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[Cheiromancer]

Originally posted by Sepulchrave II on 08-08-2002

Naming Conventions in the Wyre Campaign


This is in answer to a question that someone asked a long, long time ago, but which I hadn’t gotten around to answering. It’s kind of complicated, so bear with me (if you’re even vaguely interested). Firstly, the PCs.

Eadric is an Old English name, which was useful from my perspective – in terms of consistency. I’ll explain in a while.

Ortwin is the name of a character appearing in the Niebelungenlied (Ortwin of Metz), so I guess its Middle High German.

Nwm is "Quasi-Brythonic" or "Quasi-Celtic." It rhymes with the Welsh word Cwm, which transliterates as "Coombe" in English. A Cwm is a glacial valley, if I remember my highschool geography. If "Nwm" has any meaning, then I don’t know what it is.

Mostin, I think, is a proper name anyway. I’d guess that its roots were Middle English or Norman French, but I might be wrong. This is also very convenient for me.


In Wyre itself, there are three different linguistic complexes.

The oldest, consists of a group of languages which are represented by a variety of Celtic or Quasi-Celtic roots. Nwm is one such name, Cambos du’la (the hill where Nehael atoned) is another. Such names are relatively uncommon, and tend to be found amongst Uediians or at sites venerated by them. Bagaudas – the name assumed by Hullu’s guerillas – is an ancient Gaulish word meaning, unsurprisingly, "Guerilla Fighters." Uedii itself is also Gaulish, and has connotations of "Prayer, veneration."

More recent, although still of great age, are names represented by a variety of Germanic roots. Eadric, Cynric, Brord, Asser etc. are all Anglo-Saxon in form. Tahl, Thrumohar, Ekkert, Streek are all adaptations of Old Norse names. A larger number of names – Tramst, Tiuhan, Hethio, Thahan, Tomur, Gibilrazn derive from ancient Gothic. I like Gothic.

Deorham is Anglo-Saxon in form, and means "Village Where the Deer Live." There is a village in Somerset in England called Dyrham, and its older form in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle was Deorham. A Burh (as in Kyrtill's Burh) is a burgh/burg/castle.

The most recent, in terms of Wyrish history, are names represented by "Pseudo Norman French" or "Pseudo Middle-English" words. These include Wyre, Morne, Soraine, Melion, Brey, Trempa. etc. In the older language, ‘Wyre’ would probably be Weorh, but that’s beside the point.

The names of Wizards are, for the most part, utterly fantastic. Shomei, Tersimion, Jovol, Tozinak, Kothchori, Qiseze etc. There are a few exceptions: Hlioth is Old Norse in form, Waide is passably Middle English (ish). Mulissu is ancient Assyrian, and does not fit the mould – but she is from the Thalassine. Mulissu is a complicated figure in Mesopotamian belief, a kind of sky-goddess, but also a name given to the transcendent aspect of Ishtar, or the feminine spiritual principle in general.

As mentioned in another post (by Lombard), the names of the celestial host are influenced by Blake’s poetical names: Enitharmon, Rintrah, Palamabron, Oothoon (=Urthoon), Enion (=Eniin).. The name Zhuel is quasi-Blake. Rurunoth, Ainhorr, Uzmi are also passably quasi-Blake, although the intention with the last names was to evoke a ‘darker’ feel. Feezuu, Xerulko are invented. Nehael has the root "-el" which means "God" in various Aramaic languages, and appears in the names Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, Sammael etc.

Oronthon is utterly imitative of Blake’s names.

Completely inconsistently, the name Kalkja – the succubus compacted by Feezuu – is actually Gothic in form. But I couldn’t resist. In Gothic, Kalkja means "whore."

Tun Hartha - the plateau north of Wyre - is a compound Old Norse + Gothic name, which means 'sweet hardship.' It's inhabitants call it Linna, however, which in their language means 'enclosed space.' The language of the Tunthi is based on Finnish. Mesikammi, the shamaness encountered by Nwm, is a poetic word found in the Kalevala meaning 'Bear, honey-paw.' Tietaja means 'sorcerer, shaman.'

Thalassine is from Attic Greek, and means "Blue-Green," as in the coulour of the sea. Many Thalassine names are derived from Middle-Eastern or Greek roots.

Shuth is a Sanskrit word. Sanskrit was originally intended to form the basis of the Language of Shuth, but I never followed through with the idea.


Graz’zt is canonical, of course.