{"id":80,"date":"2012-03-17T00:32:17","date_gmt":"2012-03-17T00:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/?p=80"},"modified":"2012-04-06T08:53:31","modified_gmt":"2012-04-06T08:53:31","slug":"what-is-in-a-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/?p=80","title":{"rendered":"What is in a Name!"},"content":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s in a name!\u00a0 Surely not much, or else Pakistan, literally the Land of the Pure, would not be ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world year after year by Transparency International, a neutral watchdog.\u00a0 <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Part-I<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

What\u2019s in a name!\u00a0 Surely not much, or else Pakistan, literally the Land of the Pure, would not be ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world year after year by Transparency International, a neutral watchdog.\u00a0 Nor would the Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea be the most undemocratic regime in the contemporary world, starving the people in whose name it claims to govern.\u00a0 We can only speculate whether the abortive state of Khalistan, the proposed Land of the Pure next door at whose altar Jarnail Singh Bhindarwale sacrificed his life, would have been an exemplar of good government.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When a 33-year old junior military officer in the West African state of Upper Volta seized power through a coup d\u2019etat in 1983, he renamed it as Burkina Faso, which translates from the local language as Land of Incorruptible People, although there is nothing to indicate that Upper Voltans became more honest as a result of the change of name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes the names of countries seem purposely designed to advertise what they lack or deny their citizens.\u00a0 It is not a coincidence that the countries that officially call themselves \u201cpeople\u2019s republic\u201d or \u201cdemocratic republic\u201d \u2013 and there are many such \u2013 usually have dictatorial and authoritarian governments.\u00a0 The worst among them go overboard in this exercise in public deception.\u00a0 Thus, despotic North Korea<\/span> is People\u2019s and Democratic (meaning \u201cgovernment by the people through their representatives\u201d) and Republic (defined as \u201ca state in which supreme power rests in the people\u201d) at the same time.\u00a0 The Lao People\u2019s Democratic Republic is likewise characterized by authoritarian rule, while Libya<\/span>, a one-man show, is officially the Socialist People\u2019s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (both socialist and jamahiriya derive from society\/people).\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Joseph Stalin\u2019s murderous regime flourished in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics<\/span>, a high-sounding name that added the word soviet (\u201cpeople\u2019s council\u201d in Russian) to socialist and republic.\u00a0 There is a plethora of plain People\u2019s Republics, of which the most well-known is the People\u2019s Republic of China<\/span>, where the people matter for very little.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, situated in the north of the South American continent, has not distinguished itself for any cooperative effort of any kind either on the domestic or the international front.\u00a0 Further south on the same continent, there is the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, situated not in the orient but in the far occident, in what we refer to as the western hemisphere.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three countries are named after their rulers, namely, Saudi Arabia<\/span> (after the ruling Saud dynasty), the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (for the reigning Hashemite family) and The Philippines (named in honour of Emperor Philip II of Spain<\/span>, the then colonial power).\u00a0 Thus, the rulers of Saudi Arabia<\/span> would appear a bit self-serving when referring to themselves as Saudi patriots, and the expression Philippine nationalism seems a bit anomalous.<\/span><\/p>\n

Three countries in West Africa compete for the same name \u2013 Guinea<\/span>, Guinea-Bissau<\/span> and Equatorial Guinea<\/span>.\u00a0 <\/span>Vying with them are Guyana<\/span> and French Guiana in South America and Papua New Guinea<\/span>, to the north of Australia<\/span>.\u00a0 If this obsession with the name Guinea<\/span> leads you to think that it conceals some well-kept secret or is a harbinger of good luck, then you are in for some disappointment.\u00a0 At worst, it is a meaningless word of unknown origins, and, at best, it means \u201cwoman\u201d in the Susu dialect of a coastal tribe of West Africa<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nigerand Nigeria<\/span>, which share borders, must be a nightmare for postal workers.\u00a0 A slight misspelling or poor handwriting could carry the mail to the wrong country.\u00a0 Similarly, in central Africa there are two contiguous Congos<\/span> (Peoples Republic of Congo<\/span> and the Democratic Republic of Congo).\u00a0 Tourists beware when travelling to any of the above four countries, for a minor lapse in map-reading could well lead to deportation or worse.<\/span><\/p>\n

No such worries with the Central African Republic<\/span>.\u00a0 Geographically precise, plain and unpretentious in name, in 1976 it was stricken by such pompousness that it renamed itself as the Central African Empire<\/span> under self-styled Emperor Bokassa I, an army colonel who had seized power in 1965 through a coup.<\/span><\/p>\n

The tiny island-state of Samoa (population 180,000) in the Pacific Ocean<\/span> proclaims its independence in its name (\u201cIndependent State of Samoa\u201d), probably to deter sea pirates.\u00a0 For its part, San Marino<\/span> (altogether 60 sq km of territory surrounded by Italy<\/span>) calls itself the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, perhaps to attract tax dodgers of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

While most country names are historical accidents or misnomers of one kind or another, Iceland<\/span> and Ivory Coast<\/span> are remarkable for their directness and simplicity.\u00a0 It\u2019s as if Saudi Arabia<\/span> called itself Oilistan or Petroland and the poor, desert nation of Mauritania<\/span> was named Sandania.\u00a0 If Iceland<\/span> is an exercise in honesty, Greenland (a territory of Denmark) is an example of trickery.\u00a0 Perpetually covered in thick layers of ice, it was deceptively so named by Erik the Red to lure his cold-stricken Danish compatriots into buying \u201cfarming\u201d land on the island, from him of course.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hollandis officially The Nederlands (meaning \u201cLow Lands\u201d in Dutch) for no better reason than that most of it is situated below sea level.\u00a0\u00a0 By the same token Nepal<\/span> should have been named The Mountain Kingdom or the HighLands.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

To her own people, India<\/span> is Bharat (from the ancient epic \u201cMahabharata\u201d) or Hindustan (from \u201csindhu,\u201d meaning river in Sanskrit), while Japan<\/span> is Nippon<\/span> (\u201cLand of the Rising Sun\u201d) to its inhabitants.\u00a0 <\/span>For the native Hans, China is Gongheguo, a geographical nonsense meaning \u201cMiddle Kingdom.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The world\u2019s sole superpower is named after a person, a foreigner to boot.\u00a0 And that lucky man (or unfortunate man, depending on how one views the United States of America<\/span>) is Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian navigator who in 1499 explored the northeast coast of South America<\/span>, not Christopher Columbus who \u201cdiscovered\u201d it seven years earlier.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yugoslavia (meaning Land of the Southern Slavs), put together by joining chunks from a demised empire with proud but problematic little Balkan states after the First World War, was so named to proclaim the solidarity and nationalism of the restive Slavs of the region, perhaps hoping for the best, but that helped little.\u00a0 Hardly a soul in the world today would not know how poor Yugoslavia<\/span> imploded with tragic consequences. <\/span><\/p>\n

Isn\u2019t it a wonder, then, that nations still treat their names not just as a matter of grave importance, but as something sacrosanct?<\/span><\/p>\n

(Published in Daily Times, 8 July 2004)<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Part-II<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n

Some people take their names a bit too seriously, and none more so than ourselves.\u00a0 When a child is born, names are proposed, some for their inherent meaning, others for their phonetic or literary beauty, but most often for their innate religious value.\u00a0 It may be a while, a few weeks or months if not years, before a child\u2019s name finally acquires a degree of permanence. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is a common belief that names influence character. A London-based friend of mine, on the advice of his pir<\/em>, changed the name of his \u201chot-tempered\u201d adolescent son, which supposedly had a positive result.\u00a0 I could not convince him that this change almost certainly would have occurred anyway as his son passed from childhood into adulthood.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

God knows how many Sharifuddins and Insaf Alis and Nek Mohammads have faced the hangman or are languishing in our jails for all manner of crime, from theft to fraud to rape to murder.\u00a0 A few might even have lost a limb or two or have been made shorter by a head under the Islamic justice dispensed in Taliban\u2019s Afghanistan and in Saudi Arabia. Nevertheless, we have a tremendous penchant for believing that good names result in good personalities and meritorious deeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to choosing names, the ninety-nine names of God are a ready and frequently tapped reservoir, as are names from early Islamic history.\u00a0 A majority of names would appear to derive from these two sources. Thus, there is a plethora of Rahmans, Rahims, Khaliqs, Baris, Samads, Majids, Hameeds, Ghaffars and Ghafoors.\u00a0 And Aishas, Khadijas, Fatimas, Safiyas, Zainabs, Alis, Umars, Abu Bakrs, Usmans, Hussains and Hassans.<\/span><\/p>\n

But having attached these \u201csacred\u201d names to our children, we can\u2019t avoid treating them as just another name.\u00a0 Thus, an angry parent, older sibling, relative, friend or playmate will be heard swearing at, or using abusive words or hurling profanities at them, by name, totally oblivious to their hallowed connection.\u00a0 Mild versions (rendered in English to make them appear milder still) will go something like: \u201cAisha, are you mad?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cAli, you idiot!\u201d or \u201cHow stupid of you, Hameed!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then there are the bombastic claims: Noor Jehan (light of the world), Mushir Alam (advisor of the world), Shams-ud-Din (sun of religion), Fakhr-e-Alam (pride of the world), Rahat-e-Alam (tranquility of the world), Ruhuddin (soul\/spirit of religion), Ruhullah (soul\/spirit of Allah), Noor Nabi (light of the Prophet), Qudratullah (prowess of Allah).\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Sher Khan, Kaleem Bahadur and Azad Choudhry advertise their courage and independence.\u00a0 At the other end of the spectrum are the obsequious Kalb-e-Ali (Ali\u2019s dog) and Abdur Rahman (slave of Rahman, which is a name of God).\u00a0 The Allah Rakkhas (God save) and the Allah Dittas (God-given) would appear to be a bit unsure of their survivability in this cruel world, from their parents\u2019 point of view at least.<\/span><\/p>\n

Searching for a name in a phone directory is a nightmare, owing to the absence of a system of family names and the abundance of hereditary titles and honorifics such as Khan, Shah, Khwaja, Syed and Choudhry, which may appear either as a first or last name, and under various spellings.\u00a0 Muhammad is a very popular addition to any name, but complicates name search, for again it might appear as a first name or last name, and in a multitude of spellings and abbreviations.\u00a0 Then there are the many hyphenated names (with no particular rule), such as Qudrat-e-Khuda and Misbah-ul-Hassan.\u00a0 International travel and television have now popularized the adoption of family names (from father and, for married women, from husband) but often it is the first name rather than the last (or family) name that is acquired.<\/span><\/p>\n

Across the border, shame on a Sikh who is not a Singh (lion).\u00a0 As a rule, they all are. Given that the Sikhs are a martial race, and rather proud of this epithet, the Singh thing must be intended to strike terror into the hearts of their enemies!\u00a0 And since there is excess in every exercise, they have Zalim Singhs and Shaitan Singhs. Which makes it a bit scary.<\/span><\/p>\n

Among Hindus, names embody caste and social status.\u00a0 I once offended a Nepali professor, whom I had only met the previous day, by mistakenly addressing him by the name of his colleague.\u00a0 When I tried to explain that this was a simple error on my part, he countered that this was not a simple matter, for while he was a Brahmin, his colleague was from a lower caste.\u00a0 And how could I have confused the two names!\u00a0 Laloo Prasad Yadav may be a power-broker and a central minister in India, but the name Yadav announces his humble origins to the entire nation.<\/span><\/p>\n

While our names are a serious issue, often sacred and sometimes pompuous, western names are just that, to the extent that some of them could even be laughing matter. Consider these: Mrs Faithfull, Mr Henchman, Ms Fairweather, Mr Lightfoot, Ms Short, Mr Long, Ms Savage, Mr Sidebottom, Mr Cheese, Ms Thorn, Mr Lamb, Ms Cheer, Mr Crow, Ms Peacock, Mr Sparrow, Ms Drinkwater, Mr Blackstone, Mr Brown, Ms Black, Mr Weatherburn, Ms Red, Mr Crook, Mr Chance, Mr Rose and Ms Strange.\u00a0 As for Ms Pickle, she gives me the tickle!<\/span><\/p>\n

How about Dr Death, a psychologist named Apathy and a magistrate called Lawless?\u00a0 No comments, please, on Mr Cockburn and Mrs Hiscock.\u00a0 Mr Perfect, Mr Thoroughgood, Ms Angel and Mrs Good sound too good to be true!\u00a0 Has anyone ever thought about the Urdu version of President Bush?\u00a0 Then there are the down-to-earth ones, definitely no laughing matter: M\/s Cheeseman, Carpenter, Butcher, Shoemaker, Cook, Tailor (Taylor), Judge, Bishop, Goldsmith, Magistrate, Mason and Shoesmith.<\/span><\/p>\n

In France, Poubelle is an old surname (family name), but it (now) also means dustbin, after a Governor of Paris named Poubelle who, being a stickler for cleanliness, made sure that all rubbish was properly disposed off in dustbins, which he had laid out all over the city.\u00a0 Irate citizens, not accustomed to this infringement of their liberty to scatter garbage just as they pleased, began to refer to the dustbins as Poubelles.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Willing or not, Parisians were led by Mr Dustbin into transforming their city into one of the cleanest in the world.\u00a0 Heaven knows that our towns and cities need mayors named Kuda Khans, not Khan Bahadurs.\u00a0 They would be better served by Safai Sahabs rather than Sahabzadas, Nawabzadas and Choudhrys!<\/span><\/p>\n

(Published in Daily Times, 15 July 2004)<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What\u2019s in a name!\u00a0 Surely not much, or else Pakistan, literally the Land of the Pure, would not be ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world year after year by Transparency International, a neutral watchdog.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":212,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80\/revisions\/212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raziazmi.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}