Algerian First Names : Attribution Patterns and Socialization "AFNAPS"

This project focuses on the study of Algerian first names within the corpus of civil status registers. Its primary goal is to investigate the denotative and connotative meanings of the names chosen by Algerians at the birth of a child, whether a girl or a boy.

Indeed, a first name constitutes a vital link between the individual and their social and physical environment. It can also play a significant role in a person's professional career. This study is both anthropological and semantic, aiming to examine the meanings and symbolism embedded in names, linked to a parental culture influenced by religious and ethnic factors, while also accounting for the modernization brought about by globalization and the media. This project is not entirely new; rather, it is a derivative of two previous projects at CRASC: "Settlement Toponymy" and "First Names in Algeria: Usage and Meaning." It incorporates a more technical dimension by utilizing software tools such as Excel, Access, and Map Info for corpus analysis.

Objectives:

- Construction of a database on anthroponyms in Algeria.

- Identifying the phenomena involved in the choice of a newborn's name and the issues surrounding name changes for reasons deemed personal.

Actions Taken / Planned:

- Collecting maximum data through interviews, civil status registers, etc.

- Organizing scientific meetings to update our research methodologies.

- Publishing the proceedings of these scientific meetings.

- Creating a national network that could extend to the Maghreb and the Mediterranean regions.

Expected Results / Perspectives:

- From a scientific perspective, the project will attempt to explain the extent to which Algerian naming practices have withstood the massive influx of new names from the Middle East and Europe, and how they have managed to preserve names that reflect Algerian anthroponymic identity and cultural distinctiveness.

- Organizing a scientific conference and publishing the research papers.