Courtesy name
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (March 2015) |
Courtesy name (Zi) | ||
---|---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin (biǎo) zì | | |
Wade–Giles | (piao)-tzu | |
Vietnamese name | ||
Vietnamese alphabet | biểu tự tên tự tên chữ | |
Chữ Hán | 表字 | |
Chữ Nôm | 𠸜字 𠸜𡨸 | |
Korean name | ||
Hangul | 자 | |
Hanja | 字 | |
Revised Romanization | ja | |
McCune–Reischauer | cha | |
Japanese name | ||
Kanji | 字 | |
Hiragana | あざな | |
Revised Hepburn | azana |
A courtesy name (
A courtesy name is not to be confused with an art name, another frequently mentioned term for an alternative name in East Asia, which is closer to the concept of a pen name or a pseudonym.[1]
Usage
A courtesy name is a name traditionally given to Chinese men at the age of 20 sui, marking their coming of age. It was sometimes given to women, usually upon marriage.[1] The practice is no longer common in modern Chinese society. According to the Book of Rites, after a man reached adulthood, it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name.[3] Thus, the given name was reserved for oneself and one's elders, whereas the courtesy name would be used by adults of the same generation to refer to one another on formal occasions or in writing. Another translation of zi is "style name", but this translation has been criticised as misleading, because it could imply an official or legal title.[1]
Generally speaking, courtesy names before the
Another way to form a courtesy name is to use the homophonic character zi (子) – a respectful title for a man – as the first character of the disyllabic courtesy name. Thus, for example,
Reflecting a general cultural tendency to regard names as significant, the choice of what name to bestow upon one's children was considered very important in traditional China.[4] Yan Zhitui of the Northern Qi dynasty asserted that whereas the purpose of a given name was to distinguish one person from another, a courtesy name should express the bearer's moral integrity.[citation needed]
Prior to the twentieth century,
Examples
Chinese | Family name | Given name | Courtesy name |
---|---|---|---|
Lǎozǐ 老子 | Lǐ 李 | Ěr 耳 | Bóyáng 伯陽 |
Kǒngzǐ (Confucius) 孔子 | Kǒng 孔 | Qiū 丘 | Zhòngní 仲尼 |
Sūnzǐ (Sun Tzu) 孫子 | Sūn 孫 | Wǔ 武 | Chángqīng 長卿 |
Cáo Cāo 曹操 | Cáo 曹 | Cāo 操 | Mèngdé 孟德 |
Guān Yǔ 關羽 | Guān 關 | Yǔ 羽 | Yúncháng 雲長 |
Liú Bèi 劉備 | Liú 劉 | Bèi 備 | Xuándé 玄德 |
Zhūgé Liàng 諸葛亮 | Zhūgé 諸葛 | Liàng 亮 | Kǒngmíng 孔明 |
Zhào Yún 趙雲 | Zhào 趙 | Yún 雲 | Zǐlóng 子龍 |
Lǐ Bái 李白 | Lǐ 李 | Bái 白 | Tàibái 太白 |
Sū Dōngpō 蘇東坡 | Sū 蘇 | Shì 軾 | Zǐzhān 子瞻 |
Yuè Fēi 岳飛 | Yuè 岳 | Fēi 飛 | Péngjǔ 鵬舉 |
Yuán Chónghuàn 袁崇煥 | Yuán 袁 | Chónghuàn 崇煥 | Yuánsù 元素 |
Liú Jī 劉基 | Liú 劉 | Jī 基 | Bówēn 伯溫 |
Táng Yín 唐寅 | Táng 唐 | Yín 寅 | Bóhǔ 伯虎 |
Máo Zédōng 毛澤東 | Máo 毛 | Zédōng 澤東 | Rùnzhī 潤之 |
Hồ Chí Minh 胡志明 | Nguyễn 阮 | Sinh Cung 生恭 | Tất Thành 必誠 |
I Sunsin 李舜臣 | I 李 | Sunsin 舜臣 | Yeohae 汝諧 |
See also
- Cognomen, the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0998888309.
- ^ Ulrich Theobald. Names of Persons and Titles of Rulers
- ^ "Qū lǐ shàng" 曲禮上 [Summary of the Rules of Propriety Part 1]. Lǐjì 禮記 [Book of Rites]. Line 44.
A son at twenty is capped, and receives his appellation....When a daughter is promised in marriage, she assumes the hair-pin, and receives her appellation.
- ISBN 9780367596712.