Paper Title
Derogatory Naming as a Form of Social Control among the Vatsonga in the Limpopo Province of South Africa

Abstract
In every culture norms are enforced through informal sanctions. These norms include customs, values and conventions. This study examines the derogatory names and their significance in the context of Xitsonga culture in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study deals with derogatory naming among Vatsonga as aspects of the cultural expectations of that society. The aim of the study is to highlight the negative naming as a means of social control among Vatsonga. Through derogatory names, Vatsonga ridicule and critique the social misfits. The study will recommend that the names as the important components of Xitsonga culture must be incorporated in the South African education system. More importantly, the study shows that language and culture are interlinked and cannot be separated. The researcher will employ the Descriptive Theory. The Descriptive Theory argues that the meaning or semantic content of a proper name is identical to the description(s) associated with it. Data will collected through interviews and focus groups. Keywords: Onomastics, nicknaming, nicknames, Tsonga/Shangaans, derogatory names