In Which I Totally Geek About Names
Apr. 20th, 2011 11:17 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mark_asphodelIn Year Seven of the New Calendar adopted after the unification pact between Elibe and Magvel, the Family Name Order was handed down by the State Commission on Domestic Affairs. This outlawed the long-standing practice among peasant families of simply going by a patronymic name, matronymic name, or no family name at all, though a tradition of family names was established in some regions of both continents. Likewise, the usage of family names is well-documented among inhabitants of Jugdral and Tellius, where it is perhaps the most widespread. Other nations that entered the UFN pact (Valencia and the Eastern Islands) likewise had to conform to the Family Name Order.
This did not go down well in the Eastern Islands, which had gotten along for four millennia without family names or even a firm tradition of patronymic names. Inhabitants cheerfully ignored the Order unless they had to deal directly with the central government in some fashion-- so, parents sending their son off to military school in Magvel might hastily forge some documents granting the boy a "family name" derived from the given name of an ancestor who'd been dead for a decent amount of time. Hence we see names like ending in -iou (house of) or -ides (son of), as in Anriou.
In Valencia, adoption of family names was a little easier, as most children were given a formal name, a pet name, and then their father's name as a patronymic identifier. In this case, the patronymic name generally became the family name. So a boy with the formal-pet-patronymic name of Albyne Alm Rudolf would pass the name "Rudolf" onto his children instead of bestowing "Albyne" on them as a second-generation patronymic.
Patronymic names were not common in Elibe, where family names derived from origin, trade, or personal qualities became widespread around the year 600 of the Old Calendar. So a family known for red hair might acquire the name "Laise" (flame) while one renowned for physical strength might be dubbed "Earnan" (derived from "iron"). However, the Sacae peoples used only patronymic names prior to the Family Name Order, -kadin for "son of" and -kizi for "daughter of," as in "Hassar-kizi," for "daughter of Hassar."
In Judgral, a fairly complicated system of inherited names (often used in former noble houses) and of patronymic names existed, though documentation is scarce. A similar mixture of practices was found in Tellius, and refugees from both continents brought these traditions with them to UFN nations.
Meanwhile, Magvel also used a three-name system in most regions, with a given name followed by a patronymic followed by a family name. Both the patronymic and the family name are gendered, with female names ending in an "e" or (less often) an "a." So the son of a man with the family name "Sieglind" would also be named "Sieglind," while a daughter would carry the name "Sieglinde."
It is not known what practices are currently used by the Lopts.
This did not go down well in the Eastern Islands, which had gotten along for four millennia without family names or even a firm tradition of patronymic names. Inhabitants cheerfully ignored the Order unless they had to deal directly with the central government in some fashion-- so, parents sending their son off to military school in Magvel might hastily forge some documents granting the boy a "family name" derived from the given name of an ancestor who'd been dead for a decent amount of time. Hence we see names like ending in -iou (house of) or -ides (son of), as in Anriou.
In Valencia, adoption of family names was a little easier, as most children were given a formal name, a pet name, and then their father's name as a patronymic identifier. In this case, the patronymic name generally became the family name. So a boy with the formal-pet-patronymic name of Albyne Alm Rudolf would pass the name "Rudolf" onto his children instead of bestowing "Albyne" on them as a second-generation patronymic.
Patronymic names were not common in Elibe, where family names derived from origin, trade, or personal qualities became widespread around the year 600 of the Old Calendar. So a family known for red hair might acquire the name "Laise" (flame) while one renowned for physical strength might be dubbed "Earnan" (derived from "iron"). However, the Sacae peoples used only patronymic names prior to the Family Name Order, -kadin for "son of" and -kizi for "daughter of," as in "Hassar-kizi," for "daughter of Hassar."
In Judgral, a fairly complicated system of inherited names (often used in former noble houses) and of patronymic names existed, though documentation is scarce. A similar mixture of practices was found in Tellius, and refugees from both continents brought these traditions with them to UFN nations.
Meanwhile, Magvel also used a three-name system in most regions, with a given name followed by a patronymic followed by a family name. Both the patronymic and the family name are gendered, with female names ending in an "e" or (less often) an "a." So the son of a man with the family name "Sieglind" would also be named "Sieglind," while a daughter would carry the name "Sieglinde."
It is not known what practices are currently used by the Lopts.
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no subject
Date: 2011-04-21 04:38 am (UTC)wait, I just did.
Anyway, I really do appreciate the depth you're giving the world. I've been meaning to mention it, but the subtle worldbuilding bits throughout the fic have really made it work, you know?
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Date: 2011-04-25 09:51 pm (UTC)Aw, thanks.
I would dump bucketsful of world-buildery into the story if I could, but it just wouldn't all fit, y'know?
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Date: 2011-04-26 12:11 am (UTC)I find it less difficult in fic than I do in my original work, but now that TTN has this whole little universe of sorts around it, I keep wanting to fit in other bits even where they really don't belong.
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Date: 2011-04-21 05:01 am (UTC)(Out of curiosity--in Valencia, is the use of petnames just a widespread cultural thing, or just a "trend" that just became super mainstream?)
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Date: 2011-04-25 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-21 12:35 pm (UTC)Seriously, Mark. This is amazing. And it makes complete sense. And hnnnng names metaaaaaa.
/geeks about names with you
At least I know I'm not the only one who goes into this much detail when I worldbuild for fic.
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Date: 2011-04-25 09:52 pm (UTC)It's half the fun, man.
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Date: 2011-04-25 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-04-21 09:41 pm (UTC)I think the Jugdral system is a very cool tie-in to their particular priorities, though I'm not seeing the motivation in Tellius for such a thing.
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Date: 2011-04-25 09:53 pm (UTC)though I'm not seeing the motivation in Tellius for such a thing.
D'you mean the inclusion of Tellius at all, or...?
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Date: 2011-04-25 10:52 pm (UTC)