Japanese Female Names 137 



O-Koma .... " Filly," or pony. 



O-Kuma .... "Bear." 



O-Ry5 "Dragon." 



O-Sbtka .... "Deer." 



O-Tai "Bream." 1 



O-Taka .... "Hawk." 



O-Tako .... " Cuttlefish." (?) 



O-Tatsu .... "Dragon." 



O-Tora .... "Tiger." 



O-Tori "Bird." 



O-Tsuru .... "Stork." a 



O-Wasbi .... "Eagle." 



Evtnyobina which are the names of flowers or 

 fruits, plants or trees, are in most cases names of 

 moral or felicitous, rather than of aesthetic mean- 

 ing. The plumflower is an emblem of feminine 

 virtue ; the chrysanthemum, of longevity ; the pine, 

 both of longevity and constancy ; the bamboo, of 

 fidelity ; the cedar, of moral rectitude ; the willow, 

 of docility and gentleness, as well as of physical 

 grace. The symbolism of the lotos and of the 

 cherryflower are probably familiar. But such 

 names as Hana (" Blossom ") and Ben (" Petal") 



1 Cbrysopbris cardinal^. 



2 Sometimes this name is shortened into O-Tsu. In Tokyo at the 

 present time it is the custom to drop the honorific " O" before such 

 abbreviations, and to add to the name the suffix " chan," as in the 

 case of children's names. Thus a young woman may be caressingly 

 addressed as " Tsu-chan " (for O-Tsuru), " Ya-chan " (for O-Yasu), 

 etc. 



