[Analysis].
This is a public *** question that stumps many candidates, and it is a question about surnames.
Although a surname is often understood as a combination of a surname and a first name in modern times, for example, my name is He Lulu, Lulu is my first name, and He is my last name. But in China's Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, surnames and surnames were two completely different concepts.
1. What is a surname?
It is mentioned in the "Shuowen Jie Zi", "Sex, born of man, is born from a woman." Refers to offspring born to women, so surnames are used to distinguish people's ethnicity. From the Xia Dynasty to the Warring States Period, the rule that the same surname could not intermarry was because the representatives of the same surname were of the same clan and clan, and they were in the same family and the same region.
2. If the surname is used to distinguish who is in the same family as whom, then what is the function of the clan?
The role of the clan is to distinguish people's social status. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Tianzi divided many large and small vassal states, and perfected the system of surnames and surnames. The clan was used by men and only by nobles, so it became a status symbol. There are many kinds of **, which can be named after the dynasty, for example, Zhou Tianzi is surnamed Zhou. It can also be named after a fief, for example, Zhou Gongdan's son Bo Yu was named the monarch of Lu State, so his descendants are called Lu Shi. There is also a situation where the name of the official position is the clan, and in ancient times there was an official position called Da Sima, which is equivalent to the current commander-in-chief, which is the ** of the Sima clan.
3. So what is Confucius's surname?
The ancestor of Confucius was Wei Ziqi, the brother of the Shang Dynasty, and the surname Ziqi was the surname of the Shang Dynasty royal family. In other words, Confucius was a descendant of the Shang Dynasty royal family, so his surname was Zi.
The encyclopedia's record of Confucius goes like this: Confucius (551 BC – April 11, 479 BC),Sub surnameKong's, Mingqiu, the word Zhongni.
In the same way, if the characters involved are from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, we must be vigilant, his surname is likely not what we know, such as Qu Yuan, he is not surnamed Qu, and Lu Ban is not surnamed Lu.
Through the analysis of the origin of surnames and surnames, we have a deeper understanding of the surnames and identity systems of ancient societies. As a descendant of the Shang Dynasty royal family, Confucius's surname contains an amazing identity background. This makes people pay more attention to and explore Confucius, and also cherish the wisdom and contributions of this great thinker.