Do you feel loved?

These affectionate names are used to express love or a close emotional connection with that one person. These special names contribute a lot in developing a strong emotional bond between you and your partner. It is a unique way to express your affection for your beloved and it gives a sense of belonging to each other.

The fascination with them is that they come from the heart. Research done in Britain last year shows that during the first five months of a relationship, couples tend to call each other using pet names. As soon as you pick the right one, it remains until the relationship lasts, sometimes even for a lifetime. “My boyfriend is always calling me gorgeous and it’s been three years,” states Khumo Loeto. Being called gorgeous, she says, makes her feel like she is the most beautiful woman in the world. She is definitely swept off her feet.

American psychologist Dr Phil reckons that calling your partner with a pet name makes him or her feel content and warm within, and fills the heart with joy and peace. A pet name can be one’s best therapy. Names that are often used to address each other in a relationship include baby or babe, as some write it. This name, according to Kabelo Moeng makes his woman feel special and protected.

Moagi Tauetsile uses honey on his wife of two years. He believes it best expresses his intense love for her. While Boss Moeti uses darling, his girlfriend Basetsana Sebubi prefers calling him my love. She says that she stopped him from calling her dear because it sounded too casual, as it can be used on a sister or brother as well.

The thing with a pet name is that it has the ability of making the owners protective of their boundaries. For example, calling your woman sweetheart can be the cutest thing especially when you grew up together and ended up married. It is yours and yours alone. For Mothusi Keberekile, calling his wife love is the best thing ever as it means he has turned the word into a noun. “I love my wife and addressing her as love makes me complete,” he says, adding that the feeling also makes him look forward to going home after work. He explains that the pet name shows him his other responsibility. “I’m indebted to her love,” he blushes. On the other hand, she calls him hubby, short for husband.

A lecturer from the University of Botswana Social Work department Kgosietsile Maripe says that using pet names shows appreciation and recognition of the presence and the nature the person is to you. Pet names makes people feel loved and they bring the person to that level. “They keep the relationship alive,” he states.
A recent survey by siteopia discovered Britain’s most loved male pet names. Such names include handsome, to assure your man that you find him attractive. Other women prefer to call their partners movie star, cowboy, hot chocolate, honey bear and daddy. Women prefer to be called softer names such as muffin, boo and angel.

Some pet names are actually cut from original names. For example, Ron for Ronald, Lisa for Melissa and Tebby for Tebogo. All said and done, the Setswana dialect also has its own charm when it comes to pet names. Such names include mogatsaka, mmaabo, rraabo and moratiwa. All these mesmerise the heart in a special way.