[Culture] Númenedain Naming Conventions

[AstriaS 4988]

— NÚMENEDAIN NAMING CONVENTIONS —

Compiled for the Convenience of the Common Man

—

Penned by Her Royal Majesty, Caraneth Aryantë, Queen-Emeritus

---

FOREWORD

    For nigh a century now have I administered the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr and performed our Ceremony of Naming. So it is no small number of our people, especially those who came of age under my reign, were granted their Oathnames at my discretion, and if not by my word then by one of my sons’. Yet over all those years, it has become increasingly apparent to me that a distinct lack of information exists regarding the exact conventions according to which those names are constructed. It has thus come to pass that many are left in confusion, and too few provided understanding enough to make proper sense of what otherwise is a sacred tradition. In this sense, I have come to realize my role as something of an originator, and therefore realize my duty to act in the capacity of teacher and preserver; the duty of the mother to teach to her children. Thus, I set forth this document now, both to inform and to preserve the tradition of the matter. With any luck, it will serve as a guide not only for my descendants in the administering of our Oath, but as well to the scholarly and to new Adunic mothers seeking traditional names, or those simply wishing to better understand Númenedain names.

 

OOC NOTES

Spoiler

    Númenedain naming conventions, broadly, are taken from the works of Tolkien, specifically Sindarin, the Elven language favored by the Houses of the Edain, and later Dúnedain Kingdoms. Some liberties are taken, of course, and not all things are 1:1. Sometimes other Tolkien Languages, such as Quenya or Adûnaic are subbed in, for example, either for flair or to supplement for a word which Sindarin lacks. Similarly, liberties can and sometimes are taken with spelling. This is largely for the sake of making names that sound and look interesting in writing, for the player’s sake, while still preserving the intrinsic Tolkien flavor that Númendil is meant to have. Below are links to a number of resources I use to put together names, and my DMs are always open should anyone need help with Sindarin or Númenedain names generally!

 

Real Elvish

   This site features both nameparts and fully constructed names, as well as information on proper Tolkien naming conventions (ours certainly are not proper Tolkien, admittedly, so much as inspired by). A good resource for simply picking a name and jumping in. Primarily, we use names from the Gondorian Sindarin lexicon, however you can substitute Quenya or Adûnaic names, also available on the site, if you prefer their meanings or sound.

https://realelvish.net/names/sindarin/gondor/people/

 

Eldamo

   A step up from Real Elvish in difficulty, Eldamo is a glossary compiling all of the languages constructed by Tolkien, as well as a resource for grammar rules and the like. It is a much more comprehensive source of information than Real Elvish, but can be confusing if you aren’t certain how to use it. For the purposes of its use in putting together names, I suggest using the ‘Sindarin/Noldorin’ setting under the language drop-down.

https://eldamo.org/content/search/search.html?neo

 

A VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ON OATHNAMES

   The practice of giving characters ‘Oathnames,’ as they’ve come to be called, upon taking the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr, is meant to be a cultural milestone in-character that serves the out-of-character benefit of acting as a tone-setting moment for Númendil broadly, and helping new players free themselves of their ‘noob names’ (don’t flame them, we’ve all done it). Overseen by a member of the Royal House trained to administer the Oath, the process consists of a ceremony during which the oath is recited by both the officiant and the character to be oathed, and at its conclusion the newly-oathed character receives their Oathname – the name by which they will be formally recognized in Númendil. In many cases, this acts as a replacement to one’s given name, however there are some caveats to this:

1. In the event that a character already has an Adunic name, they will instead be given an epithet.

2. One is not required to use their Oathname, however doing so is a cultural expectation in Númendil.

 

Once the oath has been sworn, its completion is then cataloged in the Great Book of Oaths along with the name they were given. This serves as a neat little irp record, and as a touchstone for the history of a given character.

 

Now for the most important part:

This is specifically addressed to those administering the Oath, in case the event arises that I am not present to explain it when you are taught how to conduct the ceremony. Because of the binding nature of the Oath, it is good OOC practice to discuss names with the other person ahead of time. It would be very rude to assign someone a character name they don’t like. Also, don’t use ChatGPT for generating names – I don’t care how ‘well-trained’ you think the algorithm is, it almost always gets it wrong, and I will notice and I will make fun of you for outsourcing your human creativity to a machine.

 

 

 

 

THE MAKINGS OF A NAME

    To understand Adunic names and the practices surrounding them, one must first understand a few key things. Firstly, it is imperative to understand that a name is more than simply a collection of letters, or a simple identifier for a person, place or thing. In Adunian tradition, all words have a great power over the shape of the world – so it is that we revere the poet and the bard as much as the swordsman – and this goes doubly-so in two cases: Oaths and Names. To swear an oath is to bind oneself to its words, and to have one’s doom dictated by them. The graver the oath and the greater its witness, the greater its power and the consequences its breaking shall incur. In the case of naming, to assign a name or a title to a thing is to impart an essence to it. 

 

   We are as much shaped by our names as our names are shaped by us, and to know the name of a person or being is to hold an intrinsic knowledge of them. In this, it must be understood that a proper and true name must, by its nature, possess meaning both to the individual and to others. Whether this meaning is literal or poetic is a matter of preference for the one assigning it, however its gravity, its spiritual weight, must always be considered. To give one’s son a dark name is to invite darkness into his life, and so it should be avoided. Likewise should one avoid giving names that suggest misfortune, ill-fate or sin, for these too shall be invited by doing so. A name should therefore be a noble thing; aspirational and bright, in spite of the world’s many shadows.

 

NAMES AND PROPER STRUCTURE

   The point at which most confusion with Númenedain names arises is with their perceived complexity. Put bluntly, our names are plagued by a verbosity that could put even the most long-winded of Elvenkind to shame. Nevertheless, I shall attempt, in this section, to make clear the conventions of the matter using my own name and epithets as examples.

 

The Given Name

   The most fundamental of names, this part of one’s name is most often given  to children by their mothers at birth, or received during the Oathing Ceremony for those who were not given an Adunic name at birth. Most often these names are derivative or similar to the sames of one’s parents and siblings – this has given rise to the notion that families have, or should have, a ‘rhyme’ to them. For example, the Twin Princes, Aranuir and Arathor, whose names were derived from their father’s Oathname, Arasuil, or the Princess Eriantiel, whose name is a derivative of my own epithet Aryantë.

 

The Parental Name

   Also referred to by some as a ‘father-name’ or patronymic, the parental name indicates, as one might assume, an individual’s parentage. Most often, it is constructed using the given name of one’s father, however in select cases, this may differ. Most notably is in the event that the mother is of higher station, as was the case with my own children, who variably were given the parental names of Caranethion and Caranethiel. It is also sometimes the case that a given name does not render well into a parental name, and so a derivative of an epithet will be used for the ease of pronunciation or general simplicity. Take for example my own parental name, Númenatariel, which would be considered long but not to the extent of being cumbersome. The construction of these names is quite straightforward in any case, consisting of the appending of the suffixes -ion (meaning Son) and -iel (meaning Daughter) to a parent’s given name. In this sense, the Parental name may also be rendered, in common speech, as ‘Son of..” or “Daughter of..” as is most often seen in introductions.

 

Epithets and Oathnames

   Where the given name reflects the ideals and expectations of one’s parents, an epithet is a reflection of one’s deeds or one’s aspirations. This is the case as well for Oathnames, which depending on the circumstance may function as either a given name or an epithet. Often, due to the ordering of Númenedain names, these names are interpreted as the equivalent of the ‘second names’ or ‘middle names’ favored in Middle-Man naming conventions, however this is not accurate. Epithets most often are given in response to great honor-deeds, or to reflect one’s personality. Oathnames, similarly, are meant as reflections of an individual, however are often crafted with a more personal, defining feature. Invariably, however, these are names that are given by another, rather than to oneself. 

 

Family Names

   Traditionally, family names do not exist in Adunic conventions, with most commoners identified by their parental name, and nobles identified by the name of a prominent ancestor (i.e ‘of the House of Númenatâr’ or ‘of the House of Nauthon’). However, this is the loosest rule of these conventions, as many Adunians of today hold to the Middle-Man convention of House and family names, as was adopted during the early integrations of Harrenites with wider humanity, and Middle-Men who swear the Oath to become Númenedain proper most often retain their family names. In the event that one must render an Adunic family name, however, it is most often done with a variation on a parental name, either invoking a family progenitor outright, or doing so poetically. Examples of the latter include the name of the Royal House, Arthalion (meaning Son of the Hero-King) or the house of the Lords of Angrenost, Mithrenion (meaning Son of the Gray One). Then, should one be referring to the family as a unit, it is customary to use the suffix -ath to indicate the plural (i.e Arthalionath, Mithrenionath).

 

The Structure and Order of a Name

   With the particulars now illuminated, we may now examine the structure of a proper Númenedain name. In simplest terms, a full name should adhere to the following order:

I. Given Name

II. Epithet

III. Parental Name

IV. Family Name (if applicable)

 

Following this structure, we will use my full name as an example:

Caraneth Aryantë Númenatariel Arthalion

 

   Here we see that my given name, received at my birth, is Caraneth, meaning ‘The Red’, and my epithet is Aryantë, or ‘Light-Bringer’. Together, these form the name I use in day-to-day life: Caraneth Aryantë. Following, Númenatariel indicates that I am the Daughter of Númenatâr, and then that I am of the House Arthalion. Names are rarely, if ever, hyphenated or appended. In the event this is seen, it is due to foreign influences. In general, one will be referred to by their given name or their epithet – often, which one is determined by familiarity. To use both the given name and an epithet is to show formality. One may also be referred to by their parental name, however this is most often the case in the specific instance the speaker is unfamiliar with the addressed party, but is familiar with his or her parent.

 

HIGH ADUNIC AS USED IN NAMING

   This shall not serve, unfortunately, as a lexicon of the High Tongue, as it remains to this day a lost and incomplete language following the diaspora. What is known is best learned from the mouth of a proper mentor. Nonetheless, I wish to include in brief a note on the common suffixes and roots that one sees in High Adunic names, so as to provide context to various names.

 

Ar- | Ara- – This is an element commonly affixed to indicate royalty or nobility, as seen in the name Arthalion. This is also the root of the title-prefix Tar, as seen in Tar-Númenatâr.

 

-ion (m.) | -iel (f.) – A suffix denoting one is the son or daughter of an individual. In parental names, this is often literal, however it may be used poetically in given names and epithets, as seen in the name Angrenion (Son of Iron).

 

-ron (m.) | -ril (f.) – The agential suffix for names, implying that one does a particular thing, or embodies a particular quality, as in the name Nestor¹ or its feminine counterpart Nestril (The Healer).

 

-hil – A suffix, mostly for male given names, implying heirdom, as seen in the names Anorhil and Imrahil.

 

-wen – A suffix meaning ‘maiden’ or simply ‘woman’.

 

-eth | -el | -il – A suffix that makes a name feminine, without further definition

 

-on | -or² | -ir – A suffix that makes a name masculine, without further definition.

 

1. This is a case in which we see the spelling of a suffix altered due to the root that precedes it. In this case, the verb -nesta (‘to heal’) ends in -a, and instead of Nestaror, or Nestaril, it instead is truncated to become Nestor and Nestril.

2. The suffix -or is also, variably, used in genderless renderings of names and words, simply to signify a proper noun.

 

THE OATHED AND THE UNOATHED

   Most non-Adunians and non-Númenedain especially are familiar with our naming practices only as they pertain to the Oath of Tar-Númenatâr, or the Lórivanda as some choose to call it. For this reason, it is worth discussing the oath itself momentarily. Though it is more thoroughly covered in other writings, the Oath is foundational to Númenedain philosophy and to the teachings that inform our way of life. It is a grave oath of severe magnitude, sworn upon one’s life before the Creator, and for this reason is treated as a sacred matter. It is not an oath of fealty to Númendil, or to the Númenedain King, but to a cause and a way of life. So it is that the distinction of being one of the Númenedain is reserved exclusively for those who swear the Oath, and why the swearing is accompanied by the giving of an Oathname; to bind the Oathed in purpose and in culture.

---