Line Names: What's in a name?

[chAKAlate]

When I pledged, we were given a swahili line name and I was given a swahili line name.

Actually our line names were sounded kind of funny.

Mine was Mamlaka: which meant authority
My sands was Waka: which meant to think

I've noticed some chapters go back and forth between swahili names and non-swahili names and some do just non-swahili names.

I just wanted to know sorors feedback on the issue and if their non-swahili line names
have any significant meaning.

For instance I was surfing an AKA site and their line name was the Six Scents and they had names like Chanel #5 and Tommy Girl etc.

Sorors feel free to e-mail if it will give too many details.

I also heard that other BGLO sorority's let the girls pick their own names. This was from a non-greek. I have never heard of that? Is that true?

ChAKAlate

An Alpha Kappa Alpha Woman is Oh so Divine
The First and Finest Black Sorority of The Divine Nine

Skeewee My Sorors SkeeWee

------------------
Aim for the moon,.... if you miss you'll be among the stars.

[W.T.B.3]

Originally posted by chAKAlate:
When I pledged, we were given a swahili line name and I was given a swahili line name.

Actually our line names were sounded kind of funny.

Mine was Mamlaka: which meant authority
My sands was Waka: which meant to think

I've noticed some chapters go back and forth between swahili names and non-swahili names and some do just non-swahili names.

I just wanted to know sorors feedback on the issue and if their non-swahili line names
have any significant meaning.

For instance I was surfing an AKA site and their line name was the Six Scents and they had names like Chanel #5 and Tommy Girl etc.

Sorors feel free to e-mail if it will give too many details.

I also heard that other BGLO sorority's let the girls pick their own names. This was from a non-greek. I have never heard of that? Is that true?

ChAKAlate

An Alpha Kappa Alpha Woman is Oh so Divine
The First and Finest Black Sorority of The Divine Nine

Skeewee My Sorors SkeeWee

Hey ChAkAlate,
the tradition in my chapter was to formulate line names for everybody on the line by coming up with something which suited the individual's personality or something which stood out about that individual. The names were only choosen by your big sister. I know at a lot of other chapters, this is also the method which is used. I hope that this helped you out a bit.
sisterly,
W.T.B.3

[chAKAlate]

Were your names Swahili WTB3? That sounds pretty much like what our chapter did. But some of the names I've heard don't seem to have any bearing on personality. Made me wonder


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[AKA2D '91]

to the top....for Soror Happydays

QUOTE
I wanted to add my two cents and wanted to hear what others had to say because I feel sometimes it is just terrible -- some of these line names that we hand out (remember -- in the end, we are all still sisters)....what is even worse than that is the fact that some of these people put these names on shirts/jackets and etc. Furthermore, although you think 'ghetto girl', thug life and etc. (examples) may be a cute line name....should that be put on the back of your outfit?

Now, I know line names are 'supposed' to have meanings (although...I read somewhere where lines are naming themselves)...but people from the outside looking in can get the wrong idea. Do we really want them to have 'that' kind of perception about our organizations or that person?

On my line, we did have some 'bad' line names for some....but reading such on the back of shirts you couldn't tell -- they looked like sweet little names.

Just a thought...next issue...these 'pieces' of materials we put on that we call 'clothing' with our letters on them. Shame on you....

[AKA_Monet]

My line's name was traditional.

My individual line name's were given by the "special big sisters"

My "exchange transfer" UG chapter's line's names were in KiSwahili, but I think they changed it...

I have heard of self named line names. Something about MIP rules and big sisters ideas...

Traditions do change...

[Dancerella1908]

My lines name is Divine 49. My line was described as classy,sophisticated,pretty etc. and that's where the Divine came from. There are 49 of us so that is self explanitory.

Our individual line names came from our personalities or characteristics, or something we did. For example my line name is Dancerella because I teach dance class,have my own dance company, and was the choregrapher/step captain for our line(and now the chapter).

No one ended up with a harsh or degrading line names.The chapter made sure of that,but the names do fit us quite well.For example some of my sands are Heaven Sent(she's going into the ministry), Work-It-Out(because she had issues),andLady Divine(she was the line president).

[Wonderful1908]

Our line names all came from our personalities or something that was known about us or anything we may have expereinced going through our process. Our entire line name is one of those abbreviated things only we would understand and nobody should know what it stands for. Nobody had a degrading line name however some were less than desirable but only if you knew the "true" meaning, but to give someone an obviously disrespectful line name is out of order.
The other undergrad chapter in town did things different. Their line names always had a theme and each line name came from the central theme of the line.

[Happydaysf91]

That's what we did at Beta Upsilon -- our entire line name was "Thirty-Something" -- mid 80's Television show. And we were all named after TV shows or specials that had meaning to each of us. For example -- I'm Happydays because they said I was always happy, excited and wore bright clothes (remember -- this was the early 90's). My other line sisters names fitted them as well -- All in the family (legacy member); Perfect Stranger (no one knew who she was before we 'pledged'); America's Most Wanted (received unanimous votes to make line); Taxi (always had to take the big sisters somewhere); Empty Nest (very, very, sweet, but very dingy), Jeopardy .....and etc.

I always think themes are cute, but sometimes...its really hard to find something that fits with everyone. There are million of TV shows...therefore, it wasn't that bad for us and we were all told the meanings of our line names. Some meanings were nice and some ---- weren't too nice. The Line before me was a Pink and Green Production - named after movies (lots of movies as well).

Anyway....I think line names are cute...the one's with meanings. When people tell me that they named themselves or their 'line', I always look baffled -- why? That's one of the fun things (for some) getting that great name! Their supposed to be funny for you all as a group -- we trip when we get together thinking about some names -- thinking about some of the stupid stuff you did to get the name as well.

[PearlEssence08]

I don't know if this thread has been done, but i was visiting the zeta forum and got the idea to do one here. i thought it was a cute topic and i'd certainly like to know what some of my sorors' lines' names were.

My line's name was "Pearl-lennium 26" because we were the first line to go over in the new millennium and there were 26 of us. Most of my line sisters had "pearl" in their names, a few of us didn't. PearlEssence would have been the "pearlfect" name for me to use, but alas I was named "Quiet Storm" and it stuck with me.

Skee Wee, Sorors

[Ideal08]

My line's name is Diamonds Are Forever. . . 17cts. We were the last line of the last millennium. We all have linenames that are characteristics/descriptions of diamonds. Stunning, Ideal , Trilliant, Princess, Solitaire, etc.

[djjukebox]

In Bruh culture in the South, the big brothers give you your individual line name but the line gets the honor of coming up with it's own collective name.

Most Bruhs don't have smooth individual names for that reason. I made a '94 Xavier Bruh that we called "Def Jam" cause he was legally deaf in one ear *I know I know... the Bruhs are cruel sometimes*.

If you hear of a Bruh with a 'hard or nice' like name, it's problably not his given name. Only one of my prophytes uses his given line name...

My prophytes:

given name: lockjaw
name he uses: T-Mack

given name: Deputy Dawg (you gotta see his cheeks)
name he uses: D. Walker

given name: missing link
name he uses: hype dawg

y'all get the drift.... I have a sand at Miles who's given name is U.F.O. ... he tells er'body that stands for 'U'timate 'F'ine 'O'mega but the Bruhs know it stands for 'U'gly 'F'oot 'O'rlando

And I'm gone.. ALLRIGHT ALLRIGHT !!!!!!

[btb87]

My cousin pledged A Phi A back in the 80's. Poor thing was wearing braces at the time. Don't remember what his line's name was, but his name was. . . Cujo!

[ADivine08]

Our line's name was the "5 Pearls of Distinction". Not very creative, but it was time to go the printers. My individual line name was chosen because I was the one who always asked questions, and more questions. Hence the line name "Pink Inquisition".

[evaclear04]

Our line names came from our 'big sisters' and were all greek names (Greek Goddesses). Each of them were given to us for something that stood out about us. Hera (my line name) is the greek goddess of marriage, birth, and women. She was a strong goddess who even Zeus could not stand up to.
I was the only one at the time that was engaged. And I was also kind of a mother to my line. I was also very outspoken and strong minded.
My user name is one that just kinda stuck with me after i crossed from non members. And it only really comes from a type of alcohol which is extremly strong. Friends couldn't believe that i had actually crossed and thought, considering my normal demenor, that it was a strong act.

[ShiningStar83]

I visited one of my high school buddies at her college one weekend, and members of XYZ sorority had line names that were the names of STDs. I asked my friend if she knew anything about that, because she was greek, but she said she had no idea why they were named that way. Personally, I thought it was sick and not cute, but the girls were wearing their jackets with pride