Why were girls called "Qianjin" and boys "Quanzi" in ancient times?
In ancient China, people paid great attention to etiquette. There were many types of etiquette standards, and addressing others was also one of them.
People in ancient times always gave names with names and characters. Generally speaking, ancient people would address others by their names. This is a kind of etiquette standard. But we also know that people in ancient times had the mentality of favoring boys over girls, so they paid more attention to the development of men in ancient times. However, in ancient China, there was still a formal etiquette of addressing a boy by saying "Quinzi", but when calling a girl, he would say "Qianjin". Why are boys called Quanzi and girls called Qianjin?
It is said that the word "Quinzi" comes from Sima Xiangru, a famous poet in the Han Dynasty. "Historical Records" records that Sima Xiangru "loved reading and learning fencing when he was young, so his personal name was Quan Zi".
When Sima Xiangru was a child, his parents loved their son so much that they chose the name "Quinzi" for their son to make a good living. The ancients were superstitious and believed that although dogs are humble, they have strong vitality. If humans can do the same, they will be able to stay away from ghosts and grow up healthily.
Later, when Sima Xiangru grew up, he felt that "Quinzi" did not sound good. In addition, he admired Lin Xiangru's character, so he changed his name to Xiangru, and "Quinzi" became his nickname. As Sima Xiangru became famous, his influence continued to expand, and the word "dog son" became known to more people.
When did "qianjin" begin to refer to girls? Thousands of years later, a composer from the Yuan Dynasty wrote a drama in which the word "daughter" was mentioned - "Miss, I am the daughter of a common people, and you are the daughter of an official family. Please be patient."
"Qianjin", as the name suggests, is used to describe valuables. "Thousands of gold can be bought like a gift, but who can complain about it?" The ancients felt that it was most appropriate to use "千金" to refer to preciousness. We know that the ancients were modest and polite, and it is rare to find people who are as immodest as Xie Zhao's father, Xie Zhuang.
And he is also a way of saying that he gets carried away under certain circumstances. "Qianjin" is generally a name for other people's children, not for his own children.
In fact, this form of address must contain the true, good, and beautiful qualities, which is the goal of parents to raise their daughters well. Only then can a happy life be guaranteed. In this atmosphere, Chinese people have naturally developed the habit of paying attention to etiquette, which is especially reflected in interpersonal interactions.
As mentioned in this question, when a person interacts with others, he should generally use modest names for his own people and things, which is referred to as modesty.
In fact, this is a kind of etiquette culture in which one is modest about oneself and respectfully addresses others. Chinese people are the most particular about etiquette, so the culture of this kind of address is a kind of etiquette culture. Qianjin usually refers to other people's girls, and Quanzi usually refers to one's own children.