Post by S'kywra on Sept 14, 2009 13:47:50 GMT -5
Figured this would be useful for people trying to make characters. This little guide will help you to properly name your character in creation.
We'll go in alphabetical order.
Altmer: As near as I can tell, there are no last names for the Altmer, with the exception of the Camorans, so it can be assumed that perhaps all Altmer names are unique. All Altmer names are fictional, and sound a bit like the Elvish names from the Lord of the Rings universe. One common thing in many Altmer names is the suffix -il, such as with Hindaril, Eldamil, Areldil, and many other Altmer.
Argonian: Like the Altmer, it's rare to see a last name. The Argonians have fictional names as well, and they seem to focus on using many vowels in their names. Some Argonian, like Kud-Ei and Deetum-Ja, seem to have a suffix that may or may not be a pseudo-surname. It could also possibly be similar to the titles that the Khajiit use. Lastly, some Argonian names are not names but clever phrases that describe the Argonian, such as with Hauls-Ropes-Faster and Sings-Like-Thunder.
Bosmer: Like their fellow elves, the Altmer, Bosmer don't have last names, and all their names are fictional. These names sound much like the Altmer names, but have a somewhat different format. Many of them seem to end with a similar vowel-consonant ending, such as -il, -or, -en, or -in. Naturally, there are a few exceptions to this, but that seems to be the most common thing.
Breton: Our first human race, which means one thing. Real names! The Breton have perhaps the most recognizable format, being primarily comprised of French names. They also all have surnames, unlike the Altmer or Bosmer, and those are also French in origin.
Dunmer: The Dunmer seem to be the only elven race that actually has surnames (if you don't count the Orsimer). Like the other Elves, their names are fictional, and sound a bit like Tolkien's elves. However, the Dunmer names are the most human-sounding names, and the fact that they have surnames draws a similarity to the humans as well.
Imperial: The Imperials, like the Breton and Dunmer, have both a first and last name. The Imperial naming pattern is also easily recognized, being based off of names from the ancient Roman Empire, which the Imperial culture is heavily based off of.
Khajiit: The Khajiit are like their fellow beast class, the Argonians, in that they don't have surnames. Instead, many of the Khajiit, though not all, seem to carry a prefix or suffix that acts as a sort of title, such as with Ra'Jhan, S'Drassa, or M'raaj-Dar (who carries both a prefix and suffix.) I will go into the meanings of these titles at the end of this article.
Nord: Unlike the Breton or Imperial races, this is one human race that doesn't seem to have many with surnames, although there are a couple of exceptions. Instead, some seem to have titles, like with Ongar the World-Weary, Havilstein Hoar-Blood, or Signy Home-Wrecker. While Nord names are mostly fictional, they are very much based off of names from the North Germanic languages, such as Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish.
Orc: Orcs have both first and last names, and have an interesting format. They all seem to have a certain ring to them that just makes them sound Orcish and primitive, and they are all fictional. The one solid thing about Orcs that can be pointed out is that their surnames are preceded by a gender-defining prefix. gro- for males, and gra- for females.
Redguard: Much like the Nords, many of them don't seem to have last names, although there are a few. Redguard names can either be French in origin, English in origin, or completely fictional but made to resemble the others.
Khajiit titles: This is a list of all the known titles for Khajiit.
Prefixes:
M' or Ma' - Means "child" or "apprentice", and can also be used to refer to one who is a virgin.
J' Ji' or Ja' - Means "a bachelor" or "young adult", usually used to refer to one who is young and lacks experience.
S' - means "adult" or "an adult".
Ra' and Ri' - used to imply great status, Ri' being the highest honorific among the Khajiit, used by leaders of cities or tribes.
Dro' - means "grandfather" and is meant as a sign of respect.
Suffixes:
-Jo - means "wizard"
-Dar - means "thief". Does not necessarily refer to a criminal, but rather one who is clever or particularly gifted with their hands.
-Do - means "warrior".
Conclusion: Well, I hope this was helpful to some people, as it took quite alot of time and effort both to write and research. Hopefully it will provide a way for people new to the Elder Scrolls universe to pick suitable names for their characters. Much of this is original research, with the exception of the Khajiit titles, so excuse me if I made any mistakes.
References: UESPWiki was used as a resource for the writing of this article.
We'll go in alphabetical order.
Altmer: As near as I can tell, there are no last names for the Altmer, with the exception of the Camorans, so it can be assumed that perhaps all Altmer names are unique. All Altmer names are fictional, and sound a bit like the Elvish names from the Lord of the Rings universe. One common thing in many Altmer names is the suffix -il, such as with Hindaril, Eldamil, Areldil, and many other Altmer.
Argonian: Like the Altmer, it's rare to see a last name. The Argonians have fictional names as well, and they seem to focus on using many vowels in their names. Some Argonian, like Kud-Ei and Deetum-Ja, seem to have a suffix that may or may not be a pseudo-surname. It could also possibly be similar to the titles that the Khajiit use. Lastly, some Argonian names are not names but clever phrases that describe the Argonian, such as with Hauls-Ropes-Faster and Sings-Like-Thunder.
Bosmer: Like their fellow elves, the Altmer, Bosmer don't have last names, and all their names are fictional. These names sound much like the Altmer names, but have a somewhat different format. Many of them seem to end with a similar vowel-consonant ending, such as -il, -or, -en, or -in. Naturally, there are a few exceptions to this, but that seems to be the most common thing.
Breton: Our first human race, which means one thing. Real names! The Breton have perhaps the most recognizable format, being primarily comprised of French names. They also all have surnames, unlike the Altmer or Bosmer, and those are also French in origin.
Dunmer: The Dunmer seem to be the only elven race that actually has surnames (if you don't count the Orsimer). Like the other Elves, their names are fictional, and sound a bit like Tolkien's elves. However, the Dunmer names are the most human-sounding names, and the fact that they have surnames draws a similarity to the humans as well.
Imperial: The Imperials, like the Breton and Dunmer, have both a first and last name. The Imperial naming pattern is also easily recognized, being based off of names from the ancient Roman Empire, which the Imperial culture is heavily based off of.
Khajiit: The Khajiit are like their fellow beast class, the Argonians, in that they don't have surnames. Instead, many of the Khajiit, though not all, seem to carry a prefix or suffix that acts as a sort of title, such as with Ra'Jhan, S'Drassa, or M'raaj-Dar (who carries both a prefix and suffix.) I will go into the meanings of these titles at the end of this article.
Nord: Unlike the Breton or Imperial races, this is one human race that doesn't seem to have many with surnames, although there are a couple of exceptions. Instead, some seem to have titles, like with Ongar the World-Weary, Havilstein Hoar-Blood, or Signy Home-Wrecker. While Nord names are mostly fictional, they are very much based off of names from the North Germanic languages, such as Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish.
Orc: Orcs have both first and last names, and have an interesting format. They all seem to have a certain ring to them that just makes them sound Orcish and primitive, and they are all fictional. The one solid thing about Orcs that can be pointed out is that their surnames are preceded by a gender-defining prefix. gro- for males, and gra- for females.
Redguard: Much like the Nords, many of them don't seem to have last names, although there are a few. Redguard names can either be French in origin, English in origin, or completely fictional but made to resemble the others.
Khajiit titles: This is a list of all the known titles for Khajiit.
Prefixes:
M' or Ma' - Means "child" or "apprentice", and can also be used to refer to one who is a virgin.
J' Ji' or Ja' - Means "a bachelor" or "young adult", usually used to refer to one who is young and lacks experience.
S' - means "adult" or "an adult".
Ra' and Ri' - used to imply great status, Ri' being the highest honorific among the Khajiit, used by leaders of cities or tribes.
Dro' - means "grandfather" and is meant as a sign of respect.
Suffixes:
-Jo - means "wizard"
-Dar - means "thief". Does not necessarily refer to a criminal, but rather one who is clever or particularly gifted with their hands.
-Do - means "warrior".
Conclusion: Well, I hope this was helpful to some people, as it took quite alot of time and effort both to write and research. Hopefully it will provide a way for people new to the Elder Scrolls universe to pick suitable names for their characters. Much of this is original research, with the exception of the Khajiit titles, so excuse me if I made any mistakes.
References: UESPWiki was used as a resource for the writing of this article.
