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ildren were not thought to have enemies； they used to speak of a man as 'the father； uncle； or cousin of So…and…so；' naming a child； but on all occasions abstained from mentioning the name of a grown…up person。 The Alfoors of Poso in Celebes will not pronounce their own names。 Among them； accordingly； if you wish to ascertain a person's name； you ought not to ask the man himself； but should enquire of others。 But if this is impossible； for example； when there is no one else near； you should ask him his child's name； and then address him as the Father of So…and…so。 Nay； these Alfoors are shy of uttering the names even of children； so when a boy or girl has a nephew or niece； he or she is addressed as Uncle of So…and…so； or Aunt of So…and…so。 In pure Malay society； we are told； a man is never asked his name； and the custom of naming parents after their children is adopted only as a means of avoiding the use of the parents' own names。 The writer who makes this statement adds in confirmation of it that childless persons are named after their younger brothers。 Among the Land Dyaks children as they grow up are called； according to their sex； the father or mother of a child of their father's or mother's younger brother or sister； that is； they are called the father or mother of what we should call their first cousin。 The Caffres used to think it discourteous to call a bride by her own name； so they would call her the Mother of So…and…so； even when she was only betrothed； far less a wife and a mother。 Among the Kukis and Zemis or Kacha Nagas of Assam parents drop their names after the birth of a child and are named Father and Mother of So…and…so。 Childless couples go by the name of the childless father； the childless mother； the father of no child； the mother of no child。 The widespread custom of naming a father after his child has sometimes been supposed to spring from a desire on the father's part to assert his paternity； apparently as a means of obtaining those rights over his children which had previously； under a system of mother…kin； been possessed by the mother。 But this explanation does not account for the parallel custom of naming the mother after her child； which seems commonly to co…exist with the practice of naming the father after the child。 Still less； if possible； does it apply to the customs of calling childless couples the father and mother of children which do not exist； of naming people after their younger brothers； and of designating children as the uncles and aunts of So…and…so； or as the fathers and mothers of their first cousins。 But all these practices are explained in a simple and natural way if we suppose that they originate in a reluctance to utter the real names of persons addressed or directly referred to。 That reluctance is probably based partly on a fear of attracting the notice of evil spirits； partly on a dread of revealing the name to sorcerers； who would thereby obtain a handle for injuring the owner of the name。
2。 Names of Relations tabooed。
IT might naturally be expected that the reserve so commonly maintained with regard to personal names would be dropped or at least relaxed among relations and friends。 But the reverse of this is often the case。 It is precisely the persons most intimately connected by blood and especially by marriage to whom the rule applies with the greatest stringency。 Such people are often forbidden； not only to pronounce each other's names； but even to utter ordinary words which resemble or have a single syllable in common with these names。 The persons who are thus mutually debarred from mentioning each other's names are especially husbands and wives； a man and his wife's parents； and a woman and her husband's father。 For example； among the Caffres a woman may not publicly pronounce the birth…name of her husband or of any of his brothers； nor may she use the interdicted word in its ordinary sense。 If her husband； for instance； be called u…Mpaka； from impaka； a small feline animal； she must speak of that beast by some other name。 Further； a Caffre wife is forbidden to pronounce even mentally the names of her father…in…law and of all her husband's male relations in the ascending line； and whenever the emphatic syllable of any of their names occurs in another word； she must avoid it by substituting either an entirely new word； or； at least； another syllable in its place。 Hence this custom has given rise to an almost distinct language among the women； which the Caffres call women's speech。 The interpretation of this women's speech is naturally very difficult； for no definite rules can be given for the formation of these substituted words； nor is it possible to form a dictionary of them； their number being so greatsince there may be many women； even in the same tribe； who would be no more at liberty to use the substitutes employed by some others； than they are to use the original words themselves。 A Caffre man； on his side； may not mention the name of his mother…in…law； nor may she pronounce his； but he is free to utter words in which the emphatic syllable of her name occurs。 A Kirghiz woman dares not pronounce the names of the older relations of her husband； nor even use words which resemble them in sound。 For example； if one of these relations is called Shepherd； she may not speak of sheep； but must call them the bleating ones； if his name is Lamb； she must refer to lambs as the young bleating ones。 In Southern India wives believe that to tell their husband's name or to pronounce it even in a dream would bring him to an untimely end。 Among the Sea Dyaks a man may not pronounce the name of his father…in…law or mother…in…law without incurring the wrath of the spirits。 And since he reckons as his father…in…law and mother…in…law not only the father and mother of his own wife； but also the fathers and mothers of his brothers' wives and sisters' husbands； and likewise the fathers and mothers of all his cousins； the number of tabooed names may be very considerable and the opportunities of error correspondingly numerous。 To make confusion worse confounded； the names of persons are often the names of common things； such as moon； bridge； barley； cobra； leopard； so that when any of a man's many fathers…in…law and mothers…in…law are called by such names； these common words may not pass his lips。 Among the Alfoors of Minahassa； in Celebes； the custom is carried still further so as to forbid the use even of words which merely resemble the personal names in sound。 It is especially the name of a father…in…law which is thus laid under an interdict。 If he； for example； is called Kalala； his son…in…law may not speak of a horse by its common name kawalo； he must call it a riding…beast （sasakajan）。 So among the Alfoors of the island of Buru it is taboo to mention the names of parents and parents…in…law； or even to speak of common objects by words which resemble these names in sound。 Thus； if your mother…in…law is called Dalu； which means betel； you may not ask for betel by its ordinary name； you must ask for red mouth； if you want betel…leaf； you may not say betel…leaf （dalu 'mun）； you must say karon fenna。 In the same island it is also taboo to mention the name of an elder brother in his presence