Linguists have long established that the practice of naming human beings is as old as history itself. In the Pabir-Bura society, however, the naming system is undergoing rapid transformation due to increased contact with other cultures and languages. This shift can be attributed to the adoption of new religions, formal education systems, and foreign cultural influences that differ significantly from traditional knowledge systems inherited from ancestors. Consequently, the Pabir-Bura language faces the risk of endangerment, as cultural practices, including naming conventions, are increasingly being replaced by external models. One notable example of and Christianity, often at the expense of traditional circumstantial nicknames. These nicknames, once widely used and deeply embedded in cultural identity, are gradually being abandoned. Data for this study was obtained from counterfoils of human tax records and market stall allocations collected from Ward Head offices. Historically, prior to the 1960s, individuals in the society were not identified by a single name; instead, they bore multiple names, often including circumstantial nicknames. In contemporary times, it is common to see individuals given only religious names or, at best, a combination of a modern religious name and a traditional nickname. Circumstantial nicknames in Pabir-Bura society are typically classified according to the specific conditions under which they were given. These may include character traits, personal achievements, social failures, or extraordinary events surrounding a combined with semantic interpretation to analyze these names. The study aims to challenge the prevailing misconception that traditional nicknames are primitive or demeaning compared to religious names introduced through Islam and Christianity. On the contrary, it argues that circumstantial nicknames serve as culturally rich identifiers, often providing insight into an individual's background, social status, or spiritual associations. The findings suggest that while the naming system in Pabir- Bura society evolves with each passing decade, the value of traditional nicknames remains significant, though increasingly marginalized, in the face of modernization and religious influence.
| Editor in Chief | |
| Prof. Isa Muhammad Maishanu | Dean, Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. |
| Editorial Board | |
| Dr. B. B. Usman | Deputy Dean, Faculty of Arts and Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. |
| Pro. Nasiru Ahmad Sokoto | Head,Department of Arabic, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto. |
| Dr. S.A. Aboki | Department of Islamic Studies, UsmanuDanfodiyo University,Sokoto |
| Prof. Abubakar A. Muhammad | Head, Department of Modern European Languages & Linguistics,UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto |
| Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi S.S | Head, Department of Nigerian Languages, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto |
| Dr. Umar Ahmad | Department of Modern European Languages & Linguistics, UsmanuDanfodiyo University, Sokoto (Secretary) |