There are taboos in naming names
Names, as special symbols of people in social life, are the names that people call each other in order to distinguish each other and connect with each other. At the beginning of the history of people having names, there could not be any principles, rules or taboos. Most of them were given and called at will. There was a great degree of freedom in naming and naming.
Taboo avoidance is a unique historical phenomenon in ancient Chinese society. The so-called "taboo" refers to the names of emperors, saints and respected persons. People should not use random words when speaking and writing. If the same words as the names of such people are used in daily life, they must try to avoid or rewrite them. This is called taboo. Taboo originated in the Zhou Dynasty and became a system after the Qin and Han Dynasties.
There are three main types of taboos: "national taboo", "family taboo" and "sage taboo". The so-called national taboo is mainly to avoid the names of the emperor himself and his father and ancestors. The so-called family taboo is to avoid the names of family elders and ancestors. The so-called sage taboos are to avoid the name taboos of Huangdi, Zhou Gong, Confucius and Yuzi. In addition, there are "constitutional taboos", which are taboos for subordinate officials to avoid their superiors.
Name making involves principles, rules and taboos, around the Zhou Dynasty. In the Spring and Autumn Period, Shen Juxu, an official of the Lu State, was the first to propose five ways of naming and six forbidden rules, which laid the foundation for Chinese naming methods and methods. These six prohibitions are:
(1) It is forbidden to name one’s own country;
(2) It is forbidden to name one’s official name;
(3) It is forbidden to name mountains and rivers in the country;
(4) It is forbidden to name hidden diseases;
(5) It is forbidden to name livestock;
(6) Name the disabled device.
In the subsequent "Book of Rites? Qu Li", these prohibitions were supplemented, that is, it is said: "One who is named a son should not be named after the country, nor the sun and the moon, nor the hidden illness, nor the name of a son. "With mountains and rivers." Among them, not naming the country, hidden diseases and mountains and rivers is a repeated statement. What it really supplements is the so-called "not using the sun and the moon", that is, the sun and the moon are banned in the name. The principle is similar to the taboos mentioned by Shen Juxu, that is to say, if the sun and moon are used as names, the sun and moon cannot be mentioned as a taboo, which is equivalent to abolishing the sun and moon. In addition, Chinese people have a tradition of respecting ancestors, elders, and monarchs, so naming requires taboos and avoidance of taboos, that is, the names of ancestors, ancestors, and emperors are prohibited in naming. From this point of view, on the basis of the six prohibitions on Shen Ju Xu, two more must be added:
(1) It is forbidden to name the sun and the moon;
(2) It is forbidden to give the name The names of ancestors, elders and emperors.
In ancient my country, the above eight prohibitions on naming were strictly followed by people, which had a huge restriction and influence on the naming practice at that time and in later generations.
When naming, the Han people generally avoid the names of their ancestors. First, the Han tradition places great emphasis on seniority. Taking the name of an ancestor not only disrupts the order of generation, but is also seen as disrespectful to the ancestors. The second reason is due to the particularity of the Han people. When naming, the Han people first inherit their father's surname, and then give their own name. However, some ethnic minorities or foreigners have their birth name, their father's name, or their birth name plus their mother's surname and father's surname. For example, French people's names usually have three parts, namely their real name, their mother's surname, and their father's surname. If a Chinese name inherits the father's surname and then adds the ancestor's name, there will be no difference at all between the two.
Under the feudal system, people not only had to "respect their ancestors", but it was also treasonous to call the monarch by his first name. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns of the Qing Dynasty, this alone could lead to the death penalty and bring disaster. Nine tribes. So this taboo was called "national taboo". But as far as modern people are concerned, just in theory of names, they generally do not use the names of great people and celebrities. But some people deliberately take his name out of respect for a certain great person or celebrity. For example, Li Dalin and Zhang Dazhao were named after Li Dazhao and Stalin. Of course, people with the surname Zhao and Guan should not be named "Zilong" and "Yunchang", otherwise there will be no distinction between ancient and modern times.
In addition, it is not appropriate for father and son to have the same name. For example, the names Han Gang and Han Qiang are always regarded as brothers in the customary understanding of most people. Although this situation is more difficult to relate to family taboos in the traditional sense, it is something that needs to be avoided as much as possible in the practice of naming and name usage.
With the development of the times and the progress of society, the boundaries stipulated in the eight ancient prohibitions on naming practice have become increasingly loose.
Especially in modern times, due to the influence of Western ideas of equality and freedom, people's anti-traditional consciousness has increased, which is reflected in the fact that naming practices tend to become more casual. Whatever your heart thinks about, you name it, which has become a new trend and fashion. However, it should also be noted that although the ancient prohibitions on naming practice have many outdated and conservative aspects, they also have a rational side to their existence. Therefore, some prohibitions still have an impact on modern people's naming practices. influence and effect. Of course, it should also be noted that times have changed, and the principles, rules and taboos must also be different from those in ancient times. The practice of naming under new historical conditions has its own principles, rules and taboos that conform to the trends of the times. Here, there are issues of inheritance and abandonment of tradition, as well as issues of practical innovation and regulation. Modern people's naming practice must correctly handle these two aspects of practice. In modern times, as in ancient times, the practice of naming must follow the ancient adage that "there are no rules without rules."
For modern people, having children is a major family matter. As a parent, the first thing you care about is naming. In order to give their children a good name, many people look up dictionaries, poetry, and rack their brains, but the names they come up with may not be ideal. Anyone who is a parent has experienced this to some extent. Naming seems easy, but it is actually quite difficult.
Although it is just a combination of two or three words, it contains many mysteries. Generally speaking, a good name must have three basic aesthetic effects: pleasant to the eyes, smooth to the mouth, and pleasant to the ear. To achieve this effect, when naming, we must pay attention to the three basic principles and standards of beauty of form, beauty of sound, and beauty of meaning. The so-called form beauty includes two aspects: one is the standard use of words, and the other is the correspondence with the physical structure of the surname. The so-called sound beauty means that the sounds between the surname and the given name must be harmonious. The so-called artistic beauty means that the artistic conception is subtle and profound, unconventional. In order to achieve the above-mentioned "three beauties" effect, we must first avoid some taboos when naming, that is, we must avoid some problems that lead to poor naming effects. In addition to these issues that are more directly related to the beauty of form, sound, and meaning, there are other aspects that are also taboo when naming.