In ancient Chinese society, it was a very common and important taboo on naming. In ancient China, due to the influence of the patriarchal system, there were some taboos when choosing names. Pay attention to "taboo for relatives", "taboo for wise men" and "taboo for venerable people". When speaking and writing, the names of kings and fathers are generally avoided, and names cannot be named after them. Until now, some people still try not to conflict with the names of their parents when choosing names. Due to the influence of taboos, Chinese people think it is very impolite to call their elders by their names.
Under the feudal system, people not only had to "respect their ancestors" but also regarded them as supreme. Even calling the monarch by his first name was treason. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty, this article alone could lead to the death penalty and affect the nine ethnic groups. Therefore, this taboo was called "national taboo". Therefore, the ancients had many taboos when choosing names. For example, royal names are not advisable, and ordinary people must avoid these names. For example, emperor, empress, prince, etc. are the exclusive titles of the royal family. In ancient times, there were two words that were not allowed to be named, and that was "Long Live".
The word "Long Live" is not recorded in documents before the Warring States Period. At that time, bronzes had the inscription "Ten Thousand Years Without Borders" to wish others longevity, but "Ten Thousand Years" was not an exclusive title for emperors. It was not until the Song Dynasty scholar Gao Cheng made research that the title "Long Live" existed in ancient times as of the Zhou Dynasty. "There was no such etiquette" and it was not identified as a etiquette by the rulers. After the Warring States Period, "Long Live" had three meanings: one was a blessing to wish others longevity; the other was a cheering term to express admiration; the third was a taboo term for the deceased and the dying. In today's terms, it means going "a hundred years from now" "Heaven", "Riding a crane to the west", etc. With the gradual strengthening of feudal imperial power, this word with multiple meanings gradually became a unique pronoun for the emperor in the early years of the Song Dynasty, and continued until the end of the Qing Dynasty.
Before the Song Dynasty, it was relatively innocent for common people to take the name "Long Live", but in the Song Dynasty it became a taboo name for the common people.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, the royal family was not guilty. The word "Long live" is very sensitive. "History of the Song Dynasty" records: One day, Kou Zhun was riding out and met a "madman" on the way. He stopped Kou Zhun's horse and shouted to him. This incident was reported by Zhang Xun, Kou Zhun's political enemy. After learning of this, he reported it to the court, and as a result Kou Zhun was dismissed from his position as Tongzhi Privy Councilor and demoted to Qingzhou Magistrate. From the Northern Song Dynasty, "Long Live" was gradually monopolized by the royal family and became an exclusive noun for the emperor. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a very local suffix "ye" was added to "Long Live", which became an informal honorific for the emperor by his subjects.