English Name and Its CultureWord文档格式.docx

English Name and Its CultureWord文档格式.docx

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shistoricalevents,andsoon.Itislikeanencyclopedia,whichrecordssocialhistoryandthelifestyleofthewesternnationfaithfully.ThispaperstartswiththebasicstructureandoriginsoftheEnglishname.ItexpoundsthatEnglishname,theproductofhumanhistoricaldevelopment,originatesfromspecificsocialbackgroundandcarriescertainculturalconnotation.Inmodernlanguage,someEnglishnamesarenolongermerelyusedasnames.Theyareusedidiomaticallytorefertocertaintypesofpeopleorevents.IfwehaveagoodunderstandingaboutEnglishnamesandtheirculturalconnotations,itwillbegreathelpfulforustounderstandsuchusages.Allinall,asanEnglishlearner,weshouldcomprehendEnglishnameculture,whichishelpfulforustounderstandthewesternculturalcontextthoroughly

[Keywords] 

Englishname;

culture;

idioms

英语姓名与文化

[摘要]人的姓名是人类社会中最普遍的语言现象，是人类社会发展的历史产物。

它同复杂的社会现象有着广泛而深刻的联系，从不同角度反映了人类社会发展的文明状况和社会习俗等情况。

作为人类文化的一部分，姓名反映了一个国家的历史与文化，也反映了人们的信仰和追求。

不同的人名蕴涵着不同的文化。

姓名文化是各民族文化沉淀的一个缩影，同样的，英语姓名的特征和发展也有其特定的社会背景和文化内涵，它同人们的宗教信仰和西方的历史等紧密联系在一起，它就像一本百科全书，忠实地记录了西方国家的社会历史和人文风貌。

本文从英语姓名的基本结构特征和来源入手，通过宗教信仰，文学以及英国历史三个方面阐述英语姓名作为人类历史发展的产物有其特定的社会背景和文化内涵。

在现代语言中，有许多我们熟悉的习语都和英语姓名相关，了解英语姓名及其文化有助于我们理解并正确使用姓名习语。

总之，作为一个英语学习者，了解英语姓名有助于我们在学习英语的同时，跟深入地了解西方的文化背景，从而更好地领会其文化精髓。

[关键词]英语姓名；

文化;

习语

1.Introduction

People’snameisoneofthemostuniversallanguagephenomenonsineachhumansociety.Itisthespecificsymbol,whichpeopleusetodistinguishthemselvesfromotherpeople.[1]Itisalsothehistoricalproductofhumansocialdevelopment.Inseveralmillenniumsyearsofhumanhistoryofcivilization,alongwithhistoricalvicissitude,peoplelearnedhowtousenamestoidentifydifferentpersonwhentheycommunicatedwithotherpeople.Asaphenomenonofhumansociety,“people’snameisaminiatureofthenationalculture.”[2]

Cultureisaconceptthatcanbedefinedindifferentways.Cultureisinvestigatedbyscholarsfromseveralfields.Tothemthescopeofcultureisdifferent.Generally,culturehasbeeninterpretedintwosenses,abroadsenseandanarrowone.Initsbroadsensecultureistheattributesofman.Cultureinthissensemayincludeatleastthefollowingcomponents:

materials,socialinstitutionsandorganizations,knowledge,language,customs,andsoon.Andcultureinitsnarrowsensecanbedefinedaslifewayofapopulation.[3]People’snameisalanguagephenomenon,andlanguageisanimportantpartofhumanculture.Therefore,people’snamehascloserelationwithhumanculture. 

Tobeexact,differentpersonalnamesreflectdifferentculturebecause“people’snameisthecarrierofitsrespectiveculture”.[4]Inshort,ononehand,humancultureinfluencespeople’sname;

ontheotherhand,people’snamereflectshumanculture.ThispaperstartswiththebasicstructureandoriginsoftheEnglishname.ItexpoundsthatEnglishname,theproductofhumanhistoricaldevelopment,originatesfromspecificsocialbackgroundandcarriescertainculturalconnotation.

2.ThecharacteristicsandoriginsofEnglishname

AnEnglishfullnameconsistsofaperson’sfirstnameandlastname.FirstnameisalsocalledChristianname,givennameorbaptismalname.Lastnameisalsocalledfamilynameorsurname.Sometimes,thereisamiddlenamebetweenthefirstnameandthelastname,middlenameisalsocalledsecondname.

2.1Thecharacteristicsandoriginsoffirstname

Thefirstnameisapersonalnamegivenbyhisorherparentsatsomepointafterthebirthofthechild.Itisalsocalledaperson’sforenameorpersonalname.Thefirstnameisinformal,whichisusuallyusedamongfamilymembersorclosefriendsandcolleagues.Ifwesay,“weareallonfirst-nametermswithJohn”,itmeanswecallhimbyhisfirstname,whichisasignofafriendlyinformalrelationship.SomecommonEnglishgivennamesareJohn,Robert,Thomas,William,Alice,andsoon.

Englishfirstnamehasmanyorigins.ButoneofthemostinfluentialsourcesshouldbeChristianity,becausemostEnglish-speakingcountriesareChristiancountries.InChristiancountries,theChristiannameisoftenusedforthefirstname.Soonafterachildisborn,itischristened.Thatis,thechildisgivenaChristiannameataChristianreligiousceremonylikebaptism.InthisChristianreligiousceremony,someoneistouchedorcoveredwithwatertowelcomethemintotheChristianfaithandsometimestoofficiallynamethem.Traditionally,achildisgivenaChristiannamebyitsgodfatherandgodmotheratbaptism.SoinBritain,aperson’sfirstnameisalsocalledabaptismalname.WemaysaythechildwasbaptizedorchristenedbythenameofJohnorMary.ParentsoftengivetheirchildrennamesafterthepeopleintheBible.SuchbiblicalnamesasAdam,Abraham,Daniel,DavidPaulandPeteraremostcommonlyusedfirstname.

Mythologyandliteraturehavealsocontributedmanyfirstnames.Mythologyisthefantasticstorythatisoriginatedfromcertainfamouspeople,historicalevents,historicalsitesandsocialcustom.Itcomesdownbyoralform.Andmythologyisawayusedtoexplainthenature.[5]Itisalsoaminiatureofnationalculture.Inseveralthousandsyears,thewholewesternworldwasundertheinfluenceofGreek-Romanmythology.ClassicalGreekmythologyprovidednameslikeDaphne,Phoebe,Cynthia,Hector,andJason.LiteraturealsodidgreatcontributiontoEnglishname.TakeShakespeareasanexample,ShakespearewasagreatmasteroftheEnglishlanguage,andhewasoneofthegreatestwritersintheworld.Thereare37ofhisplayshavecomedowntous.BecauseofthegreatinfluenceofShakespeareinwest,manypeopleliketochoosenamesfromhisworks.HeprovidedMiranda,JessicaandCordelia,etc.

Inseveralmillenniumsyearsofhumancivilization,people’sliveshavecloserelationwiththenaturalenvironment.So,therearealsomanyfirstnamesoriginatedfromanimalsandplants.SuchasBird,Fox,Wolf,Bee,Fish,Goose,Bull,Eagle,and,Bush,Rice,Wood,Cotton,Kole,Stock,Lotus,Reed,Rose,andsoon.

Somefirstnamesoriginatedfrompersonalcharacteristics,suchasHappy（originatedthehappyman）,Smart（originatedfromthesmartman）,Fat（originatedfromthepersonwhoisfat）,Coward（originatedfromthetimidman）,Beard（originatedfrompeoplewhohasbigbeard）,Bunch（ricketyman）,Smallbones,andArmstrong,etc.

Therearealsosomefirstnameswhichhaveforeignorigins.ForexamplesuchfirstnamesasIvanoriginatedfromRussian;

CarlosfromSpanishnames;

Albert,Adolph,Carl,andKarlfromGermannames.

2.2Thecharacteristicsandoriginsoflastname

Thelastnameisaperson’sfamilynameorsurname,whichiscommontoallmembersofthefamily.Itisformalandoftenusedonofficialoccasionsorwithpeopleyoudonotknowwell.Thefirstnamecanbeusedasaninformalformofaddress.Butthefamilynameisoftenusedwithaformofaddressbeforeit.SuchasMr.Brown,Mrs.Green,etc.Usuallyitcannotbeusedasaformofaddressalone.

ManyEnglishsurnamesfallintothefollowingcategories:

Somesurnamesoriginatedfromplaceswherepeoplewerebornorlived.Thiskindofsurnamesalsocalled“localsurnames”.SuchasAtwater,Brook,Byroade,Bywood,Dale（meaning“valley”）,Dunlop（meaning“muddyhill”）,Fields,Goosey（meaning“gooseisland”）,Hill,Lake,London,Marsh,Moor,Sotheby（meaning“southinthevillage”）,Westby/Westerby（meaning“westernfarm）.

TherearealsomanysurnamesofoccupationinEnglishsuchas:

Baker,Barber,Bridger,Butcher,Carpenter,Clark/Clerk,Cook,Cooper,Fisher,Goldsmith,Hunter,Miller,Plummer,Priest,Smith,andTailor/Taylor.

ManyEnglishsurnamesoriginatedfrompatronymsnames.Mostofthesenamesendwith“son”.Thestructureis“father’snameoritsvariant+son”,suchasAddison（sonofAdam）,Anderson（sonofAndrew）,Donaldson,Gibson,Jackson,Jameson,Johnson,Josephson,Richardson,Robinson,Samuelson,Thomason,Williamson,andWilson.WhatworthmentioningisthatsuchpatronymicsurnamesasRichardson,Robinson,Robertson,Samuelson,ThomasonandWilliamsonweregraduallyshortenedintoRichards,Robins,Roberts,Samuels,ThomasandWilliamsrespectively.SoweknowRichard,Robin,Robert,SamuelandWilliamareallfirstname,whileRichards,Robins,Roberts,SamuelsandWilliamsareallfamilynames.AndithappensthatThomascanbeeitherapersonalnameorafamilyname.

Therearealsosomesurnameswhichareoriginalnicknames.Mostofwhicharepersonaldescriptionsorphysicalfeatures:

Armstrong,Bald,Ballard,Biggs,Grant,Little,Long,Longfellow,Short,Small.

2.3ThecharacteristicsofEnglishmiddlename

SomeEnglish-speakingpeoplehaveamiddlenamebetweentheirfirstnameandlastname.Themiddlenamecanbeconsideredasthesecondofaperson’sgivennameorforename.Withamiddlename,apersoncandistinguishhimselforherselffromanotherpersoninthefamilywhohappenstohavethesamefirstname.TakeGeorgeBernardS