In the Sotho-Tswana worldview, prayer is not an isolated event but a continuous state of being.
: Meaning "mother of prayer," often given to a girl to signify she was prayed for or will be a woman of faith. Thapelo
: It often signifies a child who was born after much supplication or is seen as an answer to a family's long-standing requests. In the Sotho-Tswana worldview, prayer is not an
: Parents who choose this name often do so with the wish that the child’s life will be continuously guided and protected by prayer. Linguistic Variations : : Parents who choose this name often do
The name is derived from the verb go rapela , meaning "to pray". In many Southern African households, names are not merely identifiers but are chosen to reflect the circumstances of a child’s birth or the parents' aspirations: