the Biito clan had conquered the Empire of Kitara, and are nowadays used as a respectful and endearing way to refer to someone in conversation, separate from individual given names and surnames. Empaako is included on the UNESCO list of intangible world heritage requiring emergency safeguarding.
Empaako names
The empaako names are twelve in number plus one intended for kings, they are as follows:
Abbooki
Abbooki is an empaako that comes from the Luo word aboko "I have narrated".
Abbooki is a pet name given to a person who is expected to cherish the roles of parents, teachers, elders, mentors, councilors and leaders. Abbooki signifies some one who shares wisdom as passes on knowledge. It is given to both males and females.
Abwoli
Abwoli is an empaako that can be used for girls/young women in a context where it would be improper to ask for her empaako. It comes from the Luo word abwolo "I deceive", and is associated with cats.Abwoli however has to do with diplomatic relationships.
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This entry incorporates text from “Empaako” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.