Evening star., 1900-10-27
ALL HAVE MEANINGS
Chinese Names Always Stand for
Some Definite Idea.
TITLES OF FAMOUS ORIENTALS
-(l-f @
Ii Hung Chang is Bird in a
Plum Tree.
"
NICKNAMES ARE COMMON
Copyright, 1900. by I. T. Headland.)

Written for The Evening Star by Prof, Taylor
Headand of the University of Pekin.
Some one has said that if you wish to
put man to sleep. or destroy all his in
terest in what you have to say, you need
only repeat a few Chinese names to him.
Whether Chinese names are Interesting or
rot depends, however, upon ones under
standing of them as well as upon whom
the name represents. The name of Ii
Hung Chang is no better sounding than any
other Chinese name, and yet it attracts
attention and is full of meaning. Ii Is the
family name, and is said to indicate its
ow ner's descent from the founder of Tao
ism. This old man, born nearly 600 years
B. c., was said to have been born under a
plum tree which is called Ii, and so he
was called Plum. The given name Of a
Chinese boy is supposed to indicate his dis
position, character, prospects or the de-
sires of his parents. And SO the given
name of the great Chinese diplomat, Hung
Chang, may mean "Illustrious Bird" or
Learned Treatise" His brother, who was
also a viceroy, was known as '.Bottomless
Bag" perhaps in reference to the depth OF
his diplomacy.
Names Translated.
Next to Ii Hung Chang, the most illus
trious Bird" in China, is Viceroy Chang
-tung, tie famous author Of "China's
Only Hope" His family name, Chang
means Ito open out" while Chh-tung sig
nifies him a cave" the whole name sig
nifying, apparently, one who opens himself
out like a cave. Another" great vlceroy
who has been appointed with Chang Chih-
tung and Ii Hung Chang as peace commits
sioner Is Liu kun-yi, and his name and
surname taken together indicate that ne
will put the earth in order 1t Is to pc
hoped that he will fulfill the mission OF his
mi
The governor of Shantung, who has made
himself so useful the past few months
in the transmission of telegTams from the
government (3 at Pekin 1 to Ghetoo ana
indicates that he is the first or gen
GRAFTON of victors.'
OF Doubtful Meaning.
Prince Chng's name is 1i-kang. and pro-
claims HIM an assistant general on" what
ever that may mean. AS matter OF 1act'
the Prince of Ching's character Is as IN
definite as his name. He is one OF these
nondescrpts who never makes rany serious
errors and yet never takes a stand whlch
indicates a strong character. y
The president of Pekin Imperial Universe
ty who is by the way, one of China great
liberal leaders, is Sun Chia-nai. His given
name Sun, means Grandson and Chla-
mai means "house-vase e-Grandson OF
House-Vase title which in America
might be regarded as open to the suspicion
of ridicule The Taotai at Shanghai, who is
in charge of the telegraph communications
and has sent so many teiegrans the past
few months is Hsuan-huai. HIS
name Sheng means abundant and his
given name Hsuan-hai, means to reveal
thoughts" If he revealed all the abundant
thoughts that passed over his wires since
the present outbreak he would be liable to
have his own thinking apparatus removed
with the sword. 90 ~,
Jung Lu, the man who; was rebjected to
izln
means '.gloriusSalary'' orihappiness. which
may be regarded by many as fair equly-
alent. The man who was appointed gov
ernor at Tien Tsin when Il Hung Chang
was removed was Wang Wen-shao His
name Wang, is the same as our name
King while Wen-shao means classical
music He is not, however, known as
composer General Mich Shih-ch'eng,. who
was in command of the troops which at
tackled and killed 800 of the Boxers between
Pekin and Tien Tsin: who was then re-
buked bS the empress dowager in an ed1ct,
and who was afterward killed, had sur
name which means hard and a given
name which means successful student W
Here the name fitted, as the road to mill
tary glory in China is through hard and
successful study. General Ma Yuk un's
family name means horse and his given
name a Jade mountain" Any American
who can make anything out OF this combl-
nation is welcome to the result.
Appropriate and Inappropriate.
of the most popular who has ever been in
this country, Mr.. WI Ting-fang. has a
name which signifies fragrant palace"
The name of the minister to England, Mr.
Lo Fing-lu, means "a rich harvest" while
the name Of the minister to France, Mr.
Yu Keng, signifies much gold.' very ap-
propriate name for any Chinese who OBJ
tains an official position
Now let us turn to some of the anti
foreign conservatives who have made them
selves prominent and obnoxious in the past
few months Prince Tuan's name Is Tsai-
vi and means ''clear year. No name
ever given to man was more incongruous
He has been largely instrumental In making
his first year in public life one of the dark
est in the whole history of this country.
The name of Tung Fushsiang, the Kansu
general who has been in charge of the
troops in Pekin and who fled with the en-
press as her bodyguard, means happiness
brought happiness and what ;auspicious
omens precede his coming it would be diff
ficult indeed to point out. Nothing but
fear precedes his coming. nothing but wall
ing follows In his track, and the empress
will discover before she is through
with him that neither joy nor fortune goes
with him whom she selected as her body
guard and protector.
Again, take the name of the man who
was governor of Shantung when the Ger
man snatched away the port of Chiao
Chou. His name is Ii Ping-heng. He is
Chinese gentleman with whom I was
talking a few days ago remarked: "The
scales which he holds would never weigh
out justice either to his friends or to his
enemies" The man who was governor Of
Shantung when the Boxer trouble began
and who is more than any other person
responsible for the whole unfortunate dis
turbance, as well as the murder Of all the
foreigners, both at Pao TingJfu and Tai
Yuan-fu, Is Yu Hsien. His name means to
nurture virtue" He WAS about as much
patron of virtue as was Nero in his most
fiendish freaks.
Two men among this ,anti-fsreign group
are true to the names they bear. One is
X: ang VI, the principal adviser of her mai
esty, whose name signifies .tstrong deter
mination," an unbending wiEl;'' the other
is Hsu T'ung. the tutor to the heir appar-
ent. who is eighty years old, constitutional
ly anti-foreign and above bribe taking.
His family name signifies 'slew'' and his
given name a "yarnish tree" s"Slow as a
varnish tree" he is, and as steadfast and
stubborn.
Changing Of Names.
The Chinaman has almost any number
of names. AS baby hereceives his milk
name;" when he enters school his "school
name;" when he enters life a title or life
name" An old friend Of the writer had in
the Pekin University son whom he had.