Culture: Names: view article

Adult Nolwynn have two names: the name which everyone uses on a day-to-day basis, and a clan name.

Nolwynn are usually named after values, animals, or plant life. There are a handful of very ancient names that do not have meanings. Sometimes Nolwynn will be named after spirits or cosmic bodies. Nolwynn are never named after recently deceased individuals, and they are never named after someone currently living.

[edit] [top]Milk name: Luuyxoapolenazšarenw

known only to the mother and father, the milk name is a private name used for a few days after a baby is born. This is the time where the parents can bond with their child without worrying about well-intentioned but nosy people. As birth is a dangerous and harrowing event, this time allows mother and father to recuperate and regain their spiritual energies, both of whom are sequestered from the rest of the clan. It is said that babies are not fully in their bodies until a week or so after birth, so this period enables the baby to recover from birth too.

[edit] [top]Baby name: Bwololenazšarenw

This name is given to babies about a week after birth. It is chosen by the gólinka, but the parents and even the rest of the clan are consulted as well. It is used for a few years, then discarded during the puberty rites.

[edit] [top]Adult name: Lwinalenazšarenw

The adult name is composed of a given name, a clan name [which can be the name of their clan or of their clan’s totem], and a matronymic, composed of their mother's given name and the name of the midwife who helped birth the person. The given name is received during the puberty rites. All together, the adult name becomes the everyday name of a person, but the given name is the one everyone uses except in formal situations.

[edit] [top]Moon name: Nonimorelenazšarenw

a spiritual name, said to be a person’s “true” name. It is kept a secret – not even the gólinka is allowed to know others’ moon names. Receiving one is a blessing and part of the puberty rites, but it is said that not everyone is allowed by the spirits to receive one. The moon name keeps a person safe from the Shadowless Ones, since not even they can know your real name.

[edit] [top]Marriage name: Eymelenazšarenw

The marriage name is a sweet nickname bestowed by one’s spouse. Others may use it too. The marriage name is not a traditional part of Nolwynn culture, but was adopted from similar marriage naming practices found among different cultures.

[edit] [top]Taboo name: Iilenazšarenw

An informal nickname given to a person in accordance with the Avoidance Language. There are no hard and fast rules about what the taboo name may look like, but it often substitutes the first syllable of a person's name with another word. For example, people may substitute the first syllable of the feminine name Kxalina with mera ["girl"], and call her Melina or Merina.

[edit] [top]Death name: Ka’obelenazšaraw

The death name is used for one month after someone dies. It is usually a description or shorthand for one of the person’s defining characteristics. The reasoning behind this name is to avoid calling the deceased’s spirit back, to allow it to enter peacefully into the realm of the dead.

In rare instances, a Nolwynn person can be banished from their clan or even from the entire tribe. When this happens, their clan name is taken away, typically replaced by Iigwiwuna “without a home.” At that point, the clan will refer to the person only by their death name.

[edit] [top]Differences Between Tulwyn and Nolwynn Naming Conventions

The Tulwyn have largely abandoned the complex system of puberty rites, clan names, and all taboos related to names. They are more likely to name their children after still-living relatives, take foreign names, or invent meaningless but mellifluous names. They are also more likely to have only a single name - a given name. Matronymics are rarely bestowed. Instead, some Tulwyn have a "family" name which is actually the name of a slave-holding ancestor. Many have chosen to abandon family names, feeling they are part of an enslaved past many want to leave behind.

[edit] [top]Examples

Here are some example names:

An adult name:
Kxalina oša uakwuo Nwa, kweýalanya Mwaala zo Txoona
Kxalina of clan whale, born<CAUSCausative (valency/mood)
cause an action to occur, force another argument to act>.3SThird person singular (person)
neither speaker nor addressee Mwaala and Txoona
Kxalina of the Whale Clan, birthed by Mwaala [mother] and Txoona [shaman]

Some taboo names:
Mera ["girl"]
Melina
Merina

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