Record of Childhood Names

陈思Jun 2024

3.0

Word count: 12K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early forms of thought are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are vast and profound. This series, "Essence of the Chinese Classics: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Chen Si's Xiaozilu belongs to the tradition of traditional philology (xiaoxue) and is devoted exclusively to xiaozi—the childhood and pet names ancients used in addition to their formal courtesy names. It is a specialized work for the study of naming and forms of address and of ancient social customs. Books of this kind are usually short but dense with information, arranged by rhyme or category for easy consultation, and are especially useful when one encounters an unfamiliar xiaozi while reading history or poetry. This series aims to preserve the original appearance of the text without deletion or alteration, so readers can see the old edition's arrangement and format; it thus has value both as documentation and as a reference for textual editions. Its pleasure lies not in reading it straight through but in browsing and consulting it at random, using it to understand how ancients employed childhood names alongside formal names and courtesy names, and what these reveal about family relations and the customs of the time. Because it is a specialized reference work, general readers without some grounding in classical Chinese and in historical and literary knowledge may find it dry and fragmentary. Overall, it is suitable as a desk reference for enthusiasts of literature and history and as an introductory source for the study of xiaozi.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who often encounter xiaozi of historical figures and need to look them up when reading histories or poetry
Enthusiasts of literature and history interested in naming systems and forms of address
Researchers engaged in the collation of ancient texts and the compilation of reference works

Not a good fit for

Beginners hoping to study classical Chinese grammar systematically
General readers expecting continuous narrative reading
Readers without a foundation in classical Chinese who need vernacular translation

Reading tips

You need not read it through; first familiarize yourself with the arrangement, then look up specific persons' xiaozi as needed.
Use it alongside the biographies in the standard histories or with poetry collections, checking and noting each xiaozi as you encounter it.
You may build your own cards of historical figures' xiaozi to develop an intuitive grasp of ancient naming conventions.

版权信息
小字录提要
钦定四库全书小字録

FAQ

What is the difference between a xiaozi and a biaozi (courtesy name)?

Xiaozi generally refers to the childhood name used by ancients, carrying a tone of family intimacy; the biaozi is the formal appellation adopted in adulthood on the basis of the given name and used among peers. The two differ in origin and occasion of use, but ancient texts often conflate them, so one must judge from context and not generalize.

Is this kind of book suitable for reading straight through?

No. It is essentially specialized material organized for consultation; the entries lack narrative connection, and reading it straight through easily brings fatigue. A more effective use is as a desk reference: when reading history or poetry and encountering a figure's xiaozi, look it up at once, and over time you will naturally become familiar with ancient naming conventions.

What is the significance for general readers of an edition that preserves the original appearance of the book?

Preserving the original appearance lets one see the old edition's arrangement, character usage, and printing information, which is helpful for studying the transmission of editions and the structure of reference works. But for general readers the difficulty of reading rises accordingly, since one must adapt to the old arrangement and traditional characters; it is advisable to be prepared for this.

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About the author

陈思 Author

Chen Si is an author about whom little public information is available; his name appears in the field of Chinese book compilation, with works spanning several disciplines. Among the eleven titles held in the collection, he has edited classical texts such as The Chronological Biography of Mr. Jiaxuan, The Chronological Biography of Baishi Daoren, and The Crabapple Manual, focusing on Song-dynasty ci poets and literati life. He has also contributed to music education materials, including Piano General Course for Higher Music Conservatories 3. In addition, titles under his name include Marketing Psychology (Third Edition) and Integrated Circuit Packaging Reliability Technology, relating to management and marketing and to industrial technology respectively. His works cross literature, the arts, management, and engineering, suggesting broad editorial interests and possible experience in both textual scholarship and textbook compilation. Given the lack of biographical details, it is difficult to confirm whether these works are by the same author, and readers should check the original title pages when citing them.