高到天边的山
The mountain that reaches the sky
崧高维岳，骏极于天。
The great peak is the mountain; it rises to the very sky.
诗经 · 崧高
· our translation
The 岳 here is the mountain that goes up to the sky: a name takes the height and the weight, not the view.
「岳」在这里就是那座高到天边的山——名字用「岳」，取的是高度和分量，不是风景。
山能生人
What a mountain sends down
维岳降神，生甫及申。
The mountain sent down its spirit, and Fu and Shen were born.
诗经 · 崧高
· our translation
The next line says the mountain sent down a spirit and two great ministers were born: greatness was thought to come down from the mountain. A name takes that descent too.
下一句就说山降下神灵，生出了甫侯和申伯——古人相信大人物是山给的。名字用「岳」，也带着这层「有所出」。
五岳岳峙山岳岳之岳峰峻岳岳然
In a name
岳 gives a name weight: not beauty, but something that does not move when pushed.
「岳」给名字的是分量：不是好看，是压得住。