וַיִּצֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהִ֜ים מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָ֗ה כָּל־חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ וְאֵת֙ כָּל־ע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וַיָּבֵא֙ אֶל־הָ֣אָדָ֔ם לִרְא֖וֹת מַה־יִּקְרָא־ל֑וֹ וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקְרָא־ל֧וֹ הָֽאָדָ֛ם נֶ֥פֶשׁ חַיָּ֖ה ה֥וּא שְׁמֽוֹ׃
און גאָט דער האַר האָט געפֿורעמט פֿון דער ערד אַלערלײ חיות פֿון פֿעלד און אַלערלײ פֿױגלען פֿון הימל, און געבראַכט צו דעם מענטשן, צו זען װאָס ער װעט זײ רופֿן, און װאָס נאָר דער מענטש װעט רופֿן איטלעך לעבעדיקע באַשעפֿעניש, דאָס זאָל זײַן איר נאָמען.
Sefer HaBahir
[The students asked,] "But why (WHAT IS?) Zayin"?
[Rabbi Rachumai responded,] "As it is written in ear (WAS THIS IN THE QUESTION OR ANSWER? KAPLAN SAYS IT'S IN Q]. That we have said, all that the Blessed Holy One brings into His world, its name is from its essence, as is written, 'Whatever the Adam called each living creature [נפש חיה], that was its name' (Genesis 2:19) — that is to say, its body was thus. Where do we learn that one's name becomes its body? As is written, 'The name of a righteous person is invoked in blessing, but the name of the wicked rots' (Proverbs 10:7). Does a name rot?* Rather, it means the body. Here too, [it means] his body."
*Manuscripts read מרקב as opposed to ירקב.
[Rabbi Rachumai responded,] "As it is written in ear (WAS THIS IN THE QUESTION OR ANSWER? KAPLAN SAYS IT'S IN Q]. That we have said, all that the Blessed Holy One brings into His world, its name is from its essence, as is written, 'Whatever the Adam called each living creature [נפש חיה], that was its name' (Genesis 2:19) — that is to say, its body was thus. Where do we learn that one's name becomes its body? As is written, 'The name of a righteous person is invoked in blessing, but the name of the wicked rots' (Proverbs 10:7). Does a name rot?* Rather, it means the body. Here too, [it means] his body."
*Manuscripts read מרקב as opposed to ירקב.