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This comparative study examines the names of handcrafted soaps, a group of natural products that has become popular among environmentally conscientious consumers in recent years. In particular, 339 names of US-based handcrafted soaps (US-HS) and 324 names of Taiwan-based shou gong fei zhou 'lit. hand craft soap' (TW-HS) were analyzed and compared. The findings show that plant and food names predominate in HS names and reflect the cultural and herbal preferences in both regions. In addition, colorful, allusive, and novel coinages were found to be frequent among US-HS names. By comparison, function-denoting words were mainly found among TW-HS names. This study provides insights into potential cross-cultural variations in consumer product naming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the names of dogs and cats as accorded by their Taiwanese owners. The phenomenon was explored in a sample of 321 pet names that were extracted from various online sources. Contrary to previous studies of pet-naming practices found in English-speaking countries, the preference for human names (in the predominant language) for dogs and cats was not observed. Rather, the results show that names of dogs and cats in Taiwan are mainly characterized by reduplication, food references, and markers of endearment (in particular, the formsxiao-X,A-X, and X-bao). Other sources of onomastic inspiration include foreign borrowings and onomatopoeic association. Relative to the findings of this study, William Safire’s earlier observations about dog naming are also briefly revisited. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines 89 presentation names of skyscrapers in mainland China and shows how skyscraper names collectively relate to the region’s economic status. Here, I extend Edward Callary definition ofpresentation nameto include also institutional buildings and consider the presentation names of skyscrapers as the English names by which the skyscrapers are known to the international public. More than simple references to supertall structures, these names help to assist with the mission of portraying an image of national growth and progress. The study also notes how the names of skyscrapers in a non-Western country pattern differently from those of US skyscrapers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines the use of women’s courtesy titles in contemporary Taiwanese society. In particular, 245 native Mandarin speakers were asked to complete a survey that was modeled on the one used by Donna Lillian. The results show that age is an influential factor in the selection of courtesy titles for women of different marital status. They also confirm Lillian’s observation that a woman’s occupational status may outweigh her marital status. The study lends insight into the uses of courtesy titles across cultures and briefly suggests areas worth exploring in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examines the Chinese translation of personal names in Margaret Mitchell’sGone with the Wind(GWTW). In particular, four name forms are identified in the popular translation by Fu Dong Hua: two-character given names, Sinicized surnames, surname-less references, and fully transliterated personal names. Contrary to the conventional practice of fully transliterating foreign names, translated personal names in GWTW are unique in that they conform to Chinese naming practice, including the adoption of the common FN-GN (family name-given name) pattern and conscious selection of gender-appropriate characters. Examples of onomastically encoded power differential are also noted and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English names of 248 students studying at a Taiwan university were examined to study the choices and patterns of English names. Consistent with previous findings, female names were significantly more likely than male names to end in one of three vowels, a, e, or i, while male names were significantly more likely to end in consonants. Monosyllabic English names were equally common among males and females, in contrast to previous findings that one-syllable names are significantly more common among males. Finally, homophonization was a common phenomenon among male and female names. The findings of this study indicate that the choice of an English name is partly motivated by a sense of identity preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]