NEEDHAM, Rodney-The System of Teknonym and Death-Names of The Penan

The System of Teknonyms and Death-Names of the Penan Author(s): Rodney Needham Source: Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, Vol.
10, No. 4 (Winter, 1954), pp. 416-431 Published by: University of New Mexico Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3628836 . Accessed: 10/06/2013 16:08
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THE SYSTEM OF TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF THE PENAN

RODNEY NEEDHAM
HE PENAN (panan)are forest of northwestern nomads of theinterior In theliterature the Borneo. with confused and areknown as "Punan" they Punan. in individuals and nomadic wander isolated ofthirty orforty They groups Penanandthe aredivided into twoculturally differentiated theEastern tribes, Their Western Penan. with a bilaterally is cognatic, system symmetrical kinship andambilaterally traced descent. classificatory terminology I In the extreme Penan the andthe culture ofnames of general simplicity types with connected in In this I shall them stand out usages surprising complexity. paper dealwith of twotypes name which of great present anthropological problems interest. married Penan with as well as bya children beknown Any bya teknonym may name. theperson I mean which that a name indicates personal By a teknonym ofa child. designated byitisthe parent birth On the ofa child tothem both andit is by acquire parents teknonyms, these that willthereafter is occasion names be known until there to change they inoneofthe inthe them setoutinthecourse ofthis The constants ways paper. are"Tama," which "father is assumed andmeans teknonyms [of]," bytheman and"Tinan," which is assumed "mother andmeans [of]." One bythewoman inthat orhesitate a little latter a teknonym itisthe same as the tocallthe might for bemaintained that tocalla woman word andbecause itcould "mother," dinary Tinan name itismerely a biological andnot oftitle. Butthe a form by description is subject in this to thesamechanges I shalldescribe context as Tama,which andcantherefore beconsidered a true teknonym. presently, Tamacanbe adopted is thebegetter ofthe andfather who only bytheman what the callthe If a man hasmerely Penan "true father." the child child, adopted term heisnot but as "Tam;n," which known as "Tama" isthe descriptive ordinary not a father. but its for Thispoints the fact that heisthe social father ofthe child begetter. arenot but arealways Theteknonyms followed used byanother bythemselves as TamaUkatifitis his thefather is known name. While the child isunnamed sons. first isassumed for ofhis andasTamaAlaifa teknonym son, any subsequent
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VOL. 10, 1954
TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN
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first Thefather itisthe ofanunnamed whether as TamaItang, child isknown girl A13 or anysubsequent comes Tama Penan elder that One explained daughter. red from A new-born as anakbal3, the beknown word child child, may bal3,red. A13 Butno from this. itsskin is red," comes "because it maintained that and is inthis which areusedonly aregiven for the names UkatandItang, explanations context Penan anddonot seem other words. toderive from any The father With the more ofthe child the become specific. teknonyms naming This Tinon ofAwing, for becomes mother TamaAwing, andthe Awing. example, isthe ofname Thepersonal ismost often inaddress andinreference. that used type is name terms butifa man is very seldom more andthe used, kinship frequently, entitled tooneheisnormally addressed byhisteknonym. is usedduring referred to in it and is The teknonym thelifeof thechild case the Inthis death child. discarded atits oratthe death ofany parent subsequent It doesnot child. is notknown thebirth of another until teknonym byanother names cannot be children: their count heorshestill hasa number ofother that he has until cannot bearanother usedin teknonyms, andtheparent teknonym child. another nottohave a child, a teknonym, The Penan nottobeabletoasume saythat a manbyhisteknonym that to address is nota matter ofshame, andconversely hedoes will ofGod, because "If you that isthe isnot him. have nochild tohonor there because is no You aresorry fault. notwant togive youone.It is notyour name Butyouarenot nooneto remember onetoreplace [as father]. your you, with children is itis felt that a man be?"Nevertheles, should ashamed. Why you barren a or childless man and a insome to one without, (especially) way superior the Penan Thisdoes not contradict ofa certain the unease woman feels inequality. his a man honorific. address is an To the not statement that by teknonym teknonym to onoccasion It is notused heis entitled. ofaddress towhich istousetheform to be conceded he indicate whatever feel or to him "make may good" superiority him andto address inany bewithheld Itsusecannot fashion, significant possess. or insult to him. him to is not terms other quality deny any by ofanindividual. name tothe used issometimes Theteknonym personal prefixed if is needed, also be he Tama but A man isnot called, precision may Awing only Talan. TamaAwing
II
the than other have ofpeoples 1849 since inBorneo observers Certain reported of births at the are that names of use Penan that adopted complicated systems they have these literature In the relatives. ofcertain andat the deaths children English as "teknonyms." known been
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SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY
Elshout hasrecorded ofthese as usedby a number "prefixes" (voorvoegsels) theKanyah of theApoKayan.1 the indetail Pollard andBanks haverecorded Baram so-called ofthe district.2 used groups teknonyms long-house bythirty-eight usethis ofestablishing confor the material, however, They ethnological purpose nections between the dealwith, to describe andthey do notattempt peoples they their useormake ofthem. any interpretation No dataconcerning these names were thePenan byPollard among presented andBanks. Theonly reference the Penan is an observation names tosuch among inSarawak, inwhich Government hewrites: byHarrisson, Ethnologist Thenaming ofpersons than isalsoless variable most Borneo and peoples, complex ofthe andalthough a few thebeginning like TamaLaje,have followed big-shots, inthis allPunans onhaving a child, Kenya (Tama name-changes etc.), nearly prefix inthe names. .3 area Eastern Penan fixed Tuto have [viz. river] upper ... On thecontrary, as those of any Penan names areas complex andvariable Bornean and haveonlyrelatively The suggestions thatthey recently people. itisindividuals ofimportance toimitate andthat the begun incompletely Kanyah, sort who their names ofthe areincorrect. usevery ThePenan names, change many The true that Pollard andBanks butI do notcallthem recorded, "teknonyms." are names arethose andthese that I have inthe lastsection, described teknonyms different from to them. form with the oneterminological They system teknonyms, which arecomplementary, onwhich Theoccasions but are not they they teknonyms. areassumed inconarethe while deaths areassumed ofrelatives, they teknonyms with nection with I Onesetofnames with death life. births. deals andtheother shall therefore callthese names "death-names." Penan inany divide ofkinship into "true" and persons classificatory category more of or less"distant" kin.Truekinaretheprimary referents of theterms andaffinity. Thusan uncle who is a "true" is thefather's brother uncle, kinship and a classificatory uncle(father's a uncle. cousin)is a "distant" Similarly, wifeis a "true"sister-in-law, brother's while a cousin's wifeis a "distant" sister-in-law. Theprinciple ofapplication ofthe ofa true death death-names isthat onthe kinsman orkinswoman a Penan assumes to a name to his according relationship the Forexample, deceased. ifa boy's father dies Penan the "enters" boy (as say) the death-name andis addressed name dead," Uyau,"father bythis byall other
1 J.M. Elshout, De Kenia-Dajaks uitbetApo Kajangebied 1926),ch. 2. ('s.Gravenhage, 2 F. H. Pollard and E. Banks, and Other Customs theKayans, KenTeknonymy among Kelamantans and Others Museum vol.4, no. 15,pp. 395-409, yabs, (Sarawak Journal, 1937). 3 Tom Harrisson, Noteson SomeNomadic Punans(Sarawak vol. 5, Museum Journal, no. 1, pp. 130-146, 1949),p. 139.
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If a girl's father Penan. diessheis known as Utan,thedeath-name for a father isassumed deadwhich women. by These arethe death-names used two ofPenan: tribes bythe dead grandparent father (m.) (w.) mother uncle(m.) (w.) aunt (m.) (w.) elder sibling sibling younger cousin elder cousin younger niece nephew, first-born child second third fourth fifth sixth seventh eighth ninth grandchild husband wife parent-in-law child-in-law brother-in-law sister-in-law balou aban -
Eastern Penan tupou uyau utan/banah ilun/apah ulat ulat ulat ulat linang/lubat linang/lubat linang/lubat linang/lubat oyong sade
Western Penan tupou uyau(pasi) utan(banah) apah ilun ulat ilun ulat linang lubat b;13bui/bui uyung sadi mawat sawang larah akam ukat lut lumai piat balou aban ilun(m.),ulat(w.) abing galng
420
isnodeaththere isa term there todesignate a sibling-in-law's Though spouse thefollowing In addition names above name at hisorher assumed death. tothe didnot alsobeused: father while orvisiting dead T3shu, ("you may away hunting father brother andfather's seehim");Langa, wife andall children dead;Tavan, a man after dead ("because long many living youaretwice Uyau"); andLavat, the names ofhischildren have Theseadditional areusedonly died. by Western for deaths the Eastern who have nonames Penan andareunknown tothe Penan, inthese ofpersons positions. that Eastern Penan isnot used Thecolumn as the ofthe death-names by given For names me one but is out of the constructed groups. given bymany any group, forsiblings andcousins, as thedeath-name give many groups example: Linang even one and Lubat as and others names, gives group give interchangeable Linang for for an elder "second-born as the death-name dead. Similarly, sibling Abeng ofSade,andanother Uan orU'an instead child the name dead"two give groups after death of the firstU'an as the death-name used at the child gives any group but one or "niece born. Most have no name for dead" dead," group "nephew groups ofeither. which for the death U'an for allchildren) Lu'ang gives gives (that All thenomadic death-names. Certain Western Penangroups use identical of and some of Western Penan have been for settled varying lengths time, groups The live close to. these have settled death-names used they peoples adopted bythe cannot remember andmost settled donot usethe death-names longer people groups what were: while do not theoldpeople them, they only recognize young people them at all. understand The death-names in themselves, so that a manwhose are terms of address hasdiedmay be addressed whose first-born child as "Piat," ora man grandchild be addressed when hasdiedmay as "Uyung." of reference Theyarealsoterms inthe tothe name that sothat a man be are, personal prefixed way teknonyms may referred toas PiatTalanorUyung Jalong. areadopted kinandtrue onthe deaths oftrue affines They successively only. death ofhisfather a Penan will butwill this onthe On the "enter" discard Uyau, ofhismother, when death hebecomes andso on.If a "true" uncle dieshe Apah, ifthe becomes but hedoes not this name uncle isnot a sibling ofoneof Ilun, adopt thename of hisfather's hisparents. He adopts for father, Tupouat thedeath butnotat thedeath father's ofhisfather's first whois alsoa cousin, example, "grandparent." The alternative term Pasiinthe Western Penan column is the name to given will a younger when his father sons the elder as Uyau beknown child dies. Of two thetwo elder ones willbe Uyauandthe as Pasi;ofthree sons andtheyounger all numbers holds with ofsons, that the Pasi;andthis youngest principle majority
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so on.
ofthem will be Uyauandthe sons Pasi.The caseis similar ofyounger minority for who are known as Utan and Banah. daughters, The Western Penan usethemore elaborate ofdeath-names, andit is system with them that I shalldealnow, the same the though among principles apply Eastern Penan. There aredifferences intheadoption ofdeath-names bychildren, bychildless married and Children at the deaths of couples, byparents. adopt appropriate any the true death-names for for relatives of those affines children. and except, course, Married without children usethese death-names andarealsoliable toadopt people death-names foraffines. who or have children no use have, had, People longer of death-names the that the their could have before birth first of any they adopted for kinorfor either at the affines. assume death-names child, cognatic They only deaths oftheir own children oratthe ofeither death husband orwife. when will child oneofhis a Penan first become Tupouas a small Commonly other kin do not deaths of this as He retains name(solong dies. parents' parents the thesuccessive deaths of theother grandparents. Perhaps through intervene) Ilunanddiscards the the becomes then child father's brother andat this die, may ofa sibling or itself death then bediscarded at the Thisname name may Tupou. before he a series ofdeath-names relative. In this a Penan enter other way may any . . . and suchas: Tupou-Ilun-Tupou-Uyau-Linang-Bal3bui-Abing has a child,
deathatthe deaths ofsiblings, andanother Thematter isa little more complex theuseof caseofAngit andSidatoillustrate Letus take the name may appear. inthe death-names sibling-series: A A (1) Angit o (3) o 0
Sida (2)
The first leftto right. The age-order of thesiblings boydied,then goesfrom was stillsmallthesecond himAngit. WhileAngit thesecond wasbornand after child had because thefirst time havea death-name brother died.She didnotat that of kin at thedeaths are onlyadopted and death-names shewasborn, diedbefore dead" (1). "eldersibling At thisdeathAngitbecame one is born. after Linang, known and became Then Sida was bornand Angit byher again Linang dropped while sister born but died another was After the birth of Sida name (2). personal dead." became At death Sida this small. "Lubat," Angit "younger sibling very Lubatas well,forthePenansaythatthiswouldhavebeen couldnothavebecome
422
while shestill death shebecame Malat hada younger Sida.Atthis wrong sibling, death-name for a younger used in this situation. After dead (3), the just sibling the of these more were but names and Sida two sisters born, assumption byAngit both died as babies their Had the and and Sida retained death-names. they Angit last-born sister lived their would have death-names and would have discarded they been known their names were names. Not that again bytheir personal personal abandoned when assumed death-names: the time covered by this they during be continued to known their occasion and on names, their example they personal by and others often them addressed these names. and parents Angit Sidaaddress by each other sometimes but not death-names, name, usually by bypersonal bykinship terms ("older sibling," "younger sibling"). Neither hasdiscarded a death-name sisters. atthe birth ofoneofthe later-born Penan wait anunspecified number ofdays after a birth the will toseewhether child liveor die.If it lives discard either their death-names and they personal adopt or teknonyms, names to their The disto thenewchild. relationship according ofa death-name I believe does not wait that the ofthe child. carding upon naming these of the death-names that affect be affected or during days waiting byits might ordeath life are not used. Sida's dead" of"younger Particularly death-name sibling beconsidered would for the ofthe life new child. uneasy augury There isa feature ofthe names inthe which inthe use wasabsent sibling-series ofthedeath-names noticed In first. those onedeath-name and followed another, theonly were from we death-name to death-name. In thesibling-series changes seethat when a new birth affects the series the death-name is discarded altogether anda personal name alone In the used. former have been cases there could hardly a birth ofa new oreven ofa new uncle the successive tobreak grandparent adoption ofdeath-names. Inthe there beanalternation between deathsibling-series may name andpersonal name. theEastern Penan usesibling onthedeaths death-names of"true" Although cousins the Western Penan ifon It is saidthat is because, do not. this (i.e.first) the ofanelder death first cousin assume the name then own elder you Linang, your death the name there list die.As the shows, sibling (towhose may actually refers) arenonames for deaths ofcousins ofany remove. Allthe above names areused even so long as they have no bymarried people but after the birth oftheir first child as weshall itsadoption) child; see, (or, they enter the child-series ofdeath-names enter death-names for andnolonger grandWith oraffines. thefirst child the assume etc., parents, parents, siblings, parents atits but death death ofany oftheir teknonyms, (orthe subsequent they children) enter the child-series These ofdeath-names. names for children deadareassumed ofbirth tothe order ofthe child that towhether notaccording it dies, according
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todieorthe fifth ifa man hasnine children isthe first todie.Thus, andofthem first the todieisthe hedoes assume the name butbecomes not ninth-born, Uyung andifthe second child hedoes notbecome Sadibutastodieis hisfifth Lumai; the death-name If another after sumes Larah. child isborn tohim hehasadopted ofhis known a death-name for one hediscards children the death-name andbecomes a again by teknonym. The following isthe caseofJalong: Jalong
I
(2)
A A Magaang (3) (1)
S0
o Angit (4)
o Sida
0 0 0 0
1 1
o o o (5) (6) (7)
the known With birth became ofhisfirst child, bythe teknonym Magaang, Jalong became that ofTamaplus(eventually) ofhisson:TamaMagaang (1). His wife TinanMagaang, the names as her assumed same andinall subsequent changes as He could still be have tobyanyone to husband. been referred wishing precise known as TamaMagaang but in he be intercourse would merely Jalong, everyday him His close TamaMagaang. address the would kin, however, usually by approterm. ThenMagaang andJalong became died, Jalong (2). Uyung priate kinship be a number of In address hewasmerely butas at anytime there Uyung, may been referred to the death-name he not have would merely using Uyung people At the ina very small as Uyung(except domestic butas Uyung Jalong. circle) Sadi (3). In thesame ofhissecond sonhediscarded andbecame death Uyung either andaddressed as with hewasknown as SadiJalong by"Sadi" way Uyung the wasborn(4) he discarded term. Whenhisdaughter orbya kinship Angit This TamaAngit. andbecame known once as Tama-this death-name time, again became TinanAngit. Two who wasshared as all the others, byhiswife, change, ofeither name birth hadnoeffect onthe later Sidawasborn, but this orthree years AntoAngit. who known orhis remained wife, teknonyms bythe referring Jalong their discarded but andJalong andhiswife child wasborn died other small, again Larah(5). for"fifth-born child thedeath-name andentered dead," teknonyms a few anddiedas babies were born After this two other old,and days daughters
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Akam (6) and then Ukat (7) to custom to havebecome according Jalong ought in at their But it well Penan institutions deaths. shows the lack of respective rigidity thatJalong and said Larah was enough, death-names thathe had had enough would This his he was be no more. of determined what to declaration called, adopt and no onewouldhavethought himas Akamor Ukat. of addressing Another of death-names interesting aspect appearsin thiscase. They can be children assumed evenbypeoplewhoare themselves whohaveadopted childless, been orwhohavebeenpromised children who is had toadopt. barren, Usun, promit.Had shedoneso she isedthelatest ofJalong's children andwastohaveadopted as teknonyms toa "true" name havebeen),which arethesameterms would applied known Taman of been as Her husband, would have mother. plustherest Usong, and not its was father of the child theteknonym, that he the social indicating begetter. forit diedin its In theevent, were notablephysically to adoptthechild, they was careeighteen birth(and during thisperiod given no permother's daysafter newdeath-names sonalname).Neither norhiswife assumed ("Whatis the Jalong But Usun in thechild-series of death-names. reference to itsposition use?") with thechild'sfoster-parents, and herhusband, whowerebypromise and acceptance had begotten assumed it.This thedeath-name Uyungat itsdeathas though they forthey wasdonemerely on thebasisof Jalong's to them, had in no way promise Even taken of thechild. This is an uncommon case,butit is notirregular. charge forJalong and hiswifealso to it wouldhavebeenperfectly here, though, proper ofthe tothechild's Thus forthedeath adoptthedeath-name appropriate position. child samechildUsong and Usun adoptedthedeath-name Uyung ("first-born and itsfoster-parents anditwastheir first were child;and Jalong dead"), for they and itsparents were hiswife couldhaveadopted thename Ukat,for they certainly it wastheir seventh child. child. We haveseenhere that a death-name is discarded at thebirth of another to discard is also seen Thisprinciple theright thedeath-name of a newlifegiving A widower Abanonly inthecaseofwidows hisdeath-name andwidowers. discards a widow when is born to him, when he remarries. a newchild notmerely Similarly, that a Balou after hermarriage. man retains thename It maythus bearing happen thename thenameAban ("widower") of a woman bearing maybe thehusband tothem, until thebirth ofa child Balou ("widow").Bothretain these death-names with reference to it.Also, oruntil a when assume they they adopt child, teknonyms in sucha marriage, will thechildren of thecouplebytheprevious marriages conthechildren relative to their dead parents: tinueto bearthedeath-names of the willbe "fatherless." willbe "motherless" of thewidow widower and thechildren
the child's have been known asTinan and then asTinan would (whatever Itang
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areenoruntil death-names retain these names until enter other they They they titled toteknonyms. a deathassumes kinsman henot when dies It iscommon that a man's close only Forextribes. Thisis thecaseinboth name butalsochanges hispersonal name. both hisdeathPenan man ofan Eastern diedhechanged when the child ample, There isno Boshiai. toOyong from name Aban andhispersonal name, BDlzngan man name force to a to of or of his change personal obligation religion etiquette in hedoes common anditrests with individual whether ornot. It ismost the also, ora first-born the caseofa parent child dying. of It should orusethe death-names not beassumed Penan canpresent that the new to oftheir the child-series with either easeoraccuracy. Occasions application it name once andtousethe for them arerelatively individuals infrequent, eligible its the behind use about no hasbeen to someone principles requires thought applied Unforthecomplete with it form death-names theother that or about system. andI members has its when one of I with a have not been died, tunately, group the for names the correct before take what sort of cannot deliberations place say be In most cases there would decided kin deceased are true ofthe probably no upon. well there certain children at the deaths of atall,but hesitation may be. confused about often the arevery when about The Penan, names, questioned indidifferent begiven answers different correct Within one their use. by may group an elder times. Forexample, at different individual same viduals andeven bythe after "ninth-born child dead" what wasfor wasasked the death-name and, thinking word the heused Later know. hedidnot tohimself, names saidthat andmumbling and inthe man name ofanother tothe inconversation, "Lumai" group; prefixed her with recounted tohisdaughter, heturned about this when hewasquestioned turned inquestion, andeventually ofthe man children anddeaths ofthe the births ninth-born child. the for death-name that with answer Lumai wasthe back the it is terms address of used as death-names are improper commonly Although to actual man one. The an older anddisrespectful toaddress category kinship by same who isofthe anda man which hebelongs isofnoimportance, ageas oneself beaddressed andnormally of"grandparent" butinthe by may properly category a oneself is addressed than A man older hisdeath-name. by kinship considerably ThusTalan,theelder tohisageandexperience. term orbyan honorific relating butnever is addressed as "Piat"byhiswife ofonegroup, people. byyoung ofaddress but as terms as such areused not death-names Certain bythose only assume will who to those refer and deaths whose eventual to persons they persons and Utan them. Thesearetheterms Apah.A (Banah), Uyau (Pasi), Tupou, as "Tusmall child a address true and not a may grandparent, only grandparent, address. a term of as name means the this context in and merely pou," "'grandchild"
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a man address hissonas Uyauandhisdaughter as Utan,andthe Similarly, may mother address asApah. both These arethen terms ofaddress and tochildren may areused butthey be intimate kinsman used standkin, usually bytrue any may by inthe level andofthe areused ing proper kinship age.Normally they appropriate incoaxing orwhen endearments the hassuffered child some hurt. not may Strangers usethese terms toa child, andI have or been told this harm that would the parent so that he or a she even I whether this is but cannot grandparent might die, say belief. On the is use of as terms of this death-names address whole, general though, seldom andit wasmonths after in them wasfirst heard, extremely myinterest I first aroused before heard this knew it or that was usage possible. These arethe main features ofPenan anddeath In different names. teknonyms some of the names in the be and child-series but groups may vary, may transposed, the the of are the same. principles system everywhere III Theteknonyms areinthemselves ortoany Bornean not tothe Penan peculiar and I do not feel that I can add their to people, anything significant interpretation. Butas far as anthropological isconcerned the death-names matter area new theory anddemand some at attemptinterpretation. similar todeath-names inthe is seen older use very Something slightly English of"widow" as a title(first from in 1576 cited theS.O.E.D.), thecontemporary French andBelgian useof veuve, inmany andsimilar of other countries usages Butthese areso farfrom death-names innearly that Europe. every respect they canprovide no pointers to understanding. Indications of terminological systems similar todeath-names exist inthe literature insoutheast ona few societies Asiaand none of them arethesame as Australia, e.g.theAndaman Though Islanders.4 Penan death-names make I to and discuss them they comparisons, hope interesting ina further The only death-names in form similar andprinciple paper. precisely tothose ofthe Penan so far I as those tribes are, know, employed byneighboring tothe Penan inthe interior ofBorneo. Some ofthe accounts ofthem areinaccurate, most areincomplete, andeven when the names arefully recorded there islittle detailed oftheir noexposition oftheir and use, description character, no systematic interpretation. explicit Elshout a long andvery account detailed ofthe sorts ofdeath-names that gives theKanyah of theApoKayan but does not to analyze them. His attempt use5 choice ofa name todescribe indicates the heregards he them: them, however, way
4 A. R. Radcliffe-Brown, TheAndaman Islanders (Cambridge, 1933),pp. 111-112. 5 Elshout, De KeniaDajaks,pp. 156-180.
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usesthewordrouwnamen, thusimplictly a viewof names," "mourning proposing thenature of thedeath-names which we shallconsider later. Neither havePollard andBanksmadeanyanalysis of themany series of deathnames("teknonyms") that have Their recorded. article no of the offers clues they sortthatonemight from tribes who are so similar to the Penan. expect culturally Thereis,however, onepoint of interest in their article: theEastern Penandeathnames areof thetype thatis themore common thecomplex of tribes among using while theWestern Penansharetheir of names with a small them, system exactly number of long-house theSgbup.I havevisited theSabup longgroups, notably housesand haveconfirmed thattheidentity but I havenot beenable to exists, obtain theSabup anyinterpretation thathad notoccurred to me among through thePenan. I want toconsider nowcertain that inexplanation be advanced hypotheses might of thedeath-names, and which certain facts to support: maybe considered forthebereaved of thekin-referent (1) That society replaces person symbolically thedeath-name. a manaddresses Forexample, hisgrandson as "Tupou"andwhen hediessociety in general(thatis,thegroup)replaces thegrandfather "symbolically," becoming ina terminological thebereaved waya collective grandparent byaddressing person as Tupou. This is an obvious, and plausible but there are pleasing, hypothesis;
a number ofobjections. Mostof thedeath-names arenotusedas terms of address before thekinreferents ofthem aredead.If thehypothesis were an uncle valid should address hisnephew as Ilun (the for death-name an uncle after hisdeath dead),andthen the ofthe rest would him the bereaved Ilun. group "replace" person byalsocalling inaddressing Penan Butinfact the term used a nephew isplop.In the byWestern address his as Linang but and same a man does not as Lobeh; younger sibling way, as Lubat but as the does not address his elder a sibling Inang; grandparent younger is thecasefor is notaddressed as Piatbutas Pu; andthesame Galang, Abing, used as terms ofaddress for these cannot be in and Aban, Balou, bythepersons refer as In thekin-positions towhich death-names. the names of particular, they an individual affect thechild-series arethe ones that ofhis most (which through life ifhehaschildren, andwhich aretherefore the most are possibly important) children their The fifth-born for never the to canused child, example, parents. by ofthe address hisfather as Larah. Themajority be not cannot death-names, then, ofthem canandfrom intheway some ofaddress that which the usedas terms derives itsfirst hypothesis plausibility.
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Another is that itis easyto accept that Tupou can be usedas a deathdifficulty itis usedas a term name since of address of both Bothmen sexes. bygrandparents address andwomen a boywhohaslosthisgrandfather as Tupou,andthere isnothin thissincegrandparents of either their sexmayaddress inginconsistent grandchildren term. But itis lesseasyto accept when a manuses"Apah" to that bythis a child heis inanywayreplacing thewoman whouseditas a term of address. Conthesamedifficulty when arises a woman addresses a boyas Uyau,theterm versely, hisdead father usedto address him. bywhich A third is thatthedeath-names which are used as terms of address difficulty are very seldom so used,whereas all death-names are constantly used and often all other forms of address. replace possible for area collective of mourning thelossof a (2) That thedeath-names expression member of a group or of thePenanpeople. As we haveseen,thisis theinterpretation madeby Elshout' in callingthem names." "mourning means twodifferent matters: in lamenting to feelsorrow thedeath Mourning of someone; and to showtheconventional fora periodfollowing signsof grief someone's death. Thesehaveto be considered separately. If weconcern ourselves with thesorrow that is supposed to be felt or expressed thedeath-names there aremany difficulties. The names be usedin cannot through ofsorrow, butaregenerally usedbyeverybody as normal anywaytoexpress degrees forms ofaddress andreference, andbyandto individuals whomayfeellittle orno sorrow. The length of timeduring which a term is used is determined by other deaths and bybirths, notbythedegree of sorrow or bytheduration felt of acute sorrow. However a Penan'ssorrow he cannot retain thedeath-name forhis great eldest child thedeaths ofother andmore distant even ifhehasentered through kin, onedayoreven oneminute. At thenext he death that concerns him Uyungfor only has no choice butto assume thenewdeath-name. It is difficult to consider names whose and period of use areindependent of theexistence assumption, application, or degree of sorrow as mourning-names in thissense. And in fact, bywhat going thePenanthemselves the names are not vehicles or of evokers but say, sorrow, classes of with reference to the deaths of true kin. If are asked merely persons they deaths should be thepoints of reference can tellyouonly thatit is their why they custom. Nor doesit makethematter if we consider clearer thenames as conventional of The main to this is in that what are signs mourning. objection clearly mourningobservances thegroup as a whole, i.e.most of thepeople whouse thedeath-names andofthose towhom areapplied, hasnopart. After a death thegroup abstains they
6 Idem,p. 161.
429
ifthey this issaidtobebecause allmanufacture for but from a period ofa month; mismats the can to be and make and deceased be expected angry bring blowpipes close The are assumed fortune them. conventional of only byvery upon signs grief kinofthe these consist domestic Without the deceased. into matter, closely going both sexes in certain hair the head. Once for andcutting ofthe of shaving parts this isdone the which must arecompleted: there isnosetperiod signs they during bemaintained. arequite isgreat disdeath-names. There ofthe They independent if we classtogether of grief as death-names and conventional crepancy signs I donot wish institutions need that tomaintain mourning-observances. any society's exhibit the functional oresthetic ofoverall but an such fitting-together consistency, in Penanculture as thishypothesis demands makes its validity inconsistency doubtful. Penan. remembrance ofdeceased area usage for the (3) Thatdeath-names Penan remembered is this there is fact that no deceased the Against primarily canbe kinsman there name in one a death-name. In names that refer to only by Ilun The name noambiguity, butinmost be a deal. death-names there may great refer If rememto number the of deceased may being any parents' siblings. person with reference bered the useofthe from others isnot name through distinguished towhom is alsoused remembrance. the name itcanhardly bea caseofindividual It might infact bemaintained that classes ofkinarebeing this against objection either or wish todo so. but it then has shown Penan so to be that do remembered; themselves ingeneral have short memories for and concern Penan genealogies who oftradition the Those individuals remember atallwith anything past. hardly are old the those who remember areusually elders, and long genealogies usually Penan areconcerned to have much ofthem. who themselves lived through people members of their tribe and as fully as possible theliving remember andlocate their with the but donot themselves they past. Though they occupy justify people, their do nothave toremember who totheir customs ancestors, they byreference were toknow what their customs should be. ancestors do like ofrecently deadindividuals, andwhen tospeak AlsoPenan donot they of terms which are of but the use not not name them refer to special by part by they a death-name is used when wish death-name the resembling they Nothing system.7 ancestors. the dead ortheir either torecall tomind recently members ofthegroup arereminders to other of theeco(4) Thatdeath-names meet needs ofthe bereaved andoftheir to them. orother nomic duty someone dies contributions all food butwhen the Penan share group's equally, remain the The same. receives its offood to thebereaved usually family family
7 Rodney totheDead amongthePenan(Man,vol.54,no.6, January Needham, Reference 1954).
430
fair share offood andthere ofthe lossof isnothought itmore because ofgiving oneofitsmembers. If there a man tocut areother needs such as for besides food, down trees orerect a shelter, number who use then either a close kinsman of a (out thedeath-names inaddressing or themembers ofthefamily) occasionally, helps thefamily allies itself from with and toanother tasks shares economic it, family, itgets in the nopart itneeds because ofthe Death-names death. specific help play all this. Between the of kin close the normal contributions of the and help group the needs ofthe bereaved aremet ofthe useofdeath-names. independently In some theeconomic ofthefamily be improved, as cases, too, position may when an oldperson orpermanent but the still used. death-names are invalid dies, The hypothesis is alsousually of todeath-names usedat thedeaths inapplicable children. Takethe caseofa couple with inoneshelter with father children the of living the wife. The father will all male contribute domestic that a Penan to this group can:daily andthe fruits inforest ofhistrade Butifhedies labor, game, produce. the have a economic not addressed suffered are couple, loss, although they major death-names to his deathbecause have children and take by referring death, they names from their deaths. only between andthe death-names life anddeath the (5) Thatthe symbolise struggle maintain in to the the Penan existence. and necessity group people Thishasanattractive inthat inthe andthe discardment plausibility application ofsome ofthenames between If a man's there is an alternation lifeanddeath. father dies can term until another the is and retained him, nothing replace Uyau death oruntil the man hasa child. Within the there however, isthis sibling-series, sort ofalternation: death ismarked the andlife of the by application death-names, is marked their in favor discardment the In child-series of name. the by personal alternation iseven this more seen: first the atthe new isassumed strongly teknonym then is it for a discarded death-name when a child then the death-name is life, dies, for itself discarded a new and In certain so on. a death-name life, cases, then, may whom itwasassumed for hasbeen until the deadperson not bediscarded replaced innames: first isa marking a point life. there Figuratively, upofpoints bya new then a point todeath. tolife, areunspeculative, itwill notdo.The Penan andthey do notconBut, sadly, life anddeath, their inthis Alandtheir manner. "struggle," ceptualize opposition tohave children because donot, us,"they they say"It isgood though they replace asmy sofar ofthem link this Also attitude tothe death-names. understanding goes, Penan donot, andperhaps conceive ofthe extinction Penan ofthe cannot, people. a subject ofspeculation It isnot with andintheir world-scheme there have them, been Penan as of natural the world and there will be: this is the always part always
431
inthis could ordidthink In any even ifPenan the Godmade world. case, way way deathbe reminded that should still would itas ridiculous they bythe they regard ofconstant orthe ofthe names ofthe continuance ofthe people, group desirability in the names. inlives which areexpressed the victories over ofdeath They conquests cannot beaffected this andthat that the birth ofchildren onGod's will, say depends andwilling. nota matter ofnames do: itisa matter offortune, they byanything most isconceptually the It canofcourse this besaidthat satisfactory hypothesis If one feel. ifitdoes with Penan even not what accord saythey they sayandwhat it then oflife anddeath were a system tosymbolize the ofnames struggle devising toitsvalidity, orin contributes this well belike this. Butinwhat way might very I cannot see. of thePenan, what it could be presented as an understanding way the in themain, and though I havebeen Western Penanusages discussing that beremembered two tribes itmust inthe ofapplication arethe same principles of theEastern thedifferent must for to account alsotry usages anyhypothesis usefarfewer and for Forexample, have nodeath-names Penan. they they aflines and socialorganization similar in spite names in thechild-series, of extremely culture. isthis: death-names ofthe inour examination wehave Thepoint towhich come either maintain can one for laws to We cannot invoke them, sociological explain use such are of no consider orthat what that there arenone, some anthropologists use excannot We laws. cannot invoke inthis we matter. psychological Similarly, and cannot Penan the what for this is to state, them, just pressed purpose explain We cannot in sociological we cannot speakof the teleology. indulge properly ofall consistent lack of because the function the of death-names, usage symbolic and would that of a names the satisfy, relationship single type symbolic precludes social in a Penan the either to not do because is, symbolism) (that symbolize they relationa coherent ortothe is,ina sociological symbolism, (that anthropologist either or to function the of (1), mourning structure) replacement symbols ship bestruggle (4), ortheperpetual obligation (3), economic (2), commemoration life anddeath tween (5). but allpossible I have andexamined that I donot hypotheses, presented pretend ones the immediate arebytheir I have examined five the I think plausibility major I certain facts true. with andbytheir be offered, that possibly congruence might be them should of cannot seethat accepted. any
INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD OXFORD, ENGLAND

NEEDHAM, Rodney-The System of Teknonym and Death-Names of The Penan

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NEEDHAM, Rodney-The System of Teknonym and Death-Names of The Penan

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The System of Teknonyms and Death-Names of the Penan Author(s): Rodney Needham Source: Southwestern Journal of Anthropology, Vol.

THE SYSTEM OF TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF THE PENAN

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

A A Magaang (3) (1)

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

SOUTHWESTERN JOURNALOF ANTHROPOLOGY

TEKNONYMS AND DEATH-NAMES OF PENAN

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