ORIGIN OF THE NAME FUI

Something funny happened to me the other day, when I went to the hospital.
After seeing the General Practitioner (GP), she directed me to the laboratory to run some tests. Upon reaching the laboratory, I presented my request form from the GP to the laboratory technician, also a lady. She asked me to take a seat and fold up my long sleeve in preparedness for her drawing my blood. I must confess, I don't fear anything more than syringes. I hate them! So any time I have to do laboratory tests or take an injection, I normally will cover my face with my hand: and that’s exactly what I did in readiness for her ordeal.
Then I heard a scream from the laboratory technician '' Ah! Young man, please, is your middle name ''Fui'' a Chinese name?'' No, I replied with laughter and with my hand still covering my face.
This is not the first time someone is referring to my name 'Fui' as a Chinese name or the short form of Kafui, et al. As we are about celebrating Hogbetsotso this weekend, I think it is just appropriate to explain what the name ''Fui'' means, where it comes from, and which clan takes it.
Every Anlo male and female is said to belong to one of 15 clans known as ‘hlorwo’ and each clan or ‘hlor’ is identified by a number of paternal lines called ‘tor-ƒome’. The 15 clans are Laƒe, Amlade, Adzovia, Bate, Like, Bamee, Tovi, Klevi, Ɣetsofe, Agave, Tsiame, Amɛ, Dzevi, Ʋifeme and Blu.
Membership of a clan carries many distinguishing characteristics in the form of names, food taboos, clan totems which are associated with stories about their origins or their founding ancestors.
Fui, therefore, is the unique/distinguishing name for the first male child born into the Adzovia/Bate clans, from which my ancestral lineage stems. If another male child follows, he will be called Tsatsu, and the next male child that follows him also will be called Tsidi.
To cite a prominent example, legal luminary & former GNPC Boss, Mr. Tsatsu Tsikata, is a member of the above-mentioned clan. He has a senior brother who is also a legal magnet & former lecturer faculty of law, Legon, called Fui Tsikata. Their younger brother, Tsidi, followed Tsatsu. I must confess here that, if anyone has brought so much prominence to the Adzovia/Bate clan in my lifetime, it is these two brothers whose trails some of us are struggling to blaze.
For our ladies also, the first female is called Kokui, followed by Abui.
For my discerning readers, it will be nice you also tell us your name and a brief history about your clan/lineage.
‘’Anlo klotsi3 klo loo, nake tsi deka nor dzome bii nu’’.
‘’ Tsoe de me kpor ’’!!!

Comments

  1. alfter Abui is Esa, I come from the same clan .........is you know you know

    ReplyDelete

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