Ma-Ren_Hua
Where did the phrase marihuana come from and why is the name socially “charged”?
I was told that Ma-ren-hua, meant hemp-seed-flower. When I use google translate for hemp-seed-flower, I get the phrase “Dàmá zhǒngzǐ huā” not a great start. With a slight change to hemp-kernel-flower I get “Dàmá rén huā” which is closer (大麻仁花). When I back translate “má rén huā” (麻仁花) I get hemp flower. But let us further explore the three character phrase.
Má: large overlap of meanings depending on how it is pronounced verbally (mother, twin, question particle, hemp, horse and scold/abuse ). one unique symbol 麻 only meaning hemp (enlarged below)
The pictogram is described as two hemp plants drying under an awning, which I really like because of how well this symbol connects with the scientific name “cannabis”. Cannabis means “cane” + “two”, which involves the gender separation of plants. Most plants have “perfect” flowers with both male and female parts. Some plants are “dioecious” like humans and most animals in which male and female parts are found on separate bodies (live in separate houses). Therefore each seed will either grow up to become male or female but not both, thus two canes or canna-bis, (#2cane)
Geek sidetrack: má Chinese symbol above, possible graphical interpretation: that under the square root sign are the two cane symbols or cane squared. In general, the square root of the square of a real number is always equal to the absolute value of that number. The graphic therefore means “absolute” cannabis. I would propose that cannabis products which contain no additives or solvents be labeled with this image and called Absolute Má
Rén: The single logogram(or pictogram) for rén is a composite of two distinct common symbols, 人 (man, a man, a person) and 二 (two), with 人 assuming its common form inside another character, to which various interpretations have been assigned. One often hears that ren means "how two people should treat one another - usually translated as "benevolence" or "humaneness"
Another common interpretation of the graphical elements is Man or a man connecting Heaven and Earth
人 + 二 = 仁 (Rén). Man on left, value two on right, the relationship between two human beings, means humanity, benevolence, seed. The character 人 (man, rén) and 仁 have the same pronunciation.
Of the three Chinese” letters/words” in Ma-Ren-Hua, the interpretation of Ren as simply “seed” is likely at least partially incorrect. I suspect it has much greater meaning. Ren is a belief, a virtue denoting the good feeling a virtuous human experiences when being altruistic.
My take home message about “rén”, while can be understood to mean “seed or kernel”, to use the words of Bill & Ted, it means “Be excellent to one another”.
Huā: The meanings of the symbol include: flower, blossom or to spend time or money.
Okay I believe that a Chinese individual could be heard to say Ma-Ren-Hua, in regards to cannabis. The term marihuana was therefore a double ethnic “put-down”, both on the Chinese and the Mexican/Hispanic, trying to emphasis the problem coming from “south of the border”. The “h” changed to “j” to Americanize the word and to further stigmatize the black population. So why not use the term marijuana? It is offensive to three groups of minorities. Just say cannabis. #2cane
