[ANSTHRLD] 1980 Gazette name question

Jennifer Smith jds at randomgang.com
Sun Apr 27 07:49:44 PDT 2008


> >  Zoren uff Eiren
> > This name was registered in February of 1980 (via Ansteorra).

Ah yes. Back in 1980, you didn't have to have real name documentation at
all. I pulled his kingdom file, and the name documentation is given as -- I
kid you not -- this:

Language: Celtic
Reason/documentation: I like it

Yep, that's all it took back then. Neat, huh? :)

> The information I found:
> > REJECTIONS
> > Kingdom of An Tir
> > Zoran Dolmar of Dragonhead. Or, a dragon statant and a 
> chief indented
> > throughout azure.
> 
> > NOTE: Name and device rejected. Made-up names must be 
> compatible with
> > period usage in a specific language. The submittor must specify the
> > language. This name appears to English. Zoran is not 
> compatible with English
> > naming usages. We have passed a Zoren, but that was a 
> made-up German name
> > and Zoren was consistent with German usage. ...

There is a rule regarding 'made-up' names, that's RfS II.3. Invented Names.
I'll quote it here:

3. Invented Names. - New name elements, whether invented by the submitter or
borrowed from a literary source, may be used if they follow the rules for
name formation from a linguistic tradition compatible with the domain of the
Society and the name elements used.

Name elements may be created following patterns demonstrated to have been
followed in period naming. Old English given names, for instance, are
frequently composed of two syllables from a specific pool of name elements.
The given name Ælfmund could be created using syllables from the documented
names Ælfgar and Eadmund following the pattern established by similar names
in Old English. Other kinds of patterns can also be found in period naming,
such as patterns of meaning, description, or sound. Such patterns, if
sufficiently defined, may also be used to invent new name elements. There is
a pattern of using kinds of animals in the English place names Oxford,
Swinford and Hartford, and so a case could be made for inventing a similar
name like Sheepford. No name will be disqualified based solely on its
source.

a. Invented name elements may not consist of randomly arranged sounds or
characters.
Use of components of name elements without reference to a period naming
pattern, such as combining the syllables of Ælfgar and Eadmund to form
Ælfmunead, will not be allowed. Similarly, patterns from one language or
tradition may not be applied to elements from a different language. The
existence of the two syllable pattern in Old English cannot justify
combining syllables from the Spanish names Pedro and Jose to invent Pese.
Elulol and Myzzlyk, which create nonsense syllables and link them without
reference to any period pattern, are also not acceptable.

b. Invented given names may not be identical to any other word unless a
strong pattern of use of a class of words as given names in the same
language is documented.
Although China, Random and Starhawk have been used as given names in recent
fantasy literature, they may not be registered without evidence that names
of countries, adjectives, or epithets were regularly used as English given
names in period.


...so unless they can demonstrate that 'Zoren' follows a name formation
pattern in a specific given language, they're out of luck nowadays.

-Emma




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