I was teaching the topic''what's in our name?''
to the monk students of Chokyi Gyatsho Institute at Dewathang, East Bhutan. One
of the interesting words that we have discussed was ''a nickname''. What is a
nickname? A simple answer is a name given to a person to substitute an actual given
name.
Who gives those names? Many a times our
friends give those names. Why?
So, what is the big deal? Well,
nicknames are a most commonly used form of identity next to our given names in
many social settings. Be it in the school, college, institute or office, we
have gotten a nick name. Certainly, I have one, and presumably, you are not
excluded.
A nickname undoubtedly has many implications
to a person and is subject to change depending on place and environment. My friends
in college call me ‘’Naku’’ as my
complexion is dark. In middle secondary school, one of my teachers call me ‘’Dagap’’ as I am originally from Dagana, a
district in South Central Bhutan. I have a friend in high school who is known as
‘’Khenpo’’ (a master in Buddhist
philosophy) because he likes to share and talk about Buddhist ideas and
philosophies, and a friend known as ‘’Kuchu’’
(bulged forehead) are some of the names associated with individuals who
manifest personality, habit, an appearance and cultural environment.
There are situations in which a person
would be recognized easily by a nickname rather than by his orher real name. I
still remember how I could not answer one of the visitors who asked me the name
of one of the lecturers in the college. I knew him by his nickname but not his
real name. It is quite interesting how nicknaming culture has evolved and
influenced us.
I asked a question to the students in
class if they have any nicknames. Certainly the response was a loud yes! All the
students have at least one. I was curious and asked them to share it. A boy at
a corner said I am a “Zala” (monkey),
next a “Solo” (chilli), then ''Nado'' (dark
appearance), a “Khengpa”(belonging to
one of the communities in East Bhutan), a
“laughing Buddha” (a boy who keeps on smiling), a “Yedpa” (a boy who belongs to yak herders in Singye Dzong, Lhuentse,
East Bhutan), a “Phagpa” (a pig, because
of his body size), a “Manchereatoka” (Mancherea is a place name in Dewathang
and toka means an oxen) and so on.
The origin of those names show a strong
relationship with their physical appearances, personalities, habits, likes and
dislikes, cultures, and social backgrounds. Knowing and learning those names
are worthy particularly for educators, because it gives some information about their
personalities and their identities.
Calling someone by a nickname has charm
and humor in its own way, and it expresses personal understanding of a person. Nicknames
have a sense
of identities, and these identities often reflect our cultural backgrounds and
belief systems of the place where one is born. There are different ways of nicknaming
with their own significance to the name given.
