LL-L "Names" 2005.07.28 (09) [E]

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From: Global Moose Translations <globalmoose at t-online.de>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2005.07.28 (06) [E]

I asked:
> > This reminds me: my oldest daughter's name is Marleen. Her best friend
is
> > Chinese; she always calls her "Ma-lin", and says it has a meaning in
> > Chinese, but won't say what. Can anyone enlighten us?

Ron answered:
> I have no idea.  Anyone else?  If it's naughty, it may be something about
> "trouble," "cursing" or "mother." If she speaks a southern Mandarin
dialect
> that renders _-ng_ as _-n_ she may be thinking of 馬鈴(薯) _maling(shu)_
> ("horse bell (tuber)") 'potato'.  Who knows what's going on in that
child's
> head?

Well, we are still confused, but on a higher level.

She's from Beijing, and she's actually not a child, but well into her
twenties, if that helps at all.

Gabriele Kahn

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From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
Subject: Names

Gabriele,

It's probably some sort of naughty slang word I'm not aware of.  Or it's
something like 馬蹸 _ma lin_ 'horse trample'.

Search me!
Reinhard/Ron

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From: Ben J. Bloomgren <godsquad at cox.net>
Subject: LL-L "Names" 2005.07.28 (06) [E]

Gabriele,

«This reminds me: my oldest daughter's name is Marleen. Her best friend is
Chinese; she always calls her "Ma-lin", and says it has a meaning in
Chinese, but won't say what. Can anyone enlighten us?»

That depends on her area of China. Also, we MUST know the tone of both
words. Ma is one of those syllables that is its own dictionary in which all
distinctions are made by the relative pitch of the syllable. If you say the
wrong one, you will be in gigantuan trouble! If she can type Chinese, you
can send me the characters, and I can look them up for you. Ask her from
where she comes too.
Ben

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