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From: asente@Cascade.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: Puns in English and Esperanto (Yes, Virginia!)
Message-ID: <2447@Cascade.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 18-Jun-85 21:29:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: Cascade.2447
Posted: Tue Jun 18 21:29:35 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 21-Jun-85 01:27:53 EDT
References: <52@druny.UUCP>
Organization: Stanford University CIS Apple Orchard
Lines: 36

> I would think that tonal languages like
> Chinese would offer entirely new possibilities. [in puns]
> -Neal McBurnett, mcvax!seismo!ihnp4!druny!neal

Indeed, the Chinese seem to be quite fond of puns.  In the catalog for
the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco's show "The Hundred Flowers:
Botanical Motifs in Chinese Art" they describe the significance of
various flowers as puns.  In the introduction:

	Plant and floral motifs play a very important role in the
	decoration of both art objects and daily utensils in China.
	While these motifs are sometimes merely decorative, more often
	they represent hiddem meanings and symbolize a wish for all the
	good things in life.  The use of visual puns, or rebuses, is
	very prominent in Chinese art because many words in the Chinese
	language share the same sound.  This characteristic is
	particularly conducive to punning, not only in daily speech,
	but in art.

For example:

	The Chinese name for jujube [a datelike fruit, not a candy!]
	is zaozi, which is homphonous with the words "quick son" or
	"early arrival of a male offspring."  As a result of this very
	important association, the jujube is among the fruits and nuts
	scattered on the wedding bed.

or

	Among the many names for the peony is that of fuguihua, or
	"flower of wealth and rank."  It is therefor a pun for fugui
	and is often combined with the crab apple and magnolia to form
	the phrase "yutang fugui," or "wealth and rank in the jade hall."

	-paul asente
	    asente@Cascade.ARPA		decwrl!Glacier!Cascade!asente