Rān
Naming Traditions
Feminine names
General Structure:
- Root (semantic base word) + Feminine suffix
- Sometimes a thematic marker or personal epithet is appended for distinction.
Common Feminine Suffixes
Rhythmic Qualities
- Flowing open syllables (CV, CVC structure preferred).
- Frequent use of long vowels ā, ī, ū.
- Glottal stops are rare inside personal names but could appear in epithets.
Masculine names
General Structure:
- Root (semantic base word) + Feminine suffix
- Sometimes a thematic marker or personal epithet is appended for distinction.
Common Masculine Suffixes
Rhythmic Qualities
- Compact, solid sounds.
- Frequent use of u and a vowels for resonance.
- More abrupt cadences compared to feminine names.
- Occasional glottal stops in compound constructions.
Family names
Formal Usage
Formal style:
[Given Name], [son or daughter of] [Parent’s Name (usually the father, but sometimes the mother or both parents, depending on their notoriety] of [House/Lineage]
Other names
Epithets in Rān Society
Purpose and Significance
- Epithets are earned, not given at birth.
- They commemorate deeds, virtues, or achievements.
- Epithets enhance a formal name but never replace the birth name.
- They are seen as a living record of an individual's most important contribution to their people or society.
Structural Rules
1. Position
Always placed after the formal name and lineage.
Example format:
[Given Name], [son/daughter of Parent’s Name] of [House/Lineage], called [Epithet]
2. Formation
Epithets usually take one of these forms:
3. Common Lexical Themes
- Nature: stones, rivers, roots, mountains, stars, storms
- Virtue: honor, wisdom, endurance, loyalty, courage
- Magic: flame, winds, deepness, binding, light, sadow
Cultural Expectations
- Nobility tend to have longer, more florid epithets, often referencing history or ancestors.
- Commoners have shorter, often sharper epithets, referencing personal feats.
- Wizards and Scholars frequently bear titles related to knowledge or elements.
- Warriors usually bear titles referencing battles, endurance, or weaponry.
Restrictions
- It is considered grave arrogance to assume an epithet oneself.
- Epithets must be bestowed by the community or by a recognized authority (such as a priest of Na or Crorrm, a lord, or a scholarly council).
- Silent-Hand (Descriptive + Noun)
- Seeker of Stars (Agentive + Honorific Phrase)
- Stone-Watcher (Metaphor)
- of the Verdant Memory (Poetic Phrase)
Examples of Construction
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Shared customary codes and values
The Rān venerate the following gods (Minargish names in parentheses where they differ from Celestial):
- The Arcane: Crorrm (Khrāru)
- Knowledge and Wisdom: Na
- Peace and the Kinship of All: Proim (Brūyim)
- Divination and Dissimilation: Plunmy (Blūnmū)
- Recorded Knowledge: Prundged (Brūntagh)
- Death: Robvî (Rufi)
Common Etiquette rules
Common greeting: "Mashuflākūbū," which comes from "Be blessed with knowledge."
Common phrase upon parting: "Junasa," which comes from "Let Na walk," which in turn comes from "May Na walk with you."
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
The Rān seek to distance themselves from their orcish cousins, so they find tusks to be unattractive. Those whose tusks are visible often undergo the painful procedure of filing them down or having them removed, altogether.
Similarly, a slight build, which is extremely rare, but not altogether unheard of, is considered exceptionally attractive.
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