Lamine Yamal and the War Jaiñtia Patronymic Tradition

Now that the 2026 World Cup is over and the media spotlight has shifted elsewhere, there are a few things about this World Cup that stands out, especially for the people of Meghalaya.

While the tournament was going on, a meme of Lamine Yamal was shared in one of a popular War Jaiñtia WhatsApp groups. Not surprisingly, it was an artificial intelligence generated image showing Lamine dressed in traditional War Jaiñtia attire. At the bottom was a statement claiming that he was the son of a War father.

They actually have a point. The claim is based on an old War Jaiñtia naming tradition in which the eldest child of a family is named after the father's clan. This explains names such as Tariang because the father belongs to the Tariang clan, Chen from Pohchen, Lah from Khonglah, Chiang from Myrchiang, Du from Padu, Bareh from Bareh, and Min from Lamin. The meme therefore jokingly suggested that the Spanish football star was named Lamine because his father belonged to the Lamin clan. Jokes apart, there is more to this than humour, and it deserves a closer examination.

For many years I did not know that there was a specific term for this naming tradition. I first wrote about it simply out of curiosity because I wanted to share this unique custom with the wider world. It was only later that I came across an academic paper which cited an article I had written in The Shillong Times many years ago about this unique War Jaiñtia tradition of naming children after their father's clan.

The article discussed the practice of naming a child after the father's clan, or by using one syllable from the father's clan name. It was once a widespread custom among the War Jaiñtia people. It was through a paper by Risa Hilari Wahlang of the Department of History, University of Delhi, titled A Curious Case of Patronymic Tradition in a Matrilineal Society: A Case Study of Nongtalang, Meghalaya, published in the IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, Volume 28, Issue 7, Series 2, in July 2023 that I realised this tradition had a recognised academic name.

I am very happy that one of my articles became the basis for a research topic pursued by a young scholar. Later I also discovered that this was not the only academic paper that cited my articles published in The Shillong Times. There are also other papers which cited my article and that gives me immense satisfaction and inspires me to continue writing about our culture and traditions.

 

I am no hero, I don’t wear cape

 

At some point of time,

I may have tried to do good to others,

But I am not a hero.

In my own small way,

I may in the past,

Have tried to help someone,

But that’s no big deal.

As time pass,

I too change,

I am no longer

The same man I used to be.

If in the past,

I have been able to give more time to serve others,

I am sorry I have to let you down now.

So please don’t expect me to be the same,

For I too, change,

Because I am just a human.

If in the past I have been able to give more time for others,

But I now realized I need more time for myself.

I realized I have neglected myself in the past,

But self-care is my top priority now.

I now realized I can’t do what I used to do,

Because I am no longer the same person I used to be.

So, please don’t expect me to be everything I used to be,

I am no hero, I don’t wear cape.

 

 

 

Nga don ka shithi  ieihnoh kam (resignation letter) kaba nga la pynkhreh la slem, hynrei nga khlem phah ïa ka sha u President ka SURE. Nga pyrkhat kan jia aïu lada ki funders ne ki department ba support ïa ngi kin pyrkhat lada ki tip ba nga ieihnoh kam na ka SURE. Nga pyrkhat kan jia aiu ïa ki samla kiba ïohkam na kiba bun ki project ka SURE lada nga resign.

Ka daw ba nga pyrkhat ban resign ka dei namar ka jingbunkam jong nga hi. Kane ka project kaba nga trei kala shim shibun ka por jong nga bad namar kata ki don bun ki khep kiba ki kam ba ïa dei bad ka SURE ki sahteng noh. Nga lah ban ong ba nga la tlot bha ban trei bad ka jingpynlut por jong nga hapoh ka SURE kam dei shuh kumba long ha ki snem kiba la leit noh. Dei na kata ka daw nga pyrkhat ba kan bha ïa nga ba ngan ieihnoh kam noh na ka SURE.

Ka daw kaba ar kaba pyntlot ïa nga ka dei ka jingtreikam jong ka Board, la bun tylli ki bnai ngim ju ïoh Board meeting shuh bad kane ka pynpyrkhat ïa nga haduh katno ngi shim khia ïa ki kam jong ka SURE. Kane kam dei ka rukom kaba nga kwah ban ka SURE kan treikam, namar ka SURE kam dei ka kam shimet jong nga.

Kaba nga sngewsih eh ka dei ka jingbym don ka jingsngewlong trai (ownership) ïa ka SURE wat na ki samla kiba trei ha ka SURE kiba long ki trai balang. Ngi la ïa rai ban ïa kynduh shisien shi bnai ban ïa kren ïa ki kam kiba ïa dei bad ka SURE, hynrei kata kam shym la urlong satia. Nga la tyrwa ruh ban ai jinghikai ïa ki samla ba kin nang kumno ban batai (articulate) sha kiwei shaphang ka Balang bad ka jingngeit jong ngi, ïa kata lei ym don ba patiaw hi. Nga insynei ba ki samla ne wat ki rangbah bad nongïalam jong ka Balang ruh kim nang ban batai shaphang la ka jong ka jingngeit. Haba ki briew ki kylli kumno phi ngeit? Kaba jrong eh ba ngin lah ban jubab ka lai ne saw laiñ.

Mynta nga don ha ka dum buit, ngan leh kumno? Ïalade nga la hun ka mynsiem ba katba nga lah synei hala i jong i bor barit nga la shakri ïa ka Balang bad ïa ka imlang ka sahlang, hynrei ngam kwah pat ba ka SURE kan kut noh hadien jong nga. Ha kane ka pyrthei ba jyngjar ban ïoh kam nga sngewkmen ba ka SURE kala lah ban ai jingkyrshan khyndiat ïa ki samla ba ïoh kam na ka. Hynrei haba nga bishar pat ïa ka jinglong jingman jon ka seng mynta nga duh mynsiem bha.

Nga ieih ha phi ki Board Member bad ki Staffs ba dei napoh balang ban pyrkhat bad rai, lehse kan sa don ka por ba nga ruh nga ong ngam lah shuh, ngan ieihnoh shisyndon.

Khublei.