China Naming Network - Eight-character Q&A - Why do some people in ancient times add the character "Zhi" between their surnames and given names? For example: "Gongzhiqi"

Why do some people in ancient times add the character "Zhi" between their surnames and given names? For example: "Gongzhiqi"

This is a good question. China has a long history of naming. It is sometimes more difficult to study the exact origin and meaning of names before the Qin Dynasty.

Why did the ancients add "" to some of their names? The word "Zhi" can be understood in the following ways:

1. It is related to Ping and Qi. If you add the word "Zhi" to the name, usually one of the two characters is Ping and Zhi, such as Zhuwu (Ping, Zhi). ), Yihu (仄, 平), Jiejian (仄, 平) plus "Zhi" are in line with the ancient people's reading habits of flat and oblique, making it easy to pronounce and remember. And Chong'er is the word after (仄,仄) added, which makes it difficult to pronounce, which eliminates the taboo of Ping and oblique sounds.

2. It is a kind of honorific title given by others, just like Confucius' "zi". Zhu Zhiwu was a minister in the court at that time, and he was selfless and wise; Jie Zhitui helped the king achieve great things and lived in seclusion. , vowed not to be an official, and the king refused to give in even if he was forced to die. His integrity is touching. Although Chong'er will be a king in the future, he just lived in other countries when he was young, muddle along and do nothing. His moral character is certainly not as good as that of a saint. After achieving great achievements, he became Add your own number.

3. Some people say that it is due to regional dialects. Some areas have this habit, while others do not