TOPONYMY OF STREET NAMING IN FEDERAL HOUSING ESTATE OF ENUGU: A SOCIOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS

Abstract

The objectives of this work are to investigate the toponyms of Federal Housing Estate Enugu, to find out the names of the streets in the estate, the factors that influence the process of naming among the selected streets in the estate and the sociolinguistic variables that determine the naming of the streets. As much as there are studies on toponyms of some parts of Enugu, there is no study on the toponyms of Federal Housing Estate, Enugu. The study adopts a descriptive qualitative research design. Forty-three street names are collected using purposive sampling technique. Seven informants were interviewed and the data were collected through an unstructured oral interview using a tape-recorder. The data are descriptively analyzed using the theoretical framework of Descriptivism as propounded by Betrand Russel and Gottlab Frege in 1905. From the analysis, it is found out the streets of Federal Housing Estate, Enugu were named due to four factors which are: Federal Ministry of Works and Housing factor, individual factor, religious factor and national value factor. The paper also shows how the sociolinguistic factors of age, gender, class and education influenced the naming of the streets in the estate. This paper is of great importance because it will serve as guide to tourists who are visitors in the estate. Also, it provides an insight into the history of the area for the residents of the estate.