Rectifying Names

AnonymousJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

2.6

Word count: 3.5K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

When the later kings established names: penal names followed Shang, rank names followed Zhou, and ceremonial names followed the rites. As for the scattered names applied to the myriad things, they followed the established customs and common conventions of the Central States, and distant regions with different customs used them to communicate.

Editor's review

"Correcting Names" is an ancient text discussing the relation between names and realities; its author is unknown, and it was printed by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company. Starting from "when the later kings established names," it discusses the origins and bases of penal names, rank names, ceremonial names, and scattered names, advocating that penal names follow Shang, rank names follow Zhou, and ceremonial names follow the rites, while the scattered names of the myriad things follow the customs of the Central States and also accommodate the communication needs of distant regions with different customs. Its value lies in presenting the relation between ancient institutional culture and linguistic naming, involving both political order and folk customs and exchange. It is short, with simple and archaic language, and is suitable as supplementary reading for pre-Qin thought on names and realities and ritual culture. When reading, use annotations to understand the terms, first grasp the distinction among the four types of naming—penal names, rank names, ceremonial names, and scattered names—and then consider the pragmatic attitude embodied in "established customs and common conventions" and "used them to communicate."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese thought on names and realities and ritual culture
Chinese majors studying pre-Qin texts who need supplementary materials
Readers of literature and history concerned with the relation between linguistic naming and social order
Readers who wish to read short pieces closely and build a feel for classical Chinese

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting modern vernacular interpretation or systematic theoretical monographs
Beginners without a foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to consult annotations
Casual readers who want only storytelling and entertaining content

Reading tips

Read through once, marking the four key terms penal names, rank names, ceremonial names, and scattered names, and clarify the classificatory framework.
Read closely sentence by sentence with annotations, focusing on the meaning of "established customs and common conventions" and "used them to communicate."
After reading, summarize in your own words the origins of the four types of naming to test whether you have grasped the main point.
Read in comparison with other pre-Qin discussions of names and realities, noting similarities and differences without forcing them into uniformity.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
正名第二十二

FAQ

What problem does "Correcting Names" mainly discuss?

It mainly discusses the bases and origins of naming. The text distinguishes penal names, rank names, ceremonial names, and scattered names: penal names follow Shang, rank names follow Zhou, ceremonial names follow the rites, while the scattered names of the myriad things follow the customs of the Central States and also accommodate communication in distant regions with different customs, reflecting the connection between the relation of names and realities and institutions and folk customs.

Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations and reference works. The original language is simple and archaic and contains many terms; it is advisable to first consult annotations to clarify concepts such as "penal names," "rank names," and "scattered names," and then understand it sentence by sentence rather than reading straight through.

What does "the scattered names applied to the myriad things" mean?

It refers to the various concrete names applied to the myriad things. The text holds that such names should follow the established customs and common conventions of the Central States, and distant regions with different customs also communicate on that basis, emphasizing the practical function of naming in social exchange.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.