Saying my ‘names are’ Abdi Sultani is nonsense! My name is Abdi Sultani

Etiquette. We’ve had the occasion in the past to look into the matter of etiquette, a term that refers to formal rules of correct or polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession. At the societal level, subscribing to etiquette will show others you’re a well behaved or civilised person.

I’m familiar with some Tanzanian societies in which, upon entering someone’s house, you don’t greet the people you find there until you’ve taken a seat. And, once seated, you greet every individual separately, not as a group: it means, if there are ten elders in the room, you’ll be obliged to utter ten “shikamoos” to each of them!

Prefixing an individual’s name with, for example Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms and Honourable, or professional titles such as Prof, Dr, Advocate, Captain or Major where appropriate, shows that you’re respectful. Members of the legal profession address each other as “learned friend/brother/sister”. But when you’re an advocate, please don’t stand before a person you’re meeting for the first time and blubber, “I am learned brother so-and so.” Social etiquette expects you to be humble.

However, it’d be ridiculous and lack of etiquette sense if an advocate stood before you, a nondescript, and said, “I am learned brother so-and-so.” The same way it’d be ridiculous if an MP introduced himself thus, “I am Honourable MP so-and-so.”

And, by the way, should a man, with a bushy beard in tow and a hoarse voice, introduce himself as “I am Mr so-and-so?” Our answer is, No! Just say, “I am so-and-so.”

Nor is it apt for me to say, for instance, “My NAMES are Abdi Sultani.” I just need to say, “I am Abdi Sultani.”

It irritates some of us when we hear someone blabber: “My names are…And, it embarrasses us when we hear member of the media profession—of all people—tell an interviewee, “Tutajie MAJINA yako.” Utter nonsense!

Having thus lectured (sorry), let’s proceed with the task of sharing gems we gathered over the week and so, here we go...

In a Thursday, November 14 story appearing on Page 3 of the tabloid associated with this columnist. It’s about the killing of CCM party official for Kilolo District, one Ms Christina Kibiki.

Writes the scribbler in the last-but-one paragraph: “Ms Christina was shot dead by unidentified assailants in a late-night attack…”

In the subsequent paragraph, the scribbler writes: “Witnesses reported that Ms Kibiki was ambushed and shot between 4.30 and 5.00pm…”

There’re two irking issues here. One, our scribbling colleague errs in prefixing a first name alone with Ms (pronounced Miz). We use titular prefixes with either someone’s full name or the surname, not the first name. For instance, call this columnist Mr Abdi Sultani or Mr Sultani, not Mr Abdi. Or, if you and this man are familiar with one another, simply call him Abdi. That’s etiquette.

Two, the scribbler gives confusing information by first saying Ms Kibiki was shot dead in a LATE NIGHT attack and in the next paragraph he says, the killing took place between “4.30 and 5.00 pm!”

Truth is, 4.30 and 5pm is late afternoon, not night! We suspect our colleague set out to say 4.30 and 5.00am. That is, in EARLY MORNING.

And now, a look at the Friday, November 8 edition of Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet, whose Page 11 has a story entitled, ‘Conservation of forests contributing to livelihoods in Liwale District’.

In this one, the scribbler, purporting to quote what a senior natural resources officer said, writes: “Forests are one of the main sources in Liwale; we have DEVELOPED conservation plans in PLACE, but we are also engaging in sustainable harvesting…” Just a minute, sir! Do we “develop” plans in place? No, we aver. What we do is PUT plans in place.

Ah, this treacherous language called English!