Les noms et l’identité : L’onomastique dans La Grotte éclatée de Yamina Mechakra

Names and identity : The onomastic in The exploded Cave by Yamina Mechakra

Abstract

This work explores onomastics in Yamina Mechakra’s The exploded Cave, a novel that recounts the journey of an illegitimate young woman who joined the maquis during the Algerian war for independence. The aim of this study is to highlight identity, memory and historical tensions through the analysis of proper names. From a literary and anthropological perspective, the study uses concepts from Lévi-Strauss' work on the structure of myth, Paul Fabre’s work on onomastic motivation, as well as postcolonial approaches to memory and identity. Two methodological axes structure the analysis: a synchronic analysis, which studies names in their immediate narrative context, and a diachronic reading, which follows their historical, cultural and symbolic evolution. The analysis consisted of identifying all the anthroponyms and toponyms present in the novel, classifying them according to their origin (Arabic, Berber, French), then studying their meaning, narrative function and symbolic significance. The results show that proper names, far from being neutral, are carriers of multiple meanings: they embody the overlapping cultural heritages of Algeria, inscribe the characters in memorial networks, and actively participate in the construction of the narrative. The name Arris, in particular, functions as a double marker - patronymic and toponymic - of resistance and transmission of identity. This research contributes to shed light on the role of onomastics in Maghreb literature as a tool for expressing historical tensions, identity plurality and postcolonial memories.