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   Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 22:27:51 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

   "In ancient #China, #Chinese people don't give their women names, they just call them by numbers."

   Ah, Reddit, where ignorant people so confidently talk of a culture they know ZERO about.

   Btw, my brother calls my younger sister by number 二姐 (second sister). I am 大姐 (eldest sister).

   In Hokkien at least there are different ways to call uncle or aunt by order of seniority and whether they are paternal or maternal side. For eg (tua ee, ah kim/Ah tiao, ah pek).

   Why all this trouble? Because

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 22:28:59 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     ...it's extremely rude to call people by name, especially if they are your seniors or are of a higher rank (during ancient times).
     Not all Chinese families follow this tradition now, but in ancient times, definitely.

   • Embed this notice
     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 22:45:15 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Zeewater

     @Rana yes 😉 I don't really think about how weird it is until I realised this must be pretty strange to others!

   • Embed this notice
     Zeewater (rana@mastodon.nl)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 22:45:17 JST Zeewater

     in reply to

     @liztai Ohhhh so that's what that is about
     Thanks for the explanation!!

   • Embed this notice
     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 22:52:14 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     @liztai It isn’t any different from how we address male relatives/family members either

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 23:12:20 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     @rakyat ever dare, in a moment of rebellion, to call them by name?

     My family is quite traditional in that regard. I don't think I ever dared 🤣

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 23:21:31 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • Zeewater

     @Rana I guess it depends where they are from..I think American Chinese may not practice this anymore but in South East Asia this still stands. Also we tend to take a lot of our cultural qualities for granted 😅

   • Embed this notice
     Zeewater (rana@mastodon.nl)'s status on Friday, 19-Jul-2024 23:21:32 JST Zeewater

     in reply to

     @liztai I always just assumed it was just a martial arts related respect type of deal so I never gave it much thought, and my friend, who pulled me into that world, never really bothered to explain either

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     Just another rakyat 🇲🇾 (rakyat@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 20-Jul-2024 00:20:24 JST Just another rakyat 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     @liztai I was never much of a rebellious kid, so no, haha

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     Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾 (liztai@hachyderm.io)'s status on Saturday, 20-Jul-2024 09:22:29 JST Elizabeth Tai | 戴秀铃 🇲🇾

     in reply to

     • coriolisdave

     @coriolisdave I don't know if Taiwanese Hokkien is the same, but we even have special names for different seniorities and from what side. Basically we have many ways to say uncle and auntie and I always get it wrong. You need a map for this lol

   • Embed this notice
     coriolisdave@phire.place's status on Saturday, 20-Jul-2024 09:22:30 JST coriolisdave

     in reply to

     @liztai …huh! That explains why my (Taiwanese/hokkien) wife’s family refer to all her aunts and uncles (>10) by number.

     Even she didn’t realise this- thought it was just for convenience

     Thanks!