Names are not only symbols that refer to individuals, but also marks the position of individuals in social order. A nickname is a name given by a person when he is a child, also known as a milk name, a milk name, a baby name or a fine print. Giving a baby a nickname is convenient for oral calling on the one hand, and also has a strong emotional color on the other. Let's talk about why we should give our baby a nickname from ancient times to the present.
The historical origin of giving babies nicknames
There is a folk custom that nicknames do not avoid ugliness and vulgarity, and this custom continues to this day.
China people paid attention to names from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. In the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, people began to attach importance to names, and names gradually became ritualized and institutionalized, and various taboos and restrictions on names also emerged. Because in the upper class, both naming and choosing words have to go through a very grand ceremony, and they can't call each other by their first names, so many families give their childish babies a nickname first, so that they can be called among their families and close people.
Because nicknames are often given to babies shortly after they are born, they are also called milk names. In the Spring and Autumn Period, the practice of giving nicknames to aristocratic family members has become very common. However, the lower classes in society, because they have no right or ability to carry out the grand ceremony of choosing names and words, their nicknames as children are often the big names as adults.
According to historical records,
Jin Xiangong's nickname is Mi, which means Scorpion. Zheng Zhuanggong was born with dystocia, so he was nicknamed Mi Sheng, and Kong Qiu's son was nicknamed Carp. Shi Chong's nickname is Qinu, Wang Xianzhi's nickname is official slave, Gu Xi's nickname is Tiger Head, Tao Yuanming's nickname is Creek Dog, Wang Anshi's nickname is Badger Lang, and Song Xiaozong's nickname is Lamb.
Not only the Han nationality, but also the ruling class of ethnic minorities who entered the Central Plains at that time often left a record of nicknames in historical books. For example, the nickname of Yeluyi, the ancestor of Liao Dynasty, was Zuili only.
In addition, because the female members of the upper class in feudal society lived in the family boudoir for a long time, they rarely showed their faces outside, so the nickname was more popular, but it was only used at home, also known as the boudoir name. For example, Empress Chen of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was nicknamed Gillian, and Princess Tang Shouchang was nicknamed Bug Niang.
We can find that most of the above-mentioned baby names are nicknames. According to legend, this can make the baby grow up safely and avoid misfortune. This custom should have been formed in the Han and Wei Dynasties. It can be seen that the phenomenon of birth name is a life custom with a long history.
according to the research of the nomologists, the custom of naming nicknames flourished in the Han Dynasty and flourished in the Six Dynasties. It is not uncommon to find records about the nicknames of ancient people in ancient literature.
such as the history of the south? Biography of Zhang Jinger records:
In the Southern Qi Dynasty, there were two brothers. The elder brother Zhang Jinger was nicknamed Dog and the younger brother Zhang Gonger was nicknamed Pig. Inspired by divination and dreams, Zhang Jinger thought that he would become the son of heaven, so he conspired to rebel and fabricated nursery rhymes: Where is the son of heaven? He lives in Chigukou (the place name in front of Zhang Jinger's house). Who is the son of heaven? Non-pigs are dogs. Later, he was killed by Emperor Wu of Qi.
Tang Shu? The Biography of Li Junxian records a court game about nicknames:
Emperor Taizong once invited the military attaché s to have a banquet in the palace, making everyone make a drinking order and reporting their nicknames. Li Junxian, the secretariat of Huazhou, reported her nickname as Wuniangzi. Taizong laughed at him and said what kind of woman you are, so brave and fearless. At that time, the custom of nicknames was very common. Not only the common people, literati and bureaucrats took nicknames, but also the emperor who was called the son of heaven had nicknames.
Xin Qiji's "Eternal Joy?" In Beigu Pavilion Nostalgia at Jingkou, it is said that the setting sun is a grass tree, an ordinary lane, and a humanitarian slave once lived. Looking back, there was a crow club drum under the baboon raccoon temple. Sending slaves is the nickname of Emperor Wu of Song Wudi in the Southern Dynasties, and baboon raccoon is the nickname of Tuoba Tao, the emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The most well-known nickname of the ancient emperors was Liu Chan's famous Adou, and the famous minister Cao Cao's nickname was Ashun.
It can be seen from the above that nicknames, whether belonging to ordinary people or officials and royals, are based on the principle of vulgarity and ugliness, which is very different from elegant and pleasant names that positively reflect social order and life ideals. It can be seen that nicknames are a custom of naming and addressing with unique social and cultural values.
nicknames have a blessing function in people's consciousness.
Wang Lin, a Song Dynasty poet, said in the Wild Guest Series: Parents want it to be easy to have children, so it is very clear that today's people named after dogs still have this idea.
According to the Records of the Song Dynasty's Xing Jushi and the Qing Dynasty's Liang Zhangju's Tales of Wandering, volume 6, Ouyang Xiu had a son named Augus. When asked why he chose this name, he replied: When children are born, they often take cheap things as nicknames, such as dogs, sheep, horses and cows, and Augus's name.
In A Dream of Red Mansions, Wang Xifeng said to Grandma Liu: Just give her a name. You are farmers, and you are not afraid of being annoyed. You are poorer after all. If you poor people give a name, I am afraid you can hold her down.
in the eyes of wealthy families, the name given by the poor is a nickname, so they can ward off evil spirits and get rid of diseases.
In the traditional sense, the baby is called a lock and tie, thinking that reciting the word that has become a name often can give birth to a spiritual force, which can really keep the baby from dying; Named Niuer Piglet, I thought that the baby would really be like a low-grade and easy-to-feed animal like cattle and pigs, eating poor food and not having to take care of him carefully. It is named iron, steel and gold, which is thought to make children's bodies as strong as these metals and not get sick. The ancients also believed that by exerting external force on names, people's own situation could be affected.
From this perspective, nicknames can play a role in protecting children in traditional beliefs, not only relying on homeopathic witchcraft thinking mode, but also cooperating with contact witchcraft thinking mode. If the nickname is a temporary name for children in the fragile period of life, so people think it is not a real name, then it can be regarded as a way of hiding names.
In this way, not only the nicknames with obvious witchcraft words or witchcraft can ward off evil spirits, but also all nicknames can ward off evil spirits and protect children by hiding their names. However, the role of this kind of hidden name has been ignored in the long-term spread of customs, so we add various more positive measures to the use of characters or naming methods of nicknames.
In the traditional period, the material living standard was low, the medical level was poor, and superstitious thoughts prevailed, so surreal factors of nickname occupied a prominent position. In modern society, the material standard of living and the medical level have been fundamentally improved, the infant mortality rate has been extremely low, and people are no longer too worried about the difficulty of feeding babies, so the surreal belief in naming has faded or even disappeared, and the realistic function of nicknames has occupied a dominant position.
Why are nicknames still widely loved by people?
It's mainly because it's simple, smooth, friendly and pleasant to hear. Names are more solemn and formal, and the sound, shape and meaning of each word should be considered. However, nicknames can be chosen conveniently, eclectic, random, funny, lively and natural, and whatever parents like will do.
In modern China, A Juan, A Gen, A Lian, Xiao Lan, Xiao Gang, Xiao Shuner, Da Yong, Da Guai, Ying Zi, Niu Zi, etc. are added to nicknames, but more nicknames are given by the method of double-syllable rhyme, such as Nan Nan, Bo Peng, Ming Ming, Yuan Yuan, Mao Mao and Fei Fei. In the north, in order to express parents' love, relaxed and cordial feelings for babies. Often the nickname is changed, such as Xiaocao and Xiaochuan into Xiaocaoer and Xiaochuan.
It is a habit for everyone to take a nickname before a formal name.
The role and influence of nicknames are not as good as those of formal names, characters and numbers. Since almost everyone has them since ancient times, it is also a cultural phenomenon that cannot be ignored. Parents give their babies nicknames, which is not only the need of real life, but also can express their deep love for their babies.
From a scientific point of view, in reality, most young fathers and mothers wait for their children to be born before naming them according to their gender. From the point of view that it is beneficial to children's intellectual development, when the fetus grows to 5 ~ 6 months, it should take a nickname and call it first. This is because the development of the hearing organs of the fetus at 5 ~ 6 months is basically mature, and it has established a connection with the nervous system reflex. From then on, the baby will be given a nickname and often called. When the future father and mother talk to the fetus, they will call the baby's nickname first, which will make it easier to communicate the information between the parents and the fetus. More importantly, after the fetus is born, when the baby hears calling his nickname, the little guy will be very familiar and special. Therefore, during pregnancy, the husband should discuss with his wife to give the fetus a nickname as early as possible.
Summarize the reasons for giving the baby a nickname
1. Take cheap fame and gain to support. For this purpose, children's nicknames are usually ugly, such as dog leftovers, dog eggs, dysentery heads and so on. It is said that the more ugly the child's name is, the cow's head and horse's face are also disgusted, and they are too lazy to find trouble. Previous 1 2 Next Page