The Inovis Blog

Meet Chris Beukenkamp. Chris works in the Inovis Sales Department and is the Managing Director for Asia. Chris’s friends call him “Beuk” but you can call him him “Bei.” It seems that when Chris is in Taiwan, he goes by the name: 貝康弘 (Bei Kang Hong) meaning:

貝 (贝) bèi cowries; shell; valuables; shellfish

康 kāng peaceful; spongy (of radishes)

弘 hóng great; liberal

Why has Chris been given this name? Chris actually chose it himself since BeiKangHong is so similar to BeukKenKamp. In addition to his chosen name being similar to his American one, it also seems to describe him well. “Bei” is shells on a beach, and Chris is fond of diving and the sea. Perhaps where the situation gets a bit fuzzy is the additional knowledge that “Bei Bei” can also mean “baby,” leaving the most common meaning of his name to be “big peaceful baby….”

But enough about that… Now that you are well acquainted with Chris, allow us to introduce Inovis as it is known in Asia: 新世電貿

(Xin Shi Dian Mao) meaning:

新 xīn new; newly; meso- (chem.)

世 shì life; age; generation; era; world; lifetime

電 (电) diàn electric; electricity; electrical

貿 (贸) mào commerce; trade

The translation for our name is New World E-Commerce. Interestingly enough, when spoken, people will “hear” other words. So, when Xin and Shi are put together it will also sound like:

新式 xīn shì new type; latest type; new-style

…even though the character for Shi4 is wrong, you can’t tell this when it is spoken.

Similarly, Dian4 with the falling tone could also mean:

Farmer; stand for goblets; pad; cushion; mat; libation; inn; shop; store; think of; remember; miss; palace hall; shallow water; sediment; precipitate; blemish; disgrace; flaw in jade; imperial domain; suburb; malarial fever; erythema; leucoderm; stone wedge; fine woven grass mat; gold inlaid work; dangerous; electric; electricity; electrical; indigo pigment

Fortunately for us Dian4 is almost always assumed to mean electricity unless otherwise specified.

When discovering our Chinese name we thought of using Yu instead of Xin. Good thing we didn’t as Yu can mean:

愚 yú stupid

- or -

漁 渔 yú fisherman; to fish; fish

- and Yu Shi can mean:

浴室 yù shì bathroom (room used for bathing)

預示 (预示) yù shì (vi) forebode; (vt) foreshadow; omen

So, as you can see, there’s a lot in a name.