I recently received an email from an old friend from the Philippines (who's been working in Saudi Arabia):
How are you doing?
In less than 2 months time, I’m going home. I’m so excited. Bye the way, Gemma (his wife) and I would be having a baby boy. We named him Elijah Jo Ameer.
How’s life going on? Your studies? Keep do in touch..
Regards and GOD Bless.
There are a few grammatical errors. Translating verb tenses can sometimes be tricky. I remember Filipino classmates having some difficulty distinguishing "will" from "would"--nevermind the combinations of "If it were to rain, I would wear a hat" versus "If it rains, I will wear a hat."
We named him Elijah Jo Ameer. This sentence is not an error. Gemma has not yet given birth to the child. But they named him.
It has an unassuming tone, but what it says is not a common assumption. Yes, of course, the child is alive. We know the gender. Why not give him a name now? It hit me as I read the email how we use our language. Maybe it's innocent. Maybe because knowledge of the baby's gender is still a relatively new thing, it's taken for granted that names are given at birth.
But it's something to think about.
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5 comments:
*gasp* a BABY?! Yay, Kuya! :)
No, it's Jojo! Is he still in UAE, Shan?
Yes--a honeymoon baby, actually. Due in October. Jojo, not Philip; he's headed "home" to the Philippines soon, and I think it's for good this time. Unsure.
So, ...did you guys miss the point of this entry or something?
No, sorry...my brain didn't REALLY shut down as soon as I read "baby". You've got a point with the whole language thing, and also with the "it's a baby, we name it" mentality. Of course, on WOrld of Dan's blog, there was the post about baptizing aborted babies...except the woman and the doctor do it, after the fact...if it's just tissue, why do they...never mind. You know? I think the public attitude that it IS a baby is catching on more and more, albeit in fits and starts and inconsistently.
No, sorry...my brain didn't REALLY shut down as soon as I read "baby". You've got a point with the whole language thing, and also with the "it's a baby, we name it" mentality. Of course, on WOrld of Dan's blog, there was the post about baptizing aborted babies...except the woman and the doctor do it, after the fact...if it's just tissue, why do they...never mind. You know? I think the public attitude that it IS a baby is catching on more and more, albeit in fits and starts and inconsistently.
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