Names are the night watchman of time—a string of last names that cross national borders How to awaken our memories

Let’s talk about last name.

PART 1: The echo behind the last name

Today I encountered a very interesting last name, Tungkitkancharoen, a Thai compound surname. Among them, "kancharoen" means "prosperity" or "prosperity" in Thai, while the origin of "Tungkit" is quite mysterious. It may be a transliteration of Chinese surnames, such as "Deng" or "Dong", which may also originate from Thai itself, or the natural fusion of the two languages ​​in the intersection of history.

GPT mentioned that Tungkit may be derived from the transliteration of Chinese surnames, reflecting the variation of language and the reconstruction of culture in immigration history.

AI also said this:

Above, you can see the evolution of the surname Tungkitkancharoen, and see that a surname is not just a name symbol, but also carries the echo of history behind it. It is also the mark of a family in order to adapt to national policies, a trace of ancestral culture, a carrier of the legitimacy of a person's identity, and also records the process of individuals and groups trying to integrate and resist during the migration process. It is a condensation of identity, memory, power and culture.

is quite interesting.

PART 2 The deformation and unchanging root of the name

A friend joked that Tungkitkancharoen was longer than Antetokounmpo's last name.

I searched the last name of Ginnais Antetokounmpo. The Greek spelling method we are familiar with is "Antetokounmpo", which is spelled in Yoruba, is "Adétòkunbọ̀". This is a very typical name among the Yoruba people.

Ade➡️ Αντε(Ante), "to" ➡️ το(to), "kunbo" ➡️ κούνμπο(kounmpo).

Olajuwon once said in an interview with Andscape, "I know when I hear his (Giannis) surname, we come from the same tribe, the Yoruba tribe."

"I know from his last name that we are from the same tribe, the Yoruba tribe."

(Note: This is how Andscape introduces Olajuwon: Hall of Fame player Hakeim Olajuwon is also considered one of the greatest international basketball players in history and a legend in NBA history. When American sports journalists write articles, they are accustomed to adding some titles to the player's name)

Then why is his current last name spelled "Antetokounmpo" instead of the original "Adétòkunbọ̀"?

Here is a short story.

In Greece, even if the parents do not have legal status, the child cannot automatically obtain nationality. Antetokounmpo did not officially obtain Greek nationality until May 9, 2013 to participate in the NBA draft. This is the result of an accelerated processing by the Greek government in the form of a "special exemption".

Antesco is participating in the program "How Hungry Are You? 》 (How Hungry Are You?) said: "When you get a passport from another country, your name must be spelled according to the alphabet of that country. So, the letter 'D' is written as 'NT' and the letter 'B' is written as 'MP'. So it is spelled as 'Antetokounmpo', which is the Greek spelling. But in Nigeria, I knew since I was a child that the spelling of my name was 'Adetokounbo'."

"When you take another country 's passport, you 're name has to be spelled with their alphabet. So in the D, they put NT, and in the B, they put MP. So it 's pronounced Antetokounmpo, the Greek way. But the Nigerian way, the way I knew my name growing up was Adetokounbo.”

The journey of the last name Tungkitkancharoen is similar. In the process of transcending culture, language and institutionalization, the name of a family is constantly deforming, adapting, and even being rewritten. This is the story of individuals and families in the context of globalization.

Olajuwon said: "His last name, which in Yoruba is spelled Adetokunbo, means 'the crown has returned from overseas,' ' '

Ade=Crown, to=worth, kun=full, bo=come from afar.

I cannot find a detailed history of why the Giannis family chose this surname. Perhaps in the dark, his role was confirmed - the glory of the nation and the return of the crown.

In 2019, Antetokounmpo said in an interview with Andscape: "I grew up in a Nigerian family. I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece.. But at the end of the day, when I got home, there was no Greek culture, only authentic Nigerian culture. What we pay attention to is discipline, respect for elders, and moral concepts. ”

"I grew up in Nigerian home," Antetokounmpo said."Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the endof the day when I go home, tehre is no Greek culture. I’s straight-up Nigerian culture. It’s about discipline,its’ about respecting your elders, having Morals.”

An international player, in a foreign country, inherits a simple emotion. A child who grew up in a crack has walked his own path on a land that he does not belong to, but never forgets his roots. It comes from the education of his children by his parents.

Antesco's father died of a heart attack in 2017 at the age of 54. The father could not witness the moment his son held the cup with his own eyes. But the faith and value inherited from his father guided his every move.

Last year, I learned this sentence ‘Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter. It can be understood that if the weak do not have the power to tell their own stories, then what the public hears is always the glorious achievements woven by the strong do.

Giannis and his last name are writing a chapter belonging to "the lion". Tells about how those neglected cultures, suppressed dignity, and alienated identities are rewritten, restored and respected in their own way.

Maybe one day, everyone will only remember "Antetokounmpo". It is no longer the original form, but it is not empty. This last name is an effort to preserve root systems in the context of globalization.

Just like every immigrant family who survives in a foreign land, they may lose their original appearance of language and strive to retain the direction of their souls.

Crown, far away, return.

characters can be rewritten, but cultural memory will never be erased.

Writing this makes me more interesting. Where you come from does not determine who you are, but where you remember you come from will determine what you can be.

As mentioned above, a duplicate surname like Tungkitkancharoen contains the intersection of two languages ​​and the fusion of two cultures in the seemingly difficult syllables. In the era of globalization, a name is no longer just a symbol, but a ship of memory of a group and a family.

surname, like the night watchman of time. It reminds us that history has not gone far away, it is hidden between your and my names. Understanding the origin of these surnames is not only to find the roots, but also to see the power structure and cultural logic that continues today. In such an era, the most gentle and powerful thing may not be confrontation or denial, but understanding, tolerance and continuation. A silent but profound and lasting response.

Part3 The intersection of last name and history

Before I went to watch the MLB Giants game, I saw a player's last name Fitzgerald. The author of "The Great Gatsby" is also named Fitzgerald. Let’s look at the player’s appearance, a typical white man. It is probably possible that he is from the eastern United States and is probably a descendant of the Irish people

.

Ai Yi Search, well, this surname comes from the Irish and Norman tradition, and its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, with aristocratic and knightly backgrounds.

"Fitz" in Norman development means "fils" means son, which was brought to Britain and Ireland by the Normans after conquering England (1066).

"Gerald" is a personal name, derived from Germanic, meaning "the commander of the spear"

ger=spear, wald=rule/lead, rule/lead.

So Fitzgerald means "Son of Gerald". This also reflects that this is a family identity established centered on "paternal bloodline".

Gerala also reminds me of Gerala, the Italian ice cream. I was really hungry after writing this.

Historically, the Fitzgerald family has a deep connection with Irish aristocrats, politics and military.

Surname research is an extremely important research clue for historians. The surname can be traced through political alliances, marriage strategies, territorial transfers, and even cultural changes.

surname represents the never-ending fire. Through a string of surnames, the rise, fall, honor and disgrace of a world can be restored.

The two most impressive scenes in "Game of Thrones". One of the scenes is that in season 1, Bran, the youngest son of the Winterfell family, was asked by Bachelor Luwin about the names and tribes of the families on Westeros.

Another scene is when Sansa said calmly but coldly at the last moment of facing the small skinning: "Your family will disappear, your name will disappear, and all memories about you will disappear."

"Your house will disappear. Your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear."

The surname not only carries honor and power, but also witnesses the resilience and continuation of culture. It is an echo of group memory, the smallest unit of identity, belonging, and history, and it also reflects a huge historical picture. The glory and wealth of the family may fade and dissipate in the passage of time. But as long as your bloodline is not broken, the surname, the mark tempered by time, will last forever. The wind and frost that travels through generations tells the evidence and dignity of their past existence.

Part 4 Name and glory, identity and time

After writing the story of Antetokounmpo, I originally wanted to end this essay.

But I remembered another question that has always been lingering in my mind: What is the commonality and difference between Western people’s understanding of surnames and names and the East?

I can't answer this question completely today because it's too big.

This problem occurred in early April. That time, I flew to Los Angeles to watch the Warriors' game against the Lakers. Arena. Standing in front of the wall full of names and honors, I felt an almost religious shock. When I started writing this, I was worried that I wouldn’t remember the mood of that day, but when I wrote about this, the awe of being hit by time hit again.

Human beings appear so small when they stand in front of time. This is the invisible but profound power of "time".

I still clearly remember the feelings at that moment, both awe and a hint of fear. Those names will be engraved in history until the end of the world.

What do they represent? I haven't figured it out clearly yet. Maybe after seeing it clearly, it will lose the mystery and meaning. The answer I can give at the moment is very simple, maybe it is too naive, it is the indestructible brilliance of human nature. An answer that looks like a primary school student is the only expression I have come up with at this moment.

Today I happened to meet the surname Tungkitkancharoen. After searching all the way, I actually connected Thailand, Nigeria, Greece, Ireland, and the United States, and then returned to basketball, family, culture and language. The seemingly relaxed exploration has actually transcended the nation and civilization.

As a wanderer in a foreign land, I didn’t expect that this article will return to this topic at the end of writing - Who am I? Where did I come from? Where should I go?

I never have the problem of identity anxiety. I remember where I came from and where I should go. Although I don't know if it's a good thing to have no identity anxiety. This is not a series of questions for me, but a proposition that needs to be reminded often.

also want to continue to study the basic evolution of surnames and the commonalities and differences between Chinese and Western understandings of surnames. But if you continue writing, you will be the paper. Let’s unfold it later if you have the chance.

This is an essay, which is written for fun!

If you read here! Thank you for your time!

See you next time!

Be curious, not judgemental.

Ted Lasso