Chinese couple tried to name baby "@" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

crystals · 08-16-2007, 10:38 AM

Thu Aug 16, 3:04 AM ET

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@", claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday.

The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words.

"The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming.

While the "@" simple is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta", or "love him", to Mandarin speakers.

Li told a news conference on the state of the language that the name was an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Chinese, as commercialisation and the Internet break down conventions.

Another couple tried to give their child a name that rendered into English sounds like "King Osrina."

Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages.

Sixty million Chinese faced the problem that their names use ancient characters so obscure that computers cannot recognise them and even fluent speakers were left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript of the briefing on the government Web site (www.gov.cn).

One of them was the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name had a rare "rong" character that gave newspaper editors headaches.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_china_language

waichingliu81 · 08-16-2007, 11:28 AM

being of chinese origin myself, i find it rather wierd

Chocoholic · 08-16-2007, 03:29 PM

Maybe when this boy is a bit older, he can be friends with the New Zealand boy whose parents tried to name him 4real.

Seriously, what is it with all these weird names?

Mikado · 08-16-2007, 03:40 PM

It would be interesting to see if he could get an email like "@@yahoo.com"

catlover79 · 08-16-2007, 03:49 PM

TJL · 08-16-2007, 03:53 PM

I'm @ a loss for words right now.

Mikado · 08-16-2007, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJL

I'm @ a loss for words right now.

Corolla · 08-16-2007, 08:18 PM

No comment.

freshprinceofLA · 08-16-2007, 10:56 PM

Does this baby happen to be prince?

dawsongirl · 08-16-2007, 11:49 PM

The Chinese government can tell you what names you can't use? Not that @ is a good name in any language...

Ya know...maybe the American government can implement such a rule for celebrities. Pilot Inspektor Lee would have to be ho hum Pete. lol

Mikado · 08-17-2007, 01:14 AM

^^^

Fleet · 08-17-2007, 02:09 AM

I like that name!

If someone asks, you could say "@ is @ home."

Mikado · 08-17-2007, 02:29 AM

^^^

ABlairican Pie · 08-17-2007, 08:24 AM

This sure sounds wilder than the Swedish couple who legally got to name their
baby Metallica, in honor of the band.

That does it, I'm legally changing my name to

.

Fleet · 08-17-2007, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

That does it, I'm legally changing my name to

.

Would that be your first or last name?

08-16-2007, 10:38 AM	#1
crystals Member Senior Member Join Date: Feb 02, 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1,829	Chinese couple tried to name baby "@" Thu Aug 16, 3:04 AM ET BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese couple tried to name their baby "@", claiming the character used in e-mail addresses echoed their love for the child, an official trying to whip the national language into line said on Thursday. The unusual name stands out especially in Chinese, which has no alphabet and instead uses tens of thousands of multi-stroke characters to represent words. "The whole world uses it to write e-mail, and translated into Chinese it means 'love him'," the father explained, according to the deputy chief of the State Language Commission Li Yuming. While the "@" simple is familiar to Chinese e-mail users, they often use the English word "at" to sound it out -- which with a drawn out "T" sounds something like "ai ta", or "love him", to Mandarin speakers. Li told a news conference on the state of the language that the name was an extreme example of people's increasingly adventurous approach to Chinese, as commercialisation and the Internet break down conventions. Another couple tried to give their child a name that rendered into English sounds like "King Osrina." Li did not say if officials accepted the "@" name. But earlier this year the government announced a ban on names using Arabic numerals, foreign languages and symbols that do not belong to Chinese minority languages. Sixty million Chinese faced the problem that their names use ancient characters so obscure that computers cannot recognise them and even fluent speakers were left scratching their heads, said Li, according to a transcript of the briefing on the government Web site (www.gov.cn). One of them was the former Premier Zhu Rongji, whose name had a rare "rong" character that gave newspaper editors headaches. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/oukoe_uk_china_language
	__________________ The man who lends a helping hand is the true hero.

08-16-2007, 03:49 PM	#5
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,392
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

08-16-2007, 03:53 PM	#6
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	I'm @ a loss for words right now.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

08-16-2007, 10:56 PM	#9
freshprinceofLA The Bosses Senior Member Join Date: Aug 09, 2005 Location: A small town in: Los Angeles, California Posts: 2,810	Does this baby happen to be prince?
	__________________ My favorite show is... Who's the boss? #2 Three's Company #3 Moonlighting RELEASE ALL SEASONS OF WHO'S THE BOSS? ON DVD Watch ION at 9:00 to 10:00 I <3 SAMANTHA! RAIDERS SUCK R.I.P. PAC & BIG we miss yall

08-17-2007, 01:14 AM	#11
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	^^^ ^^^

08-16-2007, 11:28 AM	#2
waichingliu81 debbie allen Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 28, 2006 Location: london, england, UK Posts: 4,347	being of chinese origin myself, i find it rather wierd

08-16-2007, 03:29 PM	#3
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	Maybe when this boy is a bit older, he can be friends with the New Zealand boy whose parents tried to name him 4real. Seriously, what is it with all these weird names?

08-16-2007, 03:40 PM	#4
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	It would be interesting to see if he could get an email like "@@yahoo.com"

08-16-2007, 08:18 PM	#8
Corolla Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 21, 2006 Location: Owen Sound, ON Posts: 2,376	No comment.

08-16-2007, 11:49 PM	#10
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	The Chinese government can tell you what names you can't use? Not that @ is a good name in any language... Ya know...maybe the American government can implement such a rule for celebrities. Pilot Inspektor Lee would have to be ho hum Pete. lol

08-17-2007, 02:09 AM	#12
Fleet Mansions, limousines & H-ween Forum Star Join Date: Jan 06, 2002 Location: Northridge/Porter Ranch, California Posts: 15,625	I like that name! If someone asks, you could say "@ is @ home."
	__________________ 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five Limousine.

08-17-2007, 02:29 AM	#13
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	^^^ ^^^

08-17-2007, 08:24 AM	#14
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	This sure sounds wilder than the Swedish couple who legally got to name their baby Metallica, in honor of the band. That does it, I'm legally changing my name to .
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion