Historic China, and other sketches - University of Macau Library

ON THE SURNAMES OF THE CHINESE. 373
new-born baby usually fix upon some pet term of
endearment, which is called the ' milk name,' and may
be freely used during youth by any one speaking of or to
the child. Among the poorer classes, this milk name is
often retained through life; and a grown-up person
will thus be addressed or alluded to by his friends and
relatives under the sobriquet of his baby days. A
girl, of no matter what station in life, never becomes
possessed of any personal designation other than her
milk name, which may be changed at marriage should
the term employed be found to clash with any of the
* tabooed ' names in the family which she is about to join.
Specimens of the milk-names of boys would include such
words as Doggy, Monkey, Booby, Fatty, etc. ; those
bestowed on girls are chosen with a view to their more
lasting character, and run on a higher level, such as
Fairy, Gold, Silver, Jade, Pearl, Agate, Azure, etc. A
slave-girl is invariably named after some flower : Rose,
Chrysanthemum, Peony, etc. ; because, say the Chinese,
flowers often change hands and fall to the highest
bidders. A strange custom prevails with regard to the
milk-names of delicate and unhealthy children. An
offensive term is generally chosen for the child in
question, the idea being that by this plan the evil in-
fluences which predominate in his or her constitution will
in some way or other be counteracted, and the child's life
saved. The masses, for whom the above theory is not
of a sufficiently material character, believe that the Angel
of Death will pass over any child thus named, not
deeming it worth while to cut the thread of such an