User:Rekiin/sandbox2

This article describes the structure, culture and etiquette of Chiseian names, primarily focusing on Shirakawan language and Kannaguru naming schemes but also covering other minorities and regional variations. This article is Out of Character (OOC) and is intended to help people easily tie in characters or lore with]

Quick Shirakawan Names
Generic Japanese names will generally suffice for Shirakawan characters in a hurry, but try to adhere to Shirakawan language phonetics where possible.
 * If a name starts with E, it will usually be written and pronounced with a /j/ sound before it; i.e Eiji would be Yeiji.
 * If a name starts with O, it will usually be written and pronounced with a /w/ sound before it; i.e Osamu will be Wosamu.
 * S and Z sounds will become Sh (/ɕ/) and Zh (/ʑ/) before -y, -i or -e. i.e Seiji will become Sheiji. Zenigata will become Zhenigata.
 * If a name has K between two vowels (i.e Daisuke), the /k/ becomes an /x/ (like the -ch sound in Loch Ness). i.e Daisuke becomes Daisuhe or Daisukhe.
 * This is not the case if the -k is at the head of a word within a compound; i.e Furukawa (Furu + Kawa) is not Furukhawa. If unsure just leave it as a k.
 * H- sounds will usually become F- sounds. i.e Haruki would become Faruki.
 * This is NOT the case if followed by -y. Hyuuga does not become Fyuuga.

Normal people will usually have boring toponymic surnames; before the 1950s its fairly common for lower classes to not have surnames at all, unless they're involved in politics, and just go by profession or hometown - a lot of these are now new surnames.

Quick Kannaguru names
Most Kannaguru do not have formal surnames at all, and go by first names directly. Higher status (especially aristocracy or any kind of politician) go by patronymics - Isonkur Retarayn is Retarayn, Son of Isonkur; if they have a very distinguished or famous ancestor they may use that instead of or alongside a patronymic. A proud descendant of Kapapkur might for example call themselves Kapapkur Retarayn.

'Kamuy' (godly, divine) is an honorific suffix, and can be attached to anything of great importance or prestige, including people; historically it was an actual honour bestowed by Saramosiri monarchs. It is equivalent to 'the Great'. The converse is Kunnekamuy or Wenkamuy, 'dark' or 'evil spirit'; this is equivalent to 'the Terrible' and is often used for tyrannical/violent historical figures.

Ujina
The earliest Shirakawan names, which still persist to a large degree among the senior [Kijin] and [Bokushi] clans, are derived from ancient Yashiman and Hinoan noble families (Uji) which migrated to Shirakawa between the 8th and 12th centuries, as well as the names used by the old non-Yashimese Taneran and Karaic elites with whom they intermarried. These names are known as Ujina (氏名).

Ujina were commonly derived from geographical areas that the clan controlled/originated from, or the clan's professional role in the Court or provincial administration.

House Names
House Names are the most common form of family name in Shirakawa. Historically, they were derived from the address of the bearer, and were used to differentiate between different households of vast aristocratic families, changing regularly. In time however, they became more permanent and hereditary between generations. By the 15th century, it became fashionable for prominent laymen, such as merchants and scholars, who were not permitted to take up legal family names, to use house names instead - this practice would eventually spread to almost all commoners, and thus 74% of Shirakawan Yashimese names today are derived from the names of 18th or 19th century streets, villages and neighborhoods.