A PRAGMA-SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF HAUSA INDIGENOUS PERSONAL NAMES IN THE DIGITAL SPACE

Abstract

This paper investigates Hausa indigenous personal names from a
pragma-sociolinguistic perspective, with particular attention to their
recontextualisation in online environments. Anchored in a combined
pragmatic and sociolinguistic framework, the study adopts a
qualitative research design. Data consist of sixteen (16) selected Hausa
indigenous personal names employed as usernames and display
names on platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and TikTok.
Drawing on concepts such as context, speaker intention, indexicality,
implicature, and social identity, the analysis demonstrates how
meanings of Hausa Indigenous Personal Names are negotiated
beyond literal interpretations within cyber-mediated interactions. The
findings reveal that, in digital spaces, Hausa indigenous personal
names function not only as pragmatic resources but also as
sociolinguistic markers of identity construction, group affiliation, and
social positioning. While cyberculture reshapes traditional naming
contexts, it does not erode their cultural and social significance.
Rather, digital platforms provide alternative sites for the
reinterpretation, negotiation, and continuity of Hausa cultural
identity in the digital age.