Naming in Oshaharu (pǎj) culture involves both a short form and a long form of naming.
Short forms of names consist of the following parts:
Personal Name (pǎj jɯ́): This is the personal syllable assigned to the child. Normally selected by an astrologer, this usually reflects an attribute it is believed the child should aspire to or will embody. As these names are seen as divinely-ordained, they cannot be changed once selected by the person to whom the name is given.
Patronymic (pǎj sɛ́): This comes from the personal name given to the father. All siblings will have the same patronymic.
Matrimonial Name (pǎj mâj): While a wife keeps her lineage name, her patronymic changes to the name of her spouse.
Lineage Name ((pǎj t͡sɨ̌ɰ): This is a clan name which applies to all descendants of a given ancestor who was granted the lineage name. These names are tied to specific castes (t͡sɨ̌ɰ) or social groups, and it is extremely easy to determine a person's social standing based on their lineage name. For example, a lineage name like já (soldier) is a name from a lower caste; ɰɛ (humility) would be from a higher caste; and tâɰ (impurity) would be a name from a very low caste.
Normally, the order presented is Lineage Name - Patronymic/Matrimonial Name - Personal Name.
Similar to the short form in that there's the personal name, but this becomes complicated because there then is a series of patronymics going back as far as possible (known as pǎj kaj). If a matrimonial name is involved, this is always followed by mâj.
Names, seen as divinely-gifted, can only be changed by "divine will". Normally, this means that, if a person falls out of favor of the regime, their personal name would be likely changed to something very deprecating, such as tâɰ (filth), ŋí (evil), or lɔj (snake, as snakes are a symbol of treachery). Their lineage name would then be changed to reflect the lower social status, as would the names of their descendants and, depending on the severity of the crime, the names of the ancestors.
Short Form Naming
Short forms of names consist of the following parts:
Personal Name (pǎj jɯ́): This is the personal syllable assigned to the child. Normally selected by an astrologer, this usually reflects an attribute it is believed the child should aspire to or will embody. As these names are seen as divinely-ordained, they cannot be changed once selected by the person to whom the name is given.
Patronymic (pǎj sɛ́): This comes from the personal name given to the father. All siblings will have the same patronymic.
Matrimonial Name (pǎj mâj): While a wife keeps her lineage name, her patronymic changes to the name of her spouse.
Lineage Name ((pǎj t͡sɨ̌ɰ): This is a clan name which applies to all descendants of a given ancestor who was granted the lineage name. These names are tied to specific castes (t͡sɨ̌ɰ) or social groups, and it is extremely easy to determine a person's social standing based on their lineage name. For example, a lineage name like já (soldier) is a name from a lower caste; ɰɛ (humility) would be from a higher caste; and tâɰ (impurity) would be a name from a very low caste.
Normally, the order presented is Lineage Name - Patronymic/Matrimonial Name - Personal Name.
Long Form Naming
Similar to the short form in that there's the personal name, but this becomes complicated because there then is a series of patronymics going back as far as possible (known as pǎj kaj). If a matrimonial name is involved, this is always followed by mâj.
Name Changes
Names, seen as divinely-gifted, can only be changed by "divine will". Normally, this means that, if a person falls out of favor of the regime, their personal name would be likely changed to something very deprecating, such as tâɰ (filth), ŋí (evil), or lɔj (snake, as snakes are a symbol of treachery). Their lineage name would then be changed to reflect the lower social status, as would the names of their descendants and, depending on the severity of the crime, the names of the ancestors.