Post by Barr Tulip on Feb 10, 2013 19:18:22 GMT -5
Cheltian names are made up of up to four separate elements:
First comes birth status. This refers to a set list strata to which all Cheltians belong based on their parents' status and also the moon phase on the night of their birth. Full moon = the stratum above that of your parents; new moon = the stratum below your parents; anything else = the same. Barr in this case means that the bearer is of the very highest rank - chieftains and warriors.
The next two elements are nicknames, generally omitted in formal conversation unless necessary to distinguish between people. The first is your childhood name, given to you by your parents as you grow up, or on your birth. It allows you to be distinguished from others who might share the same name. It can be simply "Second" (as in, the second of two children of the same name) or some aspect of your personality - "Fierce", "Sharp", "Loquacious". Often this will be how your close friends and family refer to you. It is usually an adjective, but not always. In this case, 'Ambidextrous' refers to the fact that Barr Tulip was always as strong with his left and right feet and hands, which made him stand out.
The second nickname is your adulthood name, which is given to you during the Ceremony of Transition around the time of your twentieth birthday. This is a name ultimately chosen by the bearer, in consultation with his spirit guides, his family, friends and the elders of his birth-status caste. It represents something about himself, and allows him to make a statement about his life so far or what he wants to achieve. Barr Tulip chose the name 'Boar' because when he was seventeen he defended two lower caste female foragers from a boar with a spear, and always wore one of its tusks around his neck as a trophy.
The last name is your family name, or your surname. It is one of the names of your parents, chosen between the two by your parents on your birth. Different castes have different customs as to whether it is the mothers or fathers name. There is also scope for parental preference. Some alternate between children (lower castes which tend to have more children), some give male children the mother's name and female children the father's name, some give all children the father's name, and some people bear double-names for both parents. Family names vary: some relate to a family's historic trade, or something to do with its origin. Barr Tulip's mother's family were from the herbalist profession (scientists) and many of the ancient families from that profession are named after plants, flowers and herbs.
Barr Ambidextrous Boar Tulip
First comes birth status. This refers to a set list strata to which all Cheltians belong based on their parents' status and also the moon phase on the night of their birth. Full moon = the stratum above that of your parents; new moon = the stratum below your parents; anything else = the same. Barr in this case means that the bearer is of the very highest rank - chieftains and warriors.
The next two elements are nicknames, generally omitted in formal conversation unless necessary to distinguish between people. The first is your childhood name, given to you by your parents as you grow up, or on your birth. It allows you to be distinguished from others who might share the same name. It can be simply "Second" (as in, the second of two children of the same name) or some aspect of your personality - "Fierce", "Sharp", "Loquacious". Often this will be how your close friends and family refer to you. It is usually an adjective, but not always. In this case, 'Ambidextrous' refers to the fact that Barr Tulip was always as strong with his left and right feet and hands, which made him stand out.
The second nickname is your adulthood name, which is given to you during the Ceremony of Transition around the time of your twentieth birthday. This is a name ultimately chosen by the bearer, in consultation with his spirit guides, his family, friends and the elders of his birth-status caste. It represents something about himself, and allows him to make a statement about his life so far or what he wants to achieve. Barr Tulip chose the name 'Boar' because when he was seventeen he defended two lower caste female foragers from a boar with a spear, and always wore one of its tusks around his neck as a trophy.
The last name is your family name, or your surname. It is one of the names of your parents, chosen between the two by your parents on your birth. Different castes have different customs as to whether it is the mothers or fathers name. There is also scope for parental preference. Some alternate between children (lower castes which tend to have more children), some give male children the mother's name and female children the father's name, some give all children the father's name, and some people bear double-names for both parents. Family names vary: some relate to a family's historic trade, or something to do with its origin. Barr Tulip's mother's family were from the herbalist profession (scientists) and many of the ancient families from that profession are named after plants, flowers and herbs.