THE SOCIAL SYSTEM 79 



It is very difficult to obtain admission that a 

 particular child has been adopted and is not the 

 actual offspring of the parents ; and this seems to 

 be due, not so much to any desire to conceal the 

 facts as to the completeness of the adoption, the 

 parents coming to regard the child as so entirely 

 their own that it is difficult to find words which will 

 express the difference between the adopted child 

 and the offspring. This is especially the case if 

 the woman has actually suckled the child. 



Proper Names 



The child remains nameless during the first few 

 years, and is spoken of as Ukat if a boy, Owing if a 

 girl, both of which seem to be best translated as 

 Thingumybob ; among the Sea Dayaks Ulat (the 

 little grub) is the name commonly used. It is 

 felt that to give the child a name while its hold 

 of life is still feeble is undesirable, because the 

 name would tend to draw the attention of evil 

 spirits to it. During its third or fourth year it 

 is given a name at the same time as a number of 

 other children of the house.^ The name is chosen 

 with much deliberation, the eldest son and daughter 

 usually receiving the names of a grandfather and 

 grandmother respectively. Male and female names 

 are distinct. The name first given to any person 

 is rarely carried through life ; it is usually changed 

 after any severe illness or serious accident, in order 

 that the evil influences that have pursued him may 

 fail to recognise him under the new name ; thus 

 the first or infant name of Tama Bulan was Lujah. 

 After bearing it a few years he went through a 

 serious illness, on account of which his name was 

 changed to Wang. Among the Klemantans it is 

 usual under these circumstances to name the child 



^ For the naming ceremony see Chap. XVIII. 



