Kristin asked Tony Corden:

I’ve always wondered what Leah’s dwarvish names mean. She chose Xiăo Tiē Chuí but Julian thought Qiáng Tiē Chuí would be better- but I had no idea what they mean. I’m getting different answers from different translation sites and apps and since I don’t speak Chinese I’m a bit lost as to why Qiáng Tiē Chuí would be presumptuous if Leah chose it herself?

Tony Corden Sorry for the confusion. I'm always thankful when people find errors. It was a simple description of her role as a miner. I had meant the word to be 铁, meaning 'iron', which would transliterate into Tiě. Unfortunately, when I typed the name for the first time, I typed Tiē (I just checked, and the software I use doesn't give the option for 'ě', and so with my failing eyesight I typed 'ē'). From then on, it was a matter of copy and pasting her name—what a simple way to multiply an error. My apologies. I will need to fix that in the next edition (which is some time off, though it is changed now on my master copy). You are correct that 'Tiē' (or 贴) doesn't make any sense.

小 (Xiǎo) means small or even young while 强 Qiáng means strong and is used in words like powerful, formidable and sturdy. Naming oneself 强 would, I think, be seen as presumptuous in many cultures, Chinese included, for one as young as Leah whereas it is acceptable to be named by a parent or elder as 'powerful'.

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