Names

So my good friend Emily Gercke asked me in her last letter, what do people call you? Do they pronounce Elizabeth? Great question, and actually I was gonna post on that at some point, because I have many nicknames here, like most Peace Corps volunteers. These are the names I have been called so far:

-Elizabet (the th is not pronounced here) (Ayleezabet)
-Eliza (Ayleeza)
-Eliz
-Eli
-Liza
-Elizabelle (a personal favorite as in this case it is not amourous Cameroonians trying to flatter me, but often Fulfulde speakers combining Elizabeth and Isabelle, thinking its the same french name)
-Elijabet (often Fulfulde speakers who don't do the Z very much)
-Hadja (a woman who has been to Mecca, so used either as a term of respect or complement of someones status or wealth, but I think for me to show they notice I am dressed Nordiste, integree, etc)
-and of course Nassara (white person/foreigner in fulfulde)
There are many variations to this last one though, especially in the market or on the road or in Garoua where I hear people shouting out all of the following:
-Nassara Mafa Kilda
-Nassara Sanguere
-Nassara Tongo (confusing me with former volunteer Sarah)
-Nassara Bame (confusing me with former volunteer Michelle or current volunteer Emily)
-Nassara Fulfulde
-Nassara Baleejo (white person black person)
-Nassara Loonde (white person canerie, the giant pottery jars we put water in, from the day I carried one from the bottom of the market in Ngong up to the road on my head)

Living in a predominantly Christian village, I don't get offered a Muslim name often, however sometimes in other villages go by my name from Arabic classes at college, Fahada, so some call me that, although it's not a common Cameroonian name. And of course if I'm wearing pagne and getting in a taxi car for the first time with a driver who doesn't know me yet (they are getting fewer and fewer!) I will inevitably get the question "Aminatou na, malla Aissatou?" Aminatou is it, or Aissatou? Two common women's names

I actually have a common name, for Christians here at least, and one easy enough for people to pronounce. There are many other volunteers who have names a little more difficult to prounounce. In some cases they acquire village Foulbe nicknames Aissatou or Salamatou or one that sounds similar to their name. In other cases villagers try the name and end up with a variation. Apparently Jessie is impossible for people to pronounce, so in her village, my friend Jessie is called Joshie, Jesh, Jos, Jas, etc. But our favorite is Aubrey in Bibemi, whos neighborhood children run around calling out "Bonzur Abou, Bonzur Abou." (make sure you roll the "r" on that Bonzur)

common foulbe names
Women
Aissatou (given to first born girls)
Aminatou
Salamatou
Fadimatou
Kadidjatou
Mairamou
Hadja (woman who has been to Mecca)

Men
Aboul Rahman
Hammadou/Amadou (first born male)
(I think about 70% of the men are named those three names here, which is great if you are bad at remembering names)
Daouda
Bouba
Moussa
Yacouba
Alhadji/Aladdi (Man who has been to Mecca)

the "tou" and the "dou" are affectionate diminiutives

For non-Foulbe or Christians and other tribes, most people have a village name and then a "Christian" or French name. The village name comes first, and they may go by either according to who is talking to them. When I first arrived I was under the impression that the village name was a family name, like a last name. But it is not, and each person is named their village name at birth by their father, and then perhaps chooses or gets the other as they are a little older.
Examples of people in my village, friends:
Roukoma Paul
Djakaya Jeremie
Waibai Rebecca
Guizaye Rebecca
Hakda Jean
Wardi Albert
Mblama Moise
Dumagai Rachel