i68 RESPECT FOR ROYAL NAMES. 



consequences of the evil eye, which is, as is -well known, a 

 widely-spread superstition in the East. The idea seems to 

 be that the envy of the evil powers is excited by any openly- 

 expressed praise of human beauty or goodness, and that they 

 will consequently attempt to injure those so praised. 



In the preceding chapter on the Malagasy language, atten- 

 tion was called to the curious custom which the people of 

 Madagascar have of considering as tabooed the words and 

 syllables which form the names of their chiefs and sovereigns, 

 and to the dialectic changes which this custom produces 

 on the language. This sacred character of the sovereign's 

 name accordingly makes it an offence to utter it lightly or 

 carelessly. Instances have occurred at dinners and entertain- 

 ments given to Europeans by Malagasy that the queen's name 

 has been mentioned freely in conversation by the former ; but 

 they have soon been politely requested by their hosts to 

 refrain from its frequent use as highly disrespectful to their 

 sovereign. It is also considered indecorous to use the names 

 of the royal palaces as a comparison of size or height, &c. 



It should also be added that this respect for a royal name 

 is also extended in a certain degree to the name of every one 

 of any position in society ; for in public speeches and kabdrys 

 a Malagasy will not mention the name of any one without 

 first making an elaborate apology for doing so ; and so also 

 they do in speaking of the dead, avoiding, if possible, mention- 

 ing their exact name, and giving instead a complimentary 

 periphrasis. So that the name stands for the person it re- 

 presents, and is held to be as worthy of respect, much indeed 

 as " the name " of Jehovah and of the Lord Jesus Christ are 

 in Scripture frequently put for the persons of the Divine 

 Beings, numerous instances of which will occur to every 

 Biblical student. 



The word " name " is also used by the Malagasy as an equi- 

 valent for position, influence, and fame. Thus, they say of 

 a person who has done nothing to distinguish himself, Tsy 

 manan'anarana izy, " He has no name," nearly equivalent in 

 fact to our phrase, "He has made no name for himself." 



It has been the custom among the Hovas at least, if not 

 with the other tribes in Madagascar, for the sovereign to take 



