WHAT IS YOUR NAME?

 

                                                What is Your Name?

Some of us believe that a proper name is just a label which could distinguish the bearer from others. Shakespeare's legendary phrase what is in a name? in the story of Romeo and Juliet seems to follow this flow. However, others believe that a name is not merely a self-label, but a self-branding. This group believes that a proper name could build the self-image, could increase self-confidence, could influence the way of thinking and behavior of the bearer. A proper name that implies optimism and hopes might encourage the bearer stay motivated and optimistic in every condition. I am in the opinion that a proper name is not merely a label decoding the bearer. I am sure that names can represent many things, including histories, sound, form and function, even prayer.

Name is history. A proper name frequently represents important events happened in the past, the discoverer of a phenomenal discovery, and the year of a discovery. Mexican flu is the name of a disease which firstly spread in Mexico. This name clearly suggests that once upon a time, Mexico city was once the origin of a virus causing flu which spread all over the world. The temperature scale Fahrenheit is other case in point. The name of the scale is parallel with the inventor's name, a German scientist, Gabriel Fahrenheit (1636-1786), so that everybody knows the inventor. The year of discovery is another aspect of history which we frequently find in a proper name. The Novel Corona virus firstly occurred firstly in Wuhan in 2019, and the disease due to it was called Covid-19. The number of 19 serves as a reminder of pandemic causing almost all countries on earth paralyzed. The footprints of the history are traceable form the proper names Mexican flu, temperature scale Fahrenheit, and Covid-19. 

                                             Corona Virus and Covid-19

Name is the representation of sounds, shapes, and functions. A proper name is commonly parallel with the bearer’s sound, shape, or function. A house lizard which commonly creeps on the wall is called cicak in Bahasa Indonesia because of its sound. Cloth serves as the cover of lady’s head in Bahasa Indonesia is called kerudung whose meaning is cover. What about Corona virus? Corona is crown. The shape of Corona virus looks like a crown, so that the discoverer of the virus named it Corona. Cicak, kerudung, and corona are a few cases in point of the names representing sounds, functions, and shapes. 

Name is hopes. It means that a proper name radiates hopes, expectations, and prayer. Being good and strong persons in all aspects of life are commonly the wish of parents for their kids. Their hopes and expectations are traceable from the name they pin to kids. Parents wishing much their kids to be a doctor might pin HUSADA to the kids because HUSADA is commonly used as the name of hospitals. Corona, the name of a crown, is another name representing hopes and wishes. Corona, when named to a kid, suggests that the parents wish the kid's achievement deserve a crown.  

On the other hand, a proper name might radiate a negative image for the bearer. so that they get stigmatized. Spanish Flu was a flu spreading in 1918. The name might make Spain stigmatized even though the virus was not originated in Spain. Avoiding the stigmatization might be the reason of not using Wuhan Virus for decoding the virus which eventually spread over the world, in 2019. 

OK, Guys, name is not a simple issue, is it?  History, hopes, forms, and functions are just a few examples of things behind a name. What is behind your name, Guys?

Malang, October 21, 2022