Chinese husbands turn out to be 'eunuchs'

One of the first buzzwords on Chinese forums for 2011 is the term “lao gong," (老公) a term traditionally meaning "husband."

Not so masculine after all

The buzz started when "Chongqing News" reported on a post by netizen “Cherry Girl" (樱桃女孩) citing a piece of Chinese literature -- “Zao Lin Za Zu" ("枣林杂俎") -- written by Chinese historian Tan Qian (谈迁) during late Ming or early Qing dynasty, saying that the term “lao gong” has historically refered to eunuchs, not husbands.

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Cherry Girl, a student of Chinese at Chongqing Education Institute with an interest in ancient Chinese literature, said Tan had used the term “lao gong” in his writings only referring to eunuchs, citing a story he wrote about rebel leader Li Zicheng who overthrew a group of eunuchs who made a grab for power during the Ming dynasty. 

Feng Fu, associate professor in Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, posted a response to the piece saying that he found similar examples in classic Chinese literature including “A Dream of Red Mansions” and “The Revelation of the Officials."

Douban user “moon” posted a popular comment that he felt personally offended that he had accidentally been called a eunuch. 

Countering the growing evidence that modern Chinese speakers might have been using their own langauge incorrectly, Wang Ning, professor at Beijing Normal University, posted a lengthy reply to the articles saying that a few citations were not sufficient to conclude the true meaning of the term "lao gong."

Netizens chime in

The debate over the actual meaning of "lao gong" set off a spate of articles and posts. One by Yangcheng News says Qian was on the right track, but the word evolved after the eunuch system was abolished, and "lao gong" first became a nickname for husbands in Hong Kong, which then spread to China through Guangzhou in the 1990s.

Guangzhou-based netizen “grs21cn” disagreed, saying that “lao gong” and “lao po” (wife) actually came from the Cantonese word “gong po” (couple).

The implied insult of this development in langauge to today's men has gotten even non-literary netizens to comment, with Douban user “moon” posting a popular sentiment that he felt personally offended that he had accidentally been called a eunuch for years. 

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Others cricized the strong reactions by some men saying simply that languages evolve, and this is another example.

Although some online are trying to limit the evolution of the Chinese language, none are fighting it more than the Chinese government who recently banned the arbitrary use of English words in Chinese press.