Naming taboo

Naming taboo
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese避諱
Simplified Chinese避讳
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinbìhuì
Bopomofoㄅㄧˋ ㄏㄨㄟˋ
Wade–Gilespi4hui4
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutpingbei6 wai5
Southern Min
Tâi-lôpī-huì
Vietnamese name
Vietnamese alphabetkỵ húy
Hán-Nôm忌諱
Korean name
Hangul피휘
Hanja避諱
Transcriptions
Revised Romanizationpihwi
McCune–Reischauerp'ihwi
Japanese name
Kanji避諱
Hiraganaひき
Transcriptions
Revised Hepburnhiki

A naming taboo is a cultural taboo against speaking or writing the given names of exalted persons, notably in China and within the Chinese cultural sphere. It was enforced by several laws throughout Imperial China, but its cultural and possibly religious origins predate the Qin dynasty. Not respecting the appropriate naming taboos was considered a sign of lacking education and respect, and brought shame both to the offender and the offended person.