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Taboo Phenomenon in Chinese Language

The phenomenon of Taboo has been existed in human society since the ancient times. When you learn Mandarin, you should know it is a kind of action that avoid the directly touch with the sacred or inauspicious person. It can be reflected in Chinese characters. Students who learn Mandarin may be told by teachers that it is a kind of negative response of ancient people because the lack of understanding to the world. The governors of the feudal society carried out all kinds of policies to maintain the administration, thus forming unique taboo phenomenon in Chinese culture.

The most popular phenomenon of taboo in feudal society is to avoid to calling the names of monarchs and their seniors. Therefore, all kinds of ways for avoiding that learners can learn today when they learn Mandarin Chinese appeared. In order to avoid saying Yuan (元) Dynasty, Hongwu Emperor use  原 to replace 元 in 元来. Then, the word 原来 that the foreigners see when they learn Mandarin is used until in today’s life. Another way is to change the pronunciation. 政 of the first emperor of Qin 嬴政 is the falling tone. So 政 in other words should be read in the level tone.

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