Is dedicating names to other than Allah a major or minor polytheistic act, and what is the ruling on the saying: "Whoever teaches me a letter, I will be his slave"?

It has been previously prohibited to use names that signify servitude to other than Allah. Some scholars have mentioned that this is a form of verbal polytheism (shirk al-alfadh) or minor polytheism (shirk asghar), and not major polytheism (shirk akbar) that expels one from the fold of Islam. As for the phrase: "Whoever teaches me a letter, I become his servant," if the intention is a figurative servitude of slavery, then there is no harm in it. However, if the intention is something that should only be attributed to Allah, then it is impermissible.