Naming in Shemtir
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This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 31 Aug 2016, 23:11.
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2. Naming in Shemtir
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Shemtir places a heavy importance on names. Parents name their children after what they want them to be. For the average Shemtiran, that would be strong. A strong child is a healthy child. A strong child can become a warrior. A strong child will bring glory to their family. So naturally, Shem (M) and Shemat (F), both meaning strong, are the most common names. The endings -za, -zi, -zai, -h, -ha, -hi, -hai, -qa, -qi, -q, and -qai are rarely used for names. That's because they're the suffixes for the "Weak" gender, and are thought to bring bad luck. -Za is the exception, but only because there have been two Empresses with the name Zariza. (Who were both frail and ill as babies, but survived by some miracle.) Zariza (glory) is a pretty popular name, since Grand Empress Zariza II conquered most of the continent. (Until she was poisoned by a Cendaean mage. Maybe -za still brings bad luck in the end.)
By contrast, -sh, -sha, -em, -me, -ch, -che, -m, -t, -te, -s, -se, -sa, -es, -k, and -ke are all "Strong" gender suffixes, and frequently used. (Although -sa, -es, and -sha are specific to names.) -T and -sha are the most common endings for girls, and -em and -k for boys. "Weak" nouns with good meanings, like reza (earth) are modified by replacing the weak ending with a strong one. (Also known as "strengthening.") So, reza might become Rezet or Rek. Words with strong endings are often modified to look better, like the female name Usha (water) and the male name Oremek. (Warrior.) Along with the aesthetic enhancement, it helps separate the name from the noun. Combination names take two words, often an adjective and a noun, and smash them together. Shemorek means "strong warrior," and Zarohza means "glory to the weak."
Shemtir uses the old "son of/daughter of" way of creating surnames, and they use the name of their same-sex parent. Women use Ñiot and men use Ñiok to denote this. So, a typical female surname would be Ñiot Shemat, while a male might be Ñiok Shem. When a person turns seventeen and comes of age, Ñiumaklok/Ñiumaklosh Giorza (wife/husband of none) is added to the surname. (After the parental surname, of course.) When they marry, they switch out Giorza with their spouse's name. So, a full name in Shemtiran could be something like Zarohza Ñiot Usha, Ñiumaklosh Rek or Shem Ñiok Oremek, Ñiumaklok Giorza. Since Shemtiran names are pretty long, most Shemtirans leave out the second surname when addressing people.
There is a serious taboo against naming children after their same-gender parents. A double name (ex. Usha Ñiot Usha) is thought to negate the meaning and bring bad luck. If a couple really wants to have a little Rek junior, his mother had better be called Rezet. Otherwise, Rek would decline to Rez, a weak name. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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