Shadowings Part 14

[79] _Cissus Thunbergii._

_O-Yae_ "Double-Blossom."[80]

[80] A flower-name certainly; but the _yae_ here is probably an abbreviation of _yae-zakura_, the double-flower of a particular species of cherry-tree.

_O-Yone_ "Rice-in-grain."

_Wakana_ "Young _Na_."[81]

[81] _Bra.s.sica chinensis._

Names signifying light or color seem to us the most aesthetic of all _yobina_; and they probably seem so to the j.a.panese. Nevertheless the relative purport even of these names cannot be divined at sight. Colors have moral and other values in the old nature-philosophy; and an appellation that to the Western mind suggests only luminosity or beauty may actually refer to moral or social distinction,--to the hope that the girl so named will become "ill.u.s.trious."

NAMES SIGNIFYING BRIGHTNESS

_O-Mika_ "New Moon."[82]

[82] _Mika_ is an abbreviation of Mikazuki, "the moon of the third night" [of the old lunar month].

_O-Mitsu_ "Light."

_O-s.h.i.+mo_ "Frost."

_O-Teru_ "The s.h.i.+ning."

_O-Tsuki_ "Moon."

_O-Tsuya_ "The Glossy,"--l.u.s.trous.

_O-Tsuyu_ "Dew."

_O-Yuki_ "Snow."

COLOR-NAMES

_O-Ai_ "Indigo."

_O-Aka_ "Red."

_O-Iro_ "Color."

_O-Kon_ "Deep Blue."

_O-Kuro_ "Dark,"--lit., "Black."

_Midori_[83] "Green."

_Murasaki_[83] "Purple."

[83] _Midori_ and _Murasaki_, especially the latter, should properly be cla.s.sed with aristocratic _yobina_; and both are very rare. I could find neither in the collection of aristocratic names which was made for me from the records of the Peeresses' School; but I discovered a "Midori" in a list of middle-cla.s.s names.

Color-names being remarkably few among _yobina_, I thought it better in this instance to group the whole of them together, independently of cla.s.s-distinctions.

_O-s.h.i.+ro_ "White."

The following and final group of female names contains several queer puzzles. j.a.panese girls are sometimes named after the family crest; and heraldry might explain one or two of these _yobina_. But why a girl should be called a s.h.i.+p, I am not sure of being able to guess. Perhaps some reader may be reminded of Nietzsche's "Little Brig called Angeline":--

"Angeline--they call me so-- Now a s.h.i.+p, one time a maid, (Ah, and evermore a maid!) Love the steersman, to and fro, Turns the wheel so finely made."

But such a fancy would not enter into a j.a.panese mind. I find, however, in a list of family crests, two varieties of design representing a s.h.i.+p, twenty representing an arrow, and two representing a bow.

NAMES DIFFICULT TO CLa.s.sIFY OR EXPLAIN

_O-f.u.ku_[84] "Raiment,"--clothing.

[84] Possibly this name belongs to the same cla.s.s as _O-Nui_ ("Embroidery"), _O-Some_ ("The Dyer"); but I am not sure.

_O-Fune_ "s.h.i.+p,"--or Boat.

_O-Hina_[85] "Doll,"--a paper doll?

[85] Probably a name of caress. The word _hina_ is applied especially to the little paper dolls made by hand for amus.e.m.e.nt,--representing young ladies with elaborate coiffure; and it is also given to the old-fas.h.i.+oned dolls representing courtly personages in full ceremonial costume. The true doll--doll-baby--is called _ningyo_.

_O-Kono_ "This."

_O-Nao_ "Still More."

_O-Nari_ "Thunder-peal."

_O-Nibo_ "Palanquin" (?).

_O-Rai_ "Thunder."

_O-Rui_ "Sort,"--kind, species.

_O-Suzu_[86] "Little Bell."

[86] Perhaps this name is given because of the sweet sound of the _suzu_,--a tiny metal ball, with a little stone or other hard object inside, to make the ringing.--It is a pretty j.a.panese custom to put one of these little _suzu_ in the silk charm-bag (_mamori-bukero_) which is attached to a child's girdle. The _suzu_ rings with every motion that the child makes,--somewhat like one of those tiny bells which we attach to the neck of a pet kitten.

_Suzue_ "Branch-of-Little-Bells."

_O-Tada_ "The Only."

_Tamaki_ "Armlet,"--bracelet.

_O-Tami_ "Folk,"--common people.

_O-Tos.h.i.+_ "Arrowhead,"--or barb.

_O-Tsui_ "Pair,"--match.

_O-Tsuna_ "Rope,"--bond.

_O-Yumi_ "Bow,"--weapon.

Before pa.s.sing on to the subject of aristocratic names, I must mention an old rule for j.a.panese names,--a curious rule that might help to account for sundry puzzles in the preceding lists. This rule formerly applied to all personal names,--masculine or feminine. It cannot be fully explained in the present paper; for a satisfactory explanation would occupy at least fifty pages. But, stated in the briefest possible way, the rule is that the first or "head-character" of a personal name should be made to "accord" (in the Chinese philosophic sense) with the supposed _Sei_, or astrologically-determined nature, of the person to whom the name is given;--the required accordance being decided, not by the meaning, but by the sound of the Chinese written character. Some vague idea of the difficulties of the subject may be obtained from the accompanying table. (Page 143.)

[Ill.u.s.tration:

PHONETIC RELATION OF THE FIVE ELEMENTAL-NATURES TO THE j.a.pANESE SYLLABARY

a, i, u, e, o.

----------------------- I.--WOOD-NATURE { ka, ki, ku, ke, ko. } { ga, gi, gu, ge, go. } ----------------------- { sa, s.h.i.+, su, se, so. } { za, ji, zu, ze, zo. } ----------------------- II.--FIRE-NATURE { ta, chi, tsu, te, to. } { da, ji, dzu, de, do. } ----------------------- na, ni, nu, ne, no.

III.--EARTH-NATURE ----------------------- { ha, hi, fu, he, ho. } { ba, bi, bu, be, bo. } { pa, pi, pu, pe, po. } ----------------------- IV.--METAL-NATURE ma, mi, mu, me, mo.

----------------------- ya, i, yu, ye, yo.

----------------------- ra, ri, ru, re, ro.

V.--WATER-NATURE ----------------------- wa, i, u, ye, wo.]

* Transcriber Note: Explanation of Table *