Is Ming now Menzies?

[MingYeong]

I am a chinese guy now living in the U.K. and my name is Ming. Now I am confused because I see another chap called Ming but is is spelled Menzies. Should I now spell my name this way to show I wish to be like a British person. Also, my sister is called Ling and she works in Somerfield so she has a name-badge spelled that way - should I suggest to her that she gets a new badge LENZIES ???. Thank you for any suggestions.

[Grunty]

The pronunciation of Sir Menzies Campbell's name is a pecularity of Scotland, where printers were confused between two letters which looked similar, but sounded differently. As the letter concerned began to be printed as z, the original pronunciation remained. I am quoting from a BBC broadcast yesterday, which I did not hear in full, and I hope I have done so accurately. Please give my regards to Ling, and tell her that Lenzies does not sound nearly as nice.

[SeaJayPea]

Hi Ming, you stay just as you are. This other Ming is a Scottish thing. Ming is actually a shortened version of Ming-ies, which is how they pronounce Menzies up there, as you said.

It's been the case in that wonderful place for years but, until very recently, most people in England would have known nothing about it.

[Vics]

it's all getting out ofhand isn't it. You stick as Ming Yeong - pronounced exactly as it as always been to you. You have a lovely name. VicsX

[Peter Pedant]

Ni hao ming

No, Ming is not an English name, it is Scottish.

This is the same distinction as the statement - yes he is Chinese but he is not Han.

Celtic names can have silent letters. Often huge numbers. Colquhoun may be ka-hoon and so on.

Is the chinese character for your name, the one that is clear, bright, celestial ? The two characters for sun and moon put together as in the dynsasty ?

Anyway I would keep it. Sir Menzies is not a very good role model, is scottish, may be responsible for Charles Kennedy's resignation by naughty (that's nockty, by the way) means. Not someone to copy.