In Search of My Name's Original Meaning Iנ סֶארצה עf מי נאמֶ'ס ערִגִנאל מֶאנִנג

1. My father has told me plenty of times that my name was some form of Hebrew derivative of Samuel, but I want to find it on paper for myself. In my search I came upon the capital city of Cameroon: Yaounde. It's very similar to my first name: Zamounde. Growing up in Detroit, Michigan afforded me the opportunity to intermingle with hundreds of ethnic groups around the city; especially during the annual ethnic festival held downtown. However, being an African-American in no way shape or form does your name dictate where you are from the majority of the time. No, a name does not necessarily say who you are, but for some strange reason I strongly believe my name has a lot to do with who I am and what I have accomplished in life. There has to be a connection.

I sent a letter to the U.S. Embassy in Yaounde':


Dear Ambassador,

I have been searching for the definition of my first name, Zamounde for years and noticed the capital city of Cameroon closely resembles it. I was told by my father that my name is the same as Samuel; however, there is no evidence to solidify that statement. After exhausting efforts I cannot find any information on the Internet or in the library besides the fact that Yaounde is French, and the capital city of Cameroon. Yaounde could also be a French interpretation of an African name or place. I know most cities are named after important events and people etcetera. The answer is immensely important to me, and your assistance on this personal matter is greatly appreciated.


Respectfully,
Mr. Zamounde S. Allie, Jr.



2. A library assistant found later on that Yaounde' is the French form of the Hebrew word Yehudi which is the alternative form of the name Judah the fourth son of Jacob. Which means roughly translated To Him be praised.

3. Judah was a son of Jacob and Leah and the forebear of one of the tribes of Israel in the Bible. Judah is also an ancient kingdom of southern Palestine between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It lasted from the division of Palestine in 931 b.c. until the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Judah).

4. What does this all mean in my quest to find the meaning of my name? How does Judah translate to Yaounde' (Yaunde)? Finally, where does Zamounde (Zamunde) fit into this equation? What's the difference in the use of a "y" verses the use of a "z"? How does the division of the syllables matter: Ya-oun-de / Za-moun-de? We'll have to see as the story unfolds. Next, I will have to venture into the Hebrew language which will take me to the Phonecian language, and undoubtedly to the Latin form prior to returning to English, again.


5. While searching the Internet I found an interesting site. I typed in my first name: Zamounde and it came out as (from right to left) זאמעטנדat http://www.amhaaretz.org/translit/. Yaounde appeared as יאעטנדֶ (note there is no letter "e" represented).

What does this all mean? Well you see where I'm going--into a very different world than the one I'm used to. My father is named Zamounde, too, and that means that the name is almost 100 years old in America. I cannot get pass the slave ship void in our history accept through DNA, exhaustive vital records and language investigation.

School starts real soon for me so I'm hoping to put a dent in my research effort before then by 22 March.




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