Subj : Name
To   : Alexander Koryagin
From : Ardith Hinton
Date : Mon Jan 28 2019 23:24:17

Hi, Alexander!  Recently you wrote in a message to All:

 AK>  When you ask "What is your name?" what do you mean?


           Depends on the circumstances.  John Jacob Jingleheimer-Schmidt might 
prefer to leave out some parts of his name for everyday purposes... and I think 
most people would understand that.  But what parts are typically left out under 
what conditions?  I'm glad you've explained the context here....  :-)



 AK>  The first name, second name, or both?


           If you & I were introducing ourselves because we were neighbours, or 
if we had just met at a social gathering arranged by a mutual friend, the first 
name would probably be sufficient.  But this generality presupposes a number of 
things... e.g. that the setting is informal, that any difference in age &/or in 
socioeconomic status is irrelevant, and that both parties feel comfortable with 
the arrangement.  It has the advantage that they can chat amicably, yet reserve 
judgement on whether or not to disclose any more personal information....  :-))



 AK>  For instance, a teacher asks this question of an unknown boy
 AK>  in the school. Should he ask "what is your second name?"


           Speaking as a teacher:  Unless the school was very small I'd need to 
know more than the first name to distinguish one kid from another... especially 
if their parents chose it during a spate of increasing trendiness.  When one of 
my former students rushes up to me enthusiastically & says "Hi... I'm Cathy (or 
Debbie, or whatever name +/- half my female students had back then)... remember 
me??" I must confess I probably won't unless they give me a few more clues.  As 
a teacher & as a parent I also understand that the school has to use a person's 
legal name on all official records, and there is a lot of paperwork involved in 
establishing that everybody is who they say they are.  If Molly's legal name is 
Molly Moon the school has no authority to change it without documentation which 
her new parents can't supply unless they've formally adopted her.  But I gather 
Molly is new to this school & hasn't voiced her concerns to the staff.

           Depending on the age of your unknown boy, I would be inclined to say 
"family name" or "surname" rather than "second name".  Around these parts it is 
more common than not for people to have two or more given names... and I'm told 
they may not appear in the order we're used to, relative to the family name, if 
the individual in question has just arrived from China or SomePlace Else & does 
not as yet know how to translate their given name into something which those of 
us who don't speak their lingo will remember &/or think we understand.  There's 
another possible complication too, if the teacher doesn't know a boy's previous 
history.  I can't say for sure whether you'd automatically identify yourself as 
"Koryagin" nowadays, if you'd spent the last umpteen years in a British private 
school, because I don't move in those circles.  But I see plenty of evidence in 
the works of various authors that the tradition lasted for a long time....  :-)




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
 * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

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