IN the first part of this paper I suggested that the custom of giving
very poetical names to _geisha_ and to _joro_ might partly account for
the unpopularity of purely aesthetic _yobina_. And in the hope of
correcting certain foreign misapprehensions, I shall now venture a few
remarks about the names of _geisha_.
_Geisha_-names,--like other classes of names,--although full of curious
interest, and often in themselves really beautiful, have become
hopelessly vulgarized by association with a calling the reverse of
respectable. Strictly speaking, they have nothing to do with the subject
of the present study,--inasmuch as they are not real personal names, but
professional appellations only,--not _yobina_, but _geimyo_.
A large proportion of such names can be distinguished by certain
prefixes or suffixes attached to them. They can be known, for example,--
(1) By the prefix _Waka_, signifying "Young";--as in the names
_Wakagusa_, "Young Grass"; _Wakazuru_, "Young Stork";
_Wakamurasaki_, "Young Purple"; _Wakakoma_, "Young Filly".
(2) By the prefix _Ko_, signifying "Little";--as in the names, _Ko-en_,
"Little Charm"; _Ko-hana_, "Little Flower"; _Kozakura_, "Little
Cherry-Tree".
(3) By the suffix _Ryo_, signifying "Dragon" (the Ascending Dragon being
especially a symbol of success);--as _Tama-Ryo_, "Jewel-Dragon";
_Hana-Ryo_, "Flower-Dragon"; _Kin-Ryo_, "Golden-Dragon".
(4) By the suffix _ji_, signifying "to serve", "to administer";--as in
the names _Uta-ji_, _Shinne-ji_, _Katsu-ji_.
(5) By the suffix _suke_, signifying "help";--as in the names
_Tama-suke_, _Koma-suke_.
(6) By the suffix _kichi_, signifying "luck", "fortune";--as
_Uta-kichi_, "Song-Luck"; _Tama-kichi_, "Jewel-Fortune".
(7) By the suffix _giku_ (i. e., _kiku_) signifying "chrysanthemum";--as
_Mitsu-giku_, "Three Chrysanthemums"; _Hina-giku_,
"Doll-Chrysanthemum"; _Ko-giku_, "Little Chrysanthemum".
(8) By the suffix tsuru, signifying "stork" (emblem of longevity);--as
_Koma-tsuru_, "Filly-Stork"; _Ko-tsuru_, "Little Stork"; _Ito-zuru_,
"Thread-Stork".
These forms will serve for illustration; but there are others. _Geimyo_
are written, as a general rule, with only two Chinese characters, and
are pronounced as three or as four syllables. _Geimyo_ of five syllables
are occasionally to be met with; _geimyo_ of only two syllables are
rare--at least among names of dancing girls. And these professional
appellations have seldom any moral meaning: they signify things relating
to longevity, wealth, pleasure, youth, or luck,--perhaps especially to
luck.
* * * * *
Of late years it became a fashion among certain classes of _geisha_ in
the capital to assume real names with the genteel suffix _Ko_, and even
aristocratic _yobina_. In 1889 some of the Tokyo newspapers demanded
legislative measures to check the practice. This incident would seem to
afford proof of public feeling upon the subject.