Introduction to naming and nicknames

1. What is a nickname?

Nicknames are also called nicknames, nicknames, nicknames, mixed names or nicknames. They are names given by others. Nicknames also have specific meanings. Nicknames do not necessarily have a surname. They are generally very vivid symbolic images, humorous and exaggerated, with popular words and strong emotions. Nicknames embody folk customs and are of great cultural significance. Nicknames are different from other names. Sometimes it can also be used to disparage a certain person, like Li Linfu, the treacherous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, who was nicknamed "Sword of Mouth and Sweet Belly Sword", and it is obviously not a good word for people like Wang Laohu, Zhou Papi, He Madman, etc.

Nicknames have existed since ancient times. For example, Baili Xi in the Spring and Autumn Period, known as the "Five Doctors", is an early example. Another example is the famous doctor Bian Que, whose real name was Qinyue. , "Bian Que" is a nickname given by others, which means like a spiritual magpie, it means good news. Hua Tuo, a famous doctor in the Three Kingdoms period, is also a nickname. His real name is Hua Fu, which is a ziyuan. The connotation of "Hua Tuo" comes from the Sanskrit "Aga" Tuo" means the god of medicine.

The Smiling Sword and the Human Cat: His real name is Li Yifu, and he was the traitorous prime minister of the Tang Dynasty. He was born in a poor family and was a Taizisharen during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. Later, he and Xu Jingzong supported Wu Zetian as their queen and was promoted to Zhongshu The minister participated in political affairs. In the second year of Xianqing's reign, he was appointed Zhongshu Ling, and later changed to right minister. Li Yifu was extremely treacherous, and was known as the "human cat" at the time, and was also nicknamed "the knife in the smile", which means the knife hidden in the smile.

3. Characteristics of nicknames

(1) Some nicknames are so exciting and distinctive that they no longer belong to a certain person, but become a general term for a type of person.

For example: The word "think tank" was originally the nickname of Mr. Qin during the Warring States Period. Because he was "funny and wise" and had a big tumor on his neck, people at that time called him that. Later. Anyone who is smart and wise is called a "think tank". It has become a fixed vocabulary.

(2) Some nicknames are names given to a person based on certain characteristics. Therefore, it is easy to become a general term for a type of people.

For example: Huahua Taisui, Hunshimowang, Fei Shangcao, One-eyed Dragon, Half Bottle of Vinegar, Mangy Dog, Iron Rooster, Clairvoyance, Shunfeng Er, Smiling Tiger, Dumbhead Green, Half Immortal, Vixens, etc. are all nicknames for these heterogeneous species.

4. How to come up with nicknames

There are many ways to come up with nicknames, here are some of them.

( 1) Nicknames based on physical characteristics.

Tang Dynasty poet Li He was known as "Long Claw Man" because of his long hands. Liu Jingtai, a storyteller in the late Ming Dynasty, was known as "Liu Mazi". Wang Guifen, a famous Peking Opera artist, was known as "Wang Datou" ".Others such as three-inch Ding, pretty face, hanging eyes, big eyes, big guy, cripple, bald, curly hair, six-fingered, etc. are very common.

(2) Based on temperament or temperament Nicknames combined with physical characteristics.

For example, Diao Hou'er is naturally very shrewd, and Smiling Tiger has a knife hidden in his smile. Qin Ming, the "Thunderbolt Fire" in "Water Margin", really lives up to his name.

(3) Based on specialties. Nickname.

For example, Wen Tingyun, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, had a quick thinking in poetry. Every time he crossed his hands eight times, he would write a poem, so he was known as "Wen Bacha". Cao Zhi's poems are "extraordinarily high-spirited and brilliant in words" , known as the "Embroidered Tiger". Wu Zibin, a great hero in the late Qing Dynasty, known as the "Fifth Sword King".

(4) Nickname based on occupation.

This is similar to a stage name, Such as "Wonton Hou", "Explosive Belly King" and so on.

(5) Nicknames based on the place of birth.

For example, Lu Huiqing of the Song Dynasty was a native of Fujian and was called the "Fujian Son". ". Now there are also nicknames such as Little Shandong and Little Beijing.

(6) Nicknames derived from a certain anecdote.

For example, Li Er, the leader of the peasant uprising army in the late Yuan Dynasty , once took out a warehouse of sesame seeds at home to help the victims during the disaster year, so he was called "Sesame Plum".

(7) The nickname was given due to the famous poems and lines of the literati.

For example, Qin Guan is nicknamed "Shanmo Weiyunjun", Xie Yi is nicknamed "Xie Butterfly", Wu Qi is nicknamed "Hongdou Ci Man", Wang Shizhen is nicknamed "Wang Tonghua", etc.

5. Nicknames should be used Things to pay attention to

After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, there were many nicknames among the lower class people, and they were generally very vivid and folkloric.

Appropriate and vivid nicknames often reflect a person better than the name. People's personality, so many people's nicknames have been passed down for a long time, and are even more famous than their real names. For example, the famous Northern Song Dynasty general Yang Linggong and the late Ming Dynasty female general Hong Niangzi are like this.

There are still many people today. There are nicknames. We believe that we cannot generally advocate or oppose this matter. Good nicknames can also enhance the relationship between friends, but you should not use nicknames to laugh at other people's shortcomings, especially physical defects. When naming, you should also pay attention to avoid inappropriate names. Good homophony and extended meaning will prevent others from easily using derogatory nicknames.