Quoting marc bauer :
Dear Dr Odundo:
Would you please reply to this email? I am wondering what the word “obama” in Luo means. Would you please help me?
Thank you in advance.
Marc Bauer
609 4th Ave NW
Great Falls MT 59404-2402
United States of America
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O – male
BA – father
MA – Mother
The original name came as a result of the cry of a young woman who was having her first child, and kept screaming for days while in labor, “Ba, Ma” in reference to her father and mother. It is not uncommon for a Luo woman or man in extreme pain to remember and call for their parents. The “O” at the beginning simply denotes that the child was male.
Odundo jaKarateng’
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Date: Tue, 27 May 2008 05:50:43 -0400
From: odundo@ . . .
Subject: Re: What does “obama” mean in Luo
so if it was a girl it would it be Abama?
Obama.
Bam means bent or crooked.
Bama means bend me.
Obama would mean one who bends things. Just like Otiya- one who is aged, Odhera- one who is thin or Ochwea one who is fat.
I know of a bow legged person called Obama Nyopiyo because of the way he walks.
However some names are gotten from great great grand parents that i am not sure we can trace their original meanings.
Like Obado, Oselu , etc.
To emphasise their uniquiness, they dont have their feminine pairs.
Umesikia Mtu anaitwa ABAMA, ABADO, ASELU?
SOLA.
I concur with the meaning of the name obama to have connotations with being bent or crooked.no doubt being the name of the most powerful person on the planet it has aroused immense interest so let us who speak dhok not confuse the good people of the world who might be sitting at their computers doing Google searches on the meaning of ja alego’s name.of course the man belies the meaning of his name ,he being a straight arrow politician.
now , jothurwa ,i would like to ask the meaning of some of the following luo names:
1. Midika
2. Oronje
3. Agumba
I once knew friends with these surnames but never got to asking them about their meanings.