The naming of zodiac animals is often mentioned in "Southern History". For example, "Qi Benji" records that Emperor Wu Xiao was born in the 17th year of Yuanjia in the Southern Song Dynasty. Gengchen was the Year of the Dragon, and his nickname was "Long'er"; it was also recorded that his mother was about to give birth. That night, "Dream Dragon occupied the house" and so on.
Regarding dogs and pigs, "The Biography of Zhang Jing'er in Southern History" contains: "The mother was lying in the field. She dreamed that the dog had horns and licked her, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Jing'er. So she was named Gou'er at first. And she gave birth to a son. The son was renamed Zhu'er because of Gou'er's name. Emperor Ming of the Song Dynasty changed the name to Jing'er, so Zhu'er was also changed to Gong'er. "It is said that the birth of Zhang Gou'er was a dream of his mother. She saw a dog with horns, was licked by the dog, and became pregnant with him. This is quite similar to the story of pregnancy due to the dream of zodiac sign, but it is a pity that "Southern History" does not explain Zhang Gouer's birth year. However, it may be inferred that he was born in the year of Pi, because his younger brother was named Zhuer, who was probably only one year younger than him and was born in the year of Fenghai.
is named after the zodiac animals. The earliest Qin Dynasty bamboo slips that record the twelve zodiac animals found so far - Yunmengsuihudi Qin bamboo slips record relevant content. During the period of the Western Han Dynasty, the talented scholar Sima Xiangru in Chengdu was named "Quinzi" when he was young. "Historical Records" wrote a biography of him: "His biological name was Quanzi. Xiangru learned a lot and admired Lin Xiangru. is a human being, and the name is Xiangru. "Why did the baby's nickname be "Quizi"? Tang Dynasty Sima Zhen's "Suo Yin": "Love is the word." This love has about two meanings. One is that calling a child "dog" or "little dog" like this means that a child is regarded as a beloved one. Second, children with cheap names are easy to raise. I hope my children will be free from disasters and diseases and grow up healthily. When Sima Xiangru received this nickname, he probably also suffered from such family love. However, there is another thing that has been ignored in the past: Sima Xiangru was born in 179 BC, which was the second year of Renxu, and his zodiac sign was Dog.
A dog, a pig, these "cheap names" express love for children, and may also include the zodiac sign as a title. Such examples do not only exist in ancient times. The description of Lao She's son Shu Yi in the book "Lao She":
His father was born on February 3, 1899... That year was the year of Wuxu , the 24th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty . According to the lunar calendar, It's the Year of the Dog. My father was born at the end of the year, and his aunt gave him a very unpleasant nickname: Puppy Tail. The dog is the same as the pig, chicken, and immune. There is no distinction between high and low, and there is nothing dishonorable. However, the "dog tail" and the " puppy tail" are really unacceptable. So when Lao She was a child, he always said that he was born on the day when Tanggua offered sacrifices to the Stove. When the Stove Lord ascended to heaven, wouldn't he be much more glorious and majestic than a "puppy tail"?
Lao She was born at the end of the twelfth lunar month of the Wuxu year. His aunt named him and affectionately called him "puppy tail". Children with nicknames are easy to raise, which is a sign of love. "Puppy Tail" also means the end of the Year of the Dog, not only the zodiac sign, but also the twelfth lunar month is included in this nickname.
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