A good son is sad if he hears the name of his father : the tabooing of names in China as a way of implementing social values

Abstract

This dissertation deals with the tabooing of names in China, or bihui 避諱. The names of sovereigns, ancestors, officials, teachers, etc. were taboo, meaning that it was prohibited to pronounce or record them. This custom had an enormous impact on Chinese culture and serious consequences for the daily lives of many Chinese, as well as for Chinese historiography.