Names

The names of he various races on Oberon are many and varied in style but each, usually, has an internal logic which they follow.

Dwarves

Dwarves have forenames, surnames and clan names.

Their *forenames* are very similar to that of Humans in that they usually have a meaning in the Dravanic (the Dwarven language). Examples are:

• Dremma ('Wise')
• Drunn ('Sturdy')
• Hoghoun ('Tall')
• Rosli ('Pretty')
• Thoro ('Glum)

Dwarven *surnames* are nearly always 'compound' words in the form of an adjective then a noun. In Dravanic such words are little more than grunts and so most Dwarven families have taken on their Merebian translations of their names for use amongst Humans. These names commonly translate into words with an association with rock, metal, mining, smithing, engineering or brewing. This is most likely deliberate as Dwarves do like to project an image of strength. No known Dwarf has "Pinkflower" as a surname! Examples of Dwarven surnames are:

• Axenshaft
• Blackrock
• Bronzefork
• Direforge
• Emberstone
• Flintmaul
• Hammerstein
• Irontank
• Underhelm

Dwarven *clan-names* follow similar forms to surnames, which should be expected as clan names are just surnames that are used to denote allegiance. Common clan-names are:

• The Elderbeards
• The Deepminers
• The Goldeaxes
• The Finebuilders
• The Stonefists

Elves

Elves have a simple naming structure based on one name that doubles as both a forename and a surname. Additionally many people within a family will share that name. To shorter lived races this can be very confusing unless you've had centuries to get to know each one personally. And so, primarily to aid interactions with Humans, they have adopted a 'forename-surname' variation.

Elven forenames are typically short (one or two syllable) names that don't really have a meaning in either Merebian or Sidhe but sound pleasing. Examples of Elven forenames are:

• Admar
• Elonth
• Methild
• Nuala
• Rorik
• Starr
• Tolith

Elven surnames are really their forenames in Sidhe or Sylvan. These are longer names, often interspersed with hyphens or apostrophes to split out syllable groups. Examples of Elven names are:

• Adaphiniala
• Bwar'rinian
• Miraquinalis
• Qualnar-hafal
• Vandalisa
• Valarieth

Gnomes

Gnomes have forenames and surnames. Their forenames tend to be short but their surnames are long. In Gnomish society the longer a surname the more important that Gnome sounds (if if they aren't). For millennia Gnomes have been adding syllables to their surnames to try to make their fellow Gnomes be more impressed with them.

Typical Gnome forenames are:

• Cirys
• Domeer
• Firpinn
• Geddin
• Mollzi
• Panket
• Slenbe

Typical Gnome surnames are:

• Blabawackanutweg
• Fnemylmeethwinwyl
• Glonsmowamdavem
• Lyllamaphulmoplilan
• Rumplestiltskinensmut

Gnomes typically tell non-Gnomes their surnames once and then just end up being called by their forename.

Humans

Human names work very much like human names in the "real world" in that they have a forename and a surname, which is shared by everyone in the family and is hereditary (usually via the paternal line). The different human nations have very different sounding names though and an individual's name can instantly place the nation that their family originated from.

Dominus

Names of humans originally from Dominus tend to have names that sound like people from the central Mediterranean - specifically Italian and Greek sounding names.

Alea'Zhim

Names of humans originally from Alea'Zhim tend to have names that sound like people from North Africa - specifically Egyptian.

Bal-Morath

The people of Bal-Morath have names that sound like those of of south-western Europe and specifically either Spanish or Portuguese.

Chundria

Chundrites have names that sound like those found in eastern Europe, such as Poland.

Erganth

Erhanthans have names that, to us, would sound typically English or French.

Thorast

Residents of Thorast have very Germanic sounding names.