Chit Chat # 24

A Matter of Usage

Bob Chen

James T. Koo was puzzled that his full name in Cantonese will lead to "take care of others, but not take care of himself". He said that he does not get that interpretation while using the same name in Shanghai or Taiwan; however, Dennis Su came up with this implication right away. I think being an intersection of Hong Kong and Shanghai in dialects, I can enlighten James on the subject. Briefly speaking, it is only a matter of usage. The Hong Kong slang goes as " Koo Teh Zen, Ng Koo Teh Zee Gai". One does not say the first sentence alone, or the second is always implied. It is a kind of guilt by association. In English, you have "When in Rome, act like Romans". I am not S. I. Hiyakawa, or Chao Yuen Zen (he has a brother Chao Yuen Soon to most Cantonese, and that is another association related to enjoying life with wine, women, and song); however, I was in Hong Kong from third grade to senior high graduation. The number of years spent there were quite a bit more than one and half. It is not a reflection on James for his mastering Cantonese verbal or written. In fact, I have no problem in understanding his anglicanized Cantonese with a touch of Shanghainese accent. It is as charming as Stephen Hawking's computerized voice that some claimed to hear an American accent!

What is important is the fact that most of us Lighters do not attach any memory of being in Arts or Science section back in '59 or earlier. After forty years, the mere fact that we were there at the same time period is good enough. Tony in coming up with his Guess What hints has a good mixture of: (1) classes A/B and C/D, (2) Cantonese and Shanghainese (or mainlanders to be exact). As a matter of fact, I have a feeling on (2), he actually was biased towards the Shanghainese. The percentage of mainlander names used exceeds that of Cantonese. I assume (this is another word that is bad for scientists, it makes an ass out of you[u] and me.), somehow Tony sees more linguistically useful material in Shanghainese names. I welcome inputs from other Lighters to prove me wrong.