DOI: 10.36347/sjahss.2015.v03i03.024

Pages: 753-762

Many aspects of the Igbo rural socio-economic and agricultural life are fast eroding away. Prominent among them is the practice of naming economic trees, a feature which many Igbo young people are not even aware of its existence today. This paper therefore sets out to collect data on this practice and analyze same with the intent of knowing how these names are formed, their semantic import, and socio-philosophical interpretations also to classifying them according to their types. The work shall attempt documenting and preserving this interesting practice of Igbo culture. It was discovered that the names are mainly compound names of the noun + noun or adjective + noun types. The meaning of the names suggests that the names are meant to describe the fruits of the trees in one or more aspects of size, shape, taste, location, importance or other inherent qualities. Economically, the names serve as a form of advertisement for the fruits especially in a society where agricultural produce constitutes major source of income. This paper would be of interest to the morphologist and the Igbo lexicographer as it provides an insight into more possible ways of coinage to fill the gap in Igbo metalanguage. It will add to the scores of literatures dealing with African [Igbo] Philosophy as it provides critical insight into hidden area in Igbo worldview.