"I've thought of so many names, but I just can't decide on one."
The art of naming is very profound.
Yun Shishi was extremely picky in this aspect.
A name was more than a simple representation. She believed in the knowledge behind this skill. First of all, the name had to sound smooth and pleasant. One had to pay attention to the tone. A name that didn't fall comfortably on the ear, even if meaningful, was not favourable.
Attention also had to be paid to homophones.
For example, names like "Du Ziteng" and "Yuling" had good meanings, but the homophones which could be heard as "stomachache" and "drenched by rain" respectively, would make these names a bad joke!
The names should not carry too many strokes, or it would be troublesome to write.
The zodiac and the eight characters also had to be considered. People of the older generation would pay much attention to the five elements, and yin and yang.
