[ANSTHRLD] Berber Names

[Doug Bell]

It certainly seems needed. The only recent reference to Berbers indicates nothing is know of their naming practices.

[July 2005 LoAR, R-Atenveldt] Itbir Amellal. 
No documentation was submitted and none found to suggest that this is a reasonably formed Berber name, or even to suggest what a reasonably formed Berber name might be. The submitter has documented each name part as a given name; the list he uses cites sources to suggest that some, but not all, of the names on the list are found in period. No dates for any of the names are provided. Furthermore, the only information about naming practices provided is a statement that "Early names, like those or royalty, tend to demonstrate a single element...while later people often demonstrate the spread of Islam with classically-formed Arabic names." However, no source for this quote was provided, so we are unable to evaluate the accuracy of this statement. To register a name for a language/culture unfamiliar to most members of the College of Arms (or even in familiar language and cultures), the Rules for Submission require that the submitter demonstrate that the
 individual elements of a name are found in period, that each phrase is appropriate and grammatically correct for a single culture, and that the name as a whole is constructed according to patterns found in the naming practices of the appropriate culture. The documentation provided here does none of these things; therefore, we are unable to register this name.

The Fihrist of al-Nadīm would be a good source to check against Arabic names. I recognize a few of the names as Arabic but don't have a clue where they would get things like Gharzul. I will check the Berber list against the Fihrist when commentary calms down a bit.

Magnus