Sup3rnality

What do people call you?

Do your parents have a special name for you? How about your other relatives, do they have cutesy nicknames that only they use? Or does your circle of friends call you something in particular because of something you once did and that name just stuck? Think about it, do you have a lot of nicknames?

I know I do.

Let's see if I can list them down. Hazlin. Lin. Ayin. Haze. Hazelnut. Hazeline Snow. Linzy... And those are just the ones that pertain to my name; the ones I remember that is. I haven't included the other names I've been called due to some reason or other, like Tomatimmy (from the Arabic rootword tomatim, meaning "Tomato"). Why? Because I blush easily and profusely and get so red that I resemble a great giant tomato. And how about "The Responsible One"? I was given that because my friends thought that I was very responsible and always updated the rest of the group with news and whatnot so that we wouldn't be left behind in an assignment/test or something. I have lots, some of which I do not even want to mention, but you get the idea.

Commonly, I'm known as Lin or Linzy or Ayin (if you're family), if not called by my given name.

I don't really mind being called by my nicknames. Heck, to be honest, only a few people call me by my full name, and my full name is not even long, only two syllables. I sometimes feel disoriented when people call me Hazlin because it's so rarely used. So yeah, nicknames feel a whole lot more comfortable.

And honestly, I prefer to be called Lin, it's short and sweet (and I love how it means "soft/gentle" in Arabic and "waterfall" in old English) but to me it shows that I know that person enough to be comfortable with him or her calling me by a nickname. I don't like to be called Ayin by other people other than my family, because I've associated the name with people who are blood kin, or close enough to be treated so. When Ash wanted to call me Ayin once, I felt kinda funny, because for him to be calling me that made me feel like he was a brother or something :p Linzy is a name that is widely used now, although I very much would have preferred it to remain among my Twisties and Bendits. But expectedly, people hear it and use it and now it's use by everyone. Oh, and calling me Alin is a total NO; unless you want a death glare from me.

But why do we need nicknames?

I'm not against it having one, but something a classmate from Bosnia said to me made me think. She asked me once: Why do you Malaysians like to shorten your names and/or give yourselves nicknames? You have such beautiful names but you want to be called by a not-so-unique shorter name, even if your name is already short.

Why indeed do we do so? And is it really a Malaysian habit to shorten our names?

Come to think of it, yes, we Malaysians do like shortening our names; and it's almost expected. When I think back on times when I first meet people, or am required to introduce myself, the person asking my name would then ask; "What do people call you?", or I would be obliged to say: "You can call me Lin". Or sometimes in a situation where somebody keeps on repeating my full name, I would immediately say, "Oh, no need to call me Hazlin, just call me Lin".

It would sound to me that my friend has a point. Why so much effort into making up a nickname when a person has already been given a unique name painstakingly thought out by their parents (we'll leave out those with names with a negative meaning -- in which case they could have it changed -- and those who have too long a name)?

For me, well, I don't mind nicknames because it tells of the bond I have with the person. Like when I hear myself being called Linzy by the right people, I know they call me that because we share a type of friendship that is different from ones I have with others, and they know the history behind the name. And I feel all warm and fuzzy when Ash uses his nicknames for me, because it's an intimacy that only we share. My mother calls me Lin, even though every other family member calls me Ayin, because she and I go beyond the common bond of mother and daughter, we are best friends and confidantes, too.

But at the same time, yes, I do love my name. My actual given name. Hazlin. It's not particularly common; especially on it's own. Most times it is part of a longer name or accompanied by Siti or Nur, etc. So I suppose it is pretty unique. But at the same time, the use of it seems rather formal and impersonal. But the use of it makes also me sit up straighter, and take on a more professional stance, knowing I'm being referred to with respect.

It's funny, though, despite my liking nicknames; a colleague of mine has this habit of calling someone however she likes. She means no harm, it's just for fun, but I don't quite like it when she calls me Hazlinah or Siti Hazlin, or something like that. It feels as though she is making fun of my name, and giving me a name which isn't mine/referring to someone else.

And is it really a Malaysian habit? Well, of course it is not uniquely Malaysian, but it would seem to me that we are apparently very prone to doing so, this name-giving, name-shortening and such. Good or bad? You decide. I sit on the fence, as usual. I like it both ways.

I'm Hazlin, but you can call me Lin for short.

Love,
Linzy.