Unit Three What’s in a Name?
What’s in a Name ?
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Objectives
Naming Names
Origins
Titles
Kin Terms
Male and Female Names
Language
Appropriateness
 Case Study
Thanks!
Your Objectives
By the end of this unit you should be able to
 describe English personal names;
 recognize the short forms of given names;
 discuss the origin of Chinese and English
names;
 understand different titles, kin terms in
Chinese and English;
 recognize the differences between male and
female names in both Chinese and English;
 use different strategies to avoid biased
language.
Naming Names
Components of Names
first name
middle name
last name
given name
surname
Christian name
family name
christening
Shortened Forms
 The acronym may accidentally spell an
uncomplimentary word/a word which has a
negative (derogatory) meaning:
e.g. Fiona Alice Tanner Graham Adam Yiend
Nichola Ann Green
 Usually in England it is only the first of the
given names which is ever used.
 Shortened forms are common among friends and
colleagues.
Shortened Forms
Alexander
Alec
Anthony
Tony
Michael
Mike
William
Will
Robert
Bob
Elizabeth
Bess
Shortened Forms
Catherine
Kate
Andrew
Andy
Stephen
Steve
David
Dave
Rebecca
Becky
Christopher
Chris
Victoria
Vicky
Origins
Origins
Place of identity
Some names indicate where the person came
from, e.g., Norman, Moor, Hall, Chesterfield,
and Wood.
Occupation
Cook, Clark, Taylor, Smith, Turner, Butler,
Thatcher, Chandler, and Cooper.
Origins
Family relationships
Surnames were also coined from first names to
indicate family relationships, as Robertson,
Donaldson, MacDonald, O’Patrick, Watkins,
Thomas.
Origins
Ethnic identity
English names: the name plus “son”, as
Robertson, Donaldson,Watkins,Thomas;
Scottish names: “Mac”, or “Mc” added
before the name, as MacDonald;
Irish names: “O”placed before the name, as
O’Patrick.
Personal characteristic
Long, Little, Young, Moody, Fox, Brown,
Rich, and Newman.
Descriptions of Occupations
Forester
Chandler
Taylor
Clark
forest caretaker
candles seller
tailor, clothes-maker
office clerk
Descriptions of Occupations
Smith
metal maker
Thatcher
roof-maker
Butler
bottle+er, head man-servant
Carter
cart driver
Fowler
birds hunter
Descriptions of Occupations
Archer
shooter with bow and arrow
Mason
bricks builder
Chamberlain
high official in royal courts
Barber
Hair cutter
Glover
glove-maker
Descriptions of Occupations
Cooper
barrels/tubs-maker
Baker
bread baker
Fisher
fisherman
Turner
lathe(车床) operator
Titles
Chinese Titles
In China, some commonly used titles for
addressing people are given below:
Comrade（同志）
Usually between any male or female, still
widely used but diminishing in the recent
years.
Master（师傅）
Traditionally a title for a skilled worker, now
still quite commonly used to any unknown
ordinary person of both sexes, usually
middle-aged or older persons, especially
those who provide services.
Chinese Titles
Miss（小姐）
To some young ladies, married or not,
especially those who work in service business,
such as a waitress, shop assistant, air hostess,
etc., becoming more and more popular.
Sometimes, this title has a special negative
meaning implying a street girl or a hooker.
Mister/sir（先生）
A respectful term of address to known or
unknown learned persons, usually males,
common in written Chinese.
Chinese Titles
Teacher （老师）
A respectful term of address to a learned or
professional person, who is not necessarily
a teacher, used to either male or female, if to
a known person, often used with the
surname, commonly used.
English Titles
In less formal settings, it is usual for people
meeting for the first time to use first names
straight away, regardless of any difference in
ages or status.
Mr
Frequently used before the surname of a male.
Mrs
Frequently used before the surname of a married
woman whose surname is most likely her
husband’s.
English Titles
Miss
Usually used for an unmarried woman, but
children often address schoolmistresses simply
“Miss” without adding their surnames and
regardless of whether they are single or married.
Ms
Referring to both married and unmarried women.
Sir and Madam
Polite ways of addressing a man or woman,
usually addressed only by someone providing a
service such as a shop assistant to a customer or
policeman to a member of the public.
English Titles
Mack, Buddy (Am), mate (Br. & Aus.)
Working as first names informally.
“Where are you going, mate?”
Guys
In America, the collective informal term for
addressing a group of friends.
“Hi, you guys, let’s dance!”
dear, darling, love, honey, sweetheart
Terms of endearment.
Case
An American tourist is traveling by train in
China. Sitting opposite him is a Chinese
passenger. They introduce themselves to each
other…
 American tourist: Hello, I’m Adam O’Patrick.
Glad to meet you.
 Chinese passenger: Hello, my name is Wang Lin.
I’m glad to meet you, too. Where do you come
from, Mr. Adam?
 American tourist: I’m from America. Please just
call me Adam, Mr. Lin.
 Chinese passenger: And you may just call me
Wang Lin.
Reference
 Both of them have taken each other’s given
name for the surname, since the order of the
surnames of Chinese and English names are just
the opposite. As in both cultures a title is usually
used with the surname, they feel unnatural when
their given names are used with the titles.
According to American custom, it’s quite
normal for people who first meet to address
each other by their given names alone, whereas
here in China, when people first meet, they
usually address each other by their full names
and seldom by their given names alone.
Lords and Ladies
Lords
The general masculine title of nobility and other
rank 贵族(头衔); the lords 上院议员.
Lady
A woman regarded as proper and virtuous 淑女; a
general feminine title of nobility and other rank
女勋爵,女性贵族头衔的总称.
Lords and Ladies
Peer
In Britain, a person who has a high social
position and any of a range of titles including
Duke(Duchess), Earl/ Countess, Marquis
(Marchioness), Viscount (Viscountess) and
Baron (Baroness).
Hereditary or life peers
Known by the inherited title “Lord” before
their names, as in “Lord Edward”.
Lords and Ladies
Sir
Used as a knighthood title, put in front of the
holder's name. It is not inherited but honored by
the Queen, as “Sir Mack”.
Lords and Ladies
OBE (Order of the British Empire) 英帝国勋章
Titles awarded by the Queen, normally indicated
by the acronym of the award after the surname, as
“Mr. Arthur Scott,OBE”.
Words Expressions
 aristocracy: class of people who had high
social ranks 贵族阶层
 aristocrat: member of aristocracy贵族
aristocratic: 有贵族气派的,贵族的
 precede: to be or go before (someone or
something) in time or space
 be preceded by 先于
 e.g.: He preceded his lecture with a humorous
anecdote.他演说的开场白很幽默。
Kin Terms
Kin Terms
Questions for group discussion:
 How do people use the kin terms in China?
Are they just used within a family?
 How do people use the kin terms in the West?
Are they just used within a family?
Cultural Differences in Using
Kin Terms

In China kin terms are not only used within
one’s own family but also to other people. The
appropriate use of kin terms may reflect a
person’s politeness, respectfulness, and
friendliness.
 However, in Britain kin terms are mainly
confined to family members, though some
families still keep the tradition of having
children use kin terms when addressing adults
who are close neighbors and family friends.
Cultural Differences in Using
Kin Terms
 In Britain children address their parents’
brothers and sisters with the title of Uncle or
Aunt plus their first names, or simply by their
names without adding a title.
 The kin terms do not distinguish between
paternal and maternal relatives, nor between
relatives according to birth order.
Cultural Differences in Using
Kin Terms
 Whereas in China children address them with
the title only, and the titles can tell whether
they are from their father or mother’s side and
whether they are older or younger than their
father or mother. The way of addressing them
by their first names without adding a title
couldn’t be applied in Chinese families
because it would be regarded as impolite and
disrespectful.
Kin Terms, Age and Politeness
 In China the use of kin terms is closely related
to age and politeness. The appropriate and
extended use of kin terms according to age is
taken as reflecting good manners. Whereas
English speakers do not use kin terms so
extensively. Also they tend to view age as a
relatively private thing, especially among
females.
Case
Linda Walker is a new American teacher in her
fifties and has asked her new colleagues to call her
Linda. She's been invited for dinner to the home of
her young Chinese colleague Xu,who is also an
English teacher.
When Linda arrives, she is introduced to Xu's 5-year
old daughter.
“Hello, granny,” said the little girl in English.
“No, not granny,” the mother hurriedly corrected,
“This is Linda.”
Case
“But why? She's so much older than you! How
can you be so impolite!” the little girl was
puzzled and protested in Chinese.
Linda’s face flushed and didn’t know what to
say….
Fortunately, Linda didn’t understand Chinese,
though she could sense something was wrong
from the little girl’s reaction.
Case
Questions:
1. What was the reason for the awkwardness in this
situation?
2. Suppose you are the mother, what would you
explain?
Male and Females Names
Male and
Female Names
Question:
What does your name mean?
Differences between
Male & Female Names
 Male names:
王刚---meaning strong and firm
张海--- meaning big and broad-minded
 Female names:
赵雅芳--- meaning elegant and fragrant,
pleasant and graceful
李淑贤---meaning kind, gentle and virtuous
Differences between Chinese
Male & Female Names
In Chinese, male names tend to connote
firmness, strength, the power and grandeur of
nature, moral values, etc., whereas female
names often suggest elegance, manners,
virtues, the beauty of nature.
Differences between American
Male & Female Names
 In America, female names also connote gentler
qualities by referring to flower, birds and those
feeble creatures and etc.
Camellia
Esmeralda
Laura
Fawn
Margaret
Daisy
Flora
Iris
Pearl
Differences between American
Male & Female Names
 Male names are usually concerned with God /
Lord and religion, so are some female names.
Joel
Elizabeth
Dorothy
John
Joseph
Angela
Jonathan
Daniel
Gabriel
Eliot
Ida
Differences between American
Male & Female Names
 Male but few female names concerned with
arms and fight :
Oscar
Alger
Gerald
Gertrude
Differences between American
Male & Female Names
 More male names concerning knowledge,
authority and fame than female names:
Harold
Albert
Victor
Alexander
Laurence
Hilda
Cleopatra
Differences between English
Male & Female Names
 Number of syllables of first names:
Female names tend to be longer with more
syllables (many to be trisyllabic).
e.g.: Katherine, Elizabeth, Amanda, Victoria…
Male names tend to be much more monosyllabic
(one-syllabic) and short.
e.g.: Jim, John, Bob, Joe …
The pet name for Robert could be either Bob or
Bobbie. Bobbie could be either a male or female
which is short for Roberta.
Differences between English
Male & Female Names
Percentage of names with stress on a syllable
other than the first:
There is a higher percentage (25%) of female
names, e.g., Patricia, Elizabeth, Amanda,
Rebecca, Michelle, there is a lower
percentage of male names (5%), e.g., Jerome.
Differences between English
Male & Female Names
 Sound of the stressed syllables:
Female names tend to make more use of /i/
sound, e.g., Lisa, Tina, Celia, Maxine, Fifi,
but male names make much less common use
of /i/ sound, though it can be found in names
such as Steve, Peter, and Keith.
Differences between English
Male & Female Names
 Last sound:
Female names more likely end in a vowel ,
e.g., Linda, Tracy, Patricia, Deborah, and
Barbara; or very likely end in a nasal as in
Jean, Kathleen, Sharon, Ann.
Male names much more likely end in a
plosive (consonant),e.g., Bob, David, Dick,
Jack.
Differences between English
Male & Female Names
 Speed at which fashion change:
Female names change more quickly, male
names change less quickly.
Language and Sex
chairman
chairperson
postman
postal
worker
fireman
fire-fighter
policeman
police
officer
Language
Appropriateness
Using Non-Sexist Language
 Sometimes the use of particular words can
support unfair or untrue attitudes to a
particular sex, usually women. For example
using the pronoun he to refer a doctor, when
you do not know if they are male or female,
might support the belief that it is not normal
for women to be doctors.
Using Non-Sexist Language
 Many people speaking or writing English
today prefer to avoid using language that is
sexist. This modern non-sexist use of
language is sometimes called inclusive
language.
Old-fashioned Sexist Language
 Male pronouns he, his and him are used even
though the sex is not known.
“Someone’s on the phone.” What does he
want?”
The television viewer hardly ever leaves his
chair.
Old-fashioned Sexist Language
 Words formed from ‘man’ are used when
referring to people generally.
Man/mankind is polluting the Earth.
Man is not the only animal that uses tools.
Old-fashioned Sexist Language
 Many jobs or activities are strongly
connected with a particular sex.
The teacher must not be late for his class.
A manager had a duty towards his workers.
The fall in prices is great news for house
wives.
Old-fashioned Sexist Language
 Job names are used which refer
unnecessarily to the sex of the person.
Jane is a camerawoman.
She’s a very talented authoress / lady writer.
 ale words are almost always put before
female words in common combinations.
Men and women; brothers and sisters;
husbands and wives.
Modern Non-sexist Language
 You can often avoid unnecessary male
pronouns by using the plural pronouns they,
them etc. instead. Male pronouns can also
be replaced by combinations like she or he,
him or her, her or his.
Modern Non-sexist Language
 Notice that combinations might sound
awkward, and should not be repeated often in
a piece of writing or conversation. The
written forms he/she, (s)he, s/he, her/him etc.
are also possible.
“Someone’s on the phone.”
“What do they want?”
Television viewers hardly ever leave their
chairs.
Modern Non-sexist Language
 Use other words when referring to both men
and women.
People are /Humanity is / Humankind is
polluting…
Human beings /Humans are not the only
animals…
 Use expressions or pronouns that do not
support sexist assumptions.
Teachers must not be late for their classes.
A manager has a duty towards her or his
workers.
Modern Non-sexist Language
 Use job names that apply equally to women
and men.
…a group of business people /executives.
The chairperson /chair cannot vote.
Jane is a camera operator.
Case Study
Case 1
An American tourist is travelling by train in China.
Sitting opposite him is a Chinese passenger. They
introduce themselves to each other…
 American tourist: Hello, I’m Adam O’Patrick. Glad
to meet you.
 Chinese passenger: Hello, my name is Wang Lin.
I’m glad to meet you, too. Where do you come from,
Mr. Adam?
 American tourist: I’m from America. Please just call
me Adam, Mr. Lin.
 Chinese passenger: And you may just call me Wang
Lin.
Reference
 Both of them have taken each other’s given name
for the surname, since the order of the surnames
of Chinese and English names are just the
opposite. As in both cultures a title is usually
used with the surname, they feel unnatural when
their given names are used with the titles.
According to American custom its quite normal
for persons who first meet to address each other
by their given names alone, whereas here in
China, when people first meet, they usually
address each other by their full names and never
by their given names alone.
Case 2
A British tourist is visiting a Chinese family.
The Chinese hostess introduces herself and
her husband to the guest…
Chinese hostess: Welcome to my home. My
name is Li Hong, and this is my husband.
British tourist: Thank you, Mrs. Li. It’s a
pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Li. I’m Anna
Thatcher.
Chinese hostess: Have a seat, Madam Anna.
Reference
The British tourist thinks that Li Hong’s surname
is her husband’s surname, since she is unaware
of the fact in China women still use their own
surnames after marriage. Li thinks that “madam”
is a respectful term of address for any female
English speaker, unaware of the fact that in
Britain it is usually used by someone providing
a service such as a shop assistant to a customer
or a policeman to a member of the public. It is
never used as a title before someone’s name.
She also mistakes the given name for the
surname.
Case 3
 A British tourist got lost in a small town in
China. A Chinese couple volunteered to offer
their help. And now they are introducing
themselves.
 British tourist: It was so nice to meet you both
here. I’m Susan Williams. Thank you very much.
 Chinese couple: It’s a pleasure. I’m Li Fang, and
this is my husband. Welcome to China, Miss
Susan.
 British tourist: Thank you. Mrs. Li. Would both
of you like a cup of coffee?
 Chinese couple: No, thanks.
Reference
The British tourist thinks that Li Fang’s
surname is her husband’s surname, since she
is unaware of the fact in China women still
use their own surnames after marriage. Li
thinks that “Miss” is a respectful term of
address for any female English speaker, but
unaware of the fact that in Britain it is not
used before someone’s first name--Susan. She
also mistakes the given name for the surname.
Case 4
 An American visiting scholar called Prof.
Robert Johnson is now teaching in Zhejiang
University. His wife Rebecca and six-year-old
son David have been living with him in
Hangzhou for one year. David learns Chinese in
the attached kindergarten of Zhejiang
University. Chen Yilian is a Chinese student of
Prof. Johnson.
One weekend she came to visit them, his wife
was just out for a moment. Below is their
conversation.
Case 4
Prof.Johnson: Hello, Chen, come in please!
How are you?
Chen Yilian: I’m fine, thank you. And you,
Prof. Johnson?
Prof. Johnson: Fine too, thanks. Just call me
Robert. Dave, this is Chen Yilian from
Zhejiang University. Say hello to her.
David: Hi, Yilian Ayi.
Chen Yilian to David: Well, you can speak
very good Chinese. But just call me Chen Ayi.
Case 4
Questions:
1. Why does Prof. Johnson address Chen Yilian as
Chen but asks her to address himself Robert?
2. And why does David address her as Yilian Ayi?
Reference
 Prof. Johnson has taken the Chinese student’s
surname for the given name, since the order of the
surnames of Chinese and English names is just the
opposite. That's the reason Prof. Johnson
addresses Chen Yilian as Chen, and asks her to
address him as Robert.
 According to American custom, it's quite normal
in less formal settings for people to address each
other by their given names alone, regardless of
difference in age or status.
Reference
 The combination of Yilian Ayi (given name +
Auntie) reflects the mixture of two cultures. On
the one hand we have the extended use of kin
terms preceded by a person’s surname in Chinese
culture; on the other hand, people have the
conventional use of kin terms followed by the
given name in the American culture. This
example shows the combination of the Chinese
sequence, i.e. name + kin term with the American
use of the given name.
Reference
 Since David has lived in China for a year, he's
influenced by Chinese culture in addition to the
American culture of his parents. So from David’s
point of view, it's appropriate and polite to call the
Chinese student Yilian Ayi. However, Chen Yilian
follows the Chinese tradition and thinks it is
appropriate for a child to address an adult using the
surname.
Home Work
Linda Walker is a new American teacher in her
fifties and has asked her new colleagues to call her
Linda. She's been invited for dinner to the home of
her young Chinese colleague Xu,who is also an
English teacher.
When Linda arrives, she is introduced to Xu's 5-year
old daughter.
“Hello, granny,” said the little girl in English.
“No, not granny,” the mother hurriedly corrected,
“This is Linda.”
Home Work
“But why? She's so much older than you! How
can you be so impolite!” the little girl was
puzzled and protested in Chinese.
Linda’s face flushed and didn’t know what to
say….
Fortunately, Linda didn’t understand Chinese,
though she could sense something was wrong
from the little girl’s reaction.
Home Work
Questions:
1. What was the reason for the awkwardness in
this situation?
2. Suppose you are the mother, what would
you explain to the child?
Thanks!