Names and their meanings 02 Dutch names

Family names carry stories, family background. Some tell us what occupation the family had (Smith, Baker, Taylor, Potter) , some tell us who the father was (Johnson, Wilson, Thomson, Davies), some tell us where the family came from (Da Vinci, Van Dyke, Dubois, Gallo).

I have learnt from my friend who lives in the Netherlands that there are some very funny names in the Netherlands that just seem to be like a joke. Some have humorous meanings, some have funny sounds. Here are some examples:

Naaktgeboren  born naked
Rotmensen     rotten people
Nieman          nobody
Poepjes         little shit
Fokker           breeder
Kok               cook
Zondervan     without surname
Borst            breast

How the Dutch got funny surnames is like this. It goes back to 1811 when the power of Napoleon Boneparte and the French army then occupying the Netherlands came into action.

Before the French occupation, it was more common for the Dutch people to use patronymics than surnames. Then the French decreed for census, to register all birth, death, marriage and transfer of the people. This was for the purpose of taxation and for military service, and forced every Dutch person to have surnames.

The Dutch thought this would be just a temporary measure, and the system would be dropped when they got their country back from the occupation. To show their resistance to the forced system, the Dutch chose humorous surnames and registered them.

Yes, their surnames reflect the Dutch people's uncompromising spirit.

Yet, had it crossed the minds of the people of 1811 that the names they chose as a joke could be passed on generations after generations, and their descendant might mix and work with poeple outside the Netherlands?

A funny story is in an article on a website that introduces news of the Netherlands.

Fokker (breeder) is a perfectly legitimate surname in the Netherlands. ... my heart goes out to the Dutch man who proudly announced 'I fok horses' when asked about his occupation during an interview on British television some years back.

http://www.expatica.com/nl/insider-views/Funny-Dutch-names-and-the-story-behind-them_102043.html

Names and their meanings 01 Japanese names

Most Japanese names are written in kanji, Chinese characters. These letters are ideograph so we can read the letters not just phonetically but understand them semantically.

Parents when they give their newborn a name, would choose carefully the characters that reflect their hopes for their child. For example my name Makiko (phonetically chosen by my big brother) is written 万起子 in kanji, and each character's meanings are 万 = myriad, 起 = raise, 子 = child, so when all linked together it would mean something like "a child who raises myriad of things". I don't think I always semantically live up to my name, but I do think the name, to some extent, influence my sense of identity.

Unless we are trying to explain to others how we write our names in kanji, the meanings of the names are not much of a concern.

Now, there is a website of Japan Shogi Association (日本将棋連盟 Japan Shogi Association ), and the website offers multilingual translation of the site (by Google translation). Because it is automatic translation, and faithfully and thoroughly executing its function, it sometimes overdoes the work by translating the names of the Shogi players like below (Their correct names in alphabet and in kanji are in parentheses).

Kato One Hundred and Twenty-Three    (Kato Hifumi  加藤一二三)
Forest Keiji    (Mori Keiji  森けい二)
Excused True    (Chuza Makoto  中座真)
North Island Tadao    (Kitajima Tadao  北島忠雄)
Piece Daisuke    (Katagami Daisuke  片上大輔)

Village Hideshi    (Muranaka Hideshi  村中秀史)
Sasaki Courage    (Sasaki Yuki  佐々木勇気)

Good for them that they are peaceful Shogi players; hardly ferocious ring names if they were wrestlers.

"Enjoy the Girl!" Lost in Translation 04

Lost in Translation series 04

Here's a picture of an ad on the train in Japan. It advertises a beauty care salon.

"ENJOY the GIRL!"
A pretty young girl leaning on a mirror smiles at you.

When I saw this, my imagination went wild. I heard in my head this English phrase read by a hoarse male voice and imagined a dark London slum in the 19th century, a scene you would see in "Oliver Twist". A pander and a young innocent girl are standing at the doorsteps of a newly rich's house.
"Good evening governor. She is new to our house and I am sure you'd like her. Enjoy the girl..."
It's like a host of a party saying to the guests at the dinner table, "Enjoy your meal!"
The girl is going to be abused...

The advertising agency probably wanted to mean "Enjoy being a girl!" or "Enjoy your life, girls!", but unfortunately the English phrase, which was meant to add fashionable taste to the ad, turned the whole thing into a cruel sexism ad.

The girl's smile somewhat looks dismal with that English phrase on the top...

Lost in translation.


This ad was taken down in just a short term and was replaced with one saying "Enjoy, girls!"

Scrupulous or Graphic? Lost in Translation 03

Tokyo station, the largest terminal station where over 20 lines come in, cross and pass through. Railway system in Japan is famous for its punctuality, efficiency and scrupulousness. Whenever there is a problem in the system causing inconvenience to the passengers, the railway company does its best to follow up, recover and secure the regular operation.

I was in Tokyo station heading back for home. One of the lines passing through Tokyo station seemed not to be in operation at the time. Many passengers were wandering round, looking at notice boards, asking for information from the railway staff. Then, I heard this announcement first in Japanese and then in English. I was taken aback by the words heard in the English announcement:

“The ○○ line will not operate due to ‘a person hit by a train.’”

‘A person hit by a train’!

The image of the scene ran in my head.

It may be necessary to provide a detailed information to the passengers to explain why the service had been suspended, but does it have to be SO graphic?!

Polyandry? Lost in Translation 02

Another Lost in Translation series.

In the summer of 2000, I was travelling round England, and I found a tabloid "Evening Standard" left on the seat in front of me. I have kept it like a treasure because of this small article I found inside:

It clearly and hilariously shows how we Japanese are poor in English conversation although most people receive at least 6 years of English education in junior and senior high school. Our former leader was a fine example of the result of our "nearly good-for-nothing school English education".

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Lost in translation (Evening Standard  Monday 24th July 2000)

As the G8 leaders convened in Japan over the weekend, I year of a yarn that is too good to be true concerning Bill Clinton and Japanese PC Yoshiro Mori.

Before Mori's first visit to the US, he was lectured by an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on how to greet the American President. The official advised him to follow the following verbal procedure: "How are you Mr. Clinton?" to which Clinton will say "I am fine, and you?" Then he should reply "Me too." However, matters did not follow such a simple course when Mori did meet Clinton. For Mori slipped at the first hurdle by asking "WHO are you?" To which a mystified Clinton replied: "I am the husband of Hilary Clinton." Mori then reverted to the rehearsed script and replied: "Me too."

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The slip of the interrogative turned the casual greeting into an international polyandry...
Good work Mr. Mori.

Now, I wonder if Mr. Clinton will say more often "I am the husband of Hilary Clinton." after the presidential election...

"I am handmade" Lost in Translation 01

Lost in translation series 01

On many product packages and ads in Japan, you see English words and phrases. Why? Maybe many feel that the foreign language adds higher or more fashionable taste to the product. Fine, if it makes sense, but you often see really odd English that you don't know what to make of it.

Lost in translation...

This is a picture of a leaflet from a Bento lunch shop.

The garlic pork steak is telling me,
"I am handmade."

You're being barbecued on a sizzling hot pan, and very plainly telling me your status.
Well, thank you garlic pork steak for telling me that. I wish you the best of luck.