Chinese Name as a Complex Mythological Sign

Abstract

There are three kind of onomastic systems in the world – mythological, theocentric and anthropocentric. The difference between them is in the attitude to the phenomenon of name and naming, what finally reflects on characteristics of proper names as grammatical category. The aim of the article – is to demonstrate and to try to proof the thesis that onomastic system of Chinese language has features of mythological kind of onomastic systems which is meant to be typical for ancient societies. The example of Chinese names is very illustrative due to linguistic and extralinguistic facts. Linguistic facts are: grammatical system of the language is isolating, ideographic writing system etc. Extralinguistic facts: features of Chinese philosophy, logic, culture etc. The data of the investigation – are modern Chinese personal names. Main methods of analysis are comparative, interpretative etc. The semantics of the Chinese anthroponym as mythological sign can be considered syncretic, because subjective, numerous interpretations of the given name attached to the identity of the name bearer. According to Roland Bart, in myth there are two semiological systems, one of which is built into the other; firstly, the linguistic system, the language, called by R. Bart the language-object, since it comes at the disposal of a myth that builds on its basis its own system; secondly, this is the myth itself, it can be called a metalanguage, because it is the second language spoken about the first. Thus, a signifier in a myth can be viewed from two points of view: as a resultant element of a language system or as an initial element of a mythological system. The precedent of the Chinese naming system is that this mythology of the name has not disappeared, has not become part of something else, has not been reduced, it, appearing several millennia ago, demonstrates a continuous continuous development.