BUILD YOUR OWN WORLD Like what you see? Become the Master of your own Universe!

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild

Dawaran Language (Dah-war-run)

The Dawaran language group is a cluster of languages used in Eastern Samvara, an evolution of the historical fusion between the language of the Dawara clan - the family of Lily of Red and the founders of Halikvar - and local natives to the lands that they settled. The religion of Halikvar has kept the Dawaran language more or less unified; shared teachings of the Kifa (religious tradition), as well as a need to coordinate international war efforts in the 700s through 1400s, helped create what is now known as True Dawaran: a tongue that is relatively close to Emprisaran, that acts as the religious and commercial language of the region. If that tongue is True Dawaran, the many local vernaculars might be called False Dawarans - and they can be quite divergent from the trade tongue and each other.    For the purposes of gameplay, all of this cloud of mutually intelligible Dawaran languages count as a single language/language group. Those vernaculars that are more related to their non-Dawaran root tongues would count as Ashven in the North, and Miveran in the South - but these are basically peripheral languages, found where religious and state power wanes.   

Dawaran Names

While Emprisaran names are still found here (by virtue of Lily and the cultural-religious ties to the West), Dawarans have their own names as well. Most Dawaran names are based around either birds or flowers, though they can also refer to other animals that are considered graceful (often those capable of flight, still). A set of common Dawaran names include:
  • Data: petal
  • Rosha: curious
  • Kelik: clever
  • Karin: raven
  • Mattel: peacock
  • Sitta: song
  • Arin: heron
  • Kenep: woodpecker
  • Kien: dove
  • Dileg: kingfisher
  • Tirin: parrot
  • Mevet: ibis
  • Kiasa: cormorant
  • Zella: starling
  • Hineva: hibiscus
  • Sesh: fir
  • Ambet: lotus
  • Karna: poppy
  • Patwa: rose
  • Yuma: jasmine
  • Breda: cypress
  • Devez: cedar
  • Dreni: sleeper
  • Kitha: betrothed
  • Tel: dew
  • Biba: ascetic
  • Apan: coal
  • Doria: sparrow
  • Anarla: destined one
  • Dinisha: punisher
  • Yuli: tall one
  • Harida: oleander
  • Jay: olive
  • Onva: grape
  • Salee: seagull
  • Tika: maize
  • Zuli: tulip
  • Tarwa: carnation
  • Yasea: hyacinth
  • Chelsee: jasmine
  • Mulua: daisy
  • Saivala: lavender
  • Dali: pine
  • Arilo: willow
  • Rayar: juniper
  • Alissar: hazel
  • Bellahn: oak
  • Tineer: fig
  • Siti: birch
  • Duree: cherry
Some Dawaran names, especially in the cities, have been trending towards aggressively modern spellings/phrasings for their names. What this means for players or NPCs is that they can be named direct translations - Lily, Orchid, Tulip, Daisy, Willow, Juniper, Poppy, and Rose are all perfectly viable Dawaran names nowadays (even if they were reserved for the timeless prophets once upon a time).    Now, you might also want a name with some historical weight. Then you might go with these historic names:
  • Sumita
  • Biraka
  • Okila
  • Andala
  • Jamat
  • Oladati
  • Birasa
  • Twedi
  • Sevni
  • Ulenim
  • Dinevra
  • Ambali
  • Heskeba
  • Sapatwa
  • Sinoja
  • Sugita
  • Dovidet
  • Jedeji
  • Tikarja
  • Sevim
  • Erila
  • Etsaba
  • Zaraja
  • Emeji
  • Levela
  • Devi
Or, of course, you could go with a Halikvar religious name such as Anthuria, Salima, or Dalima.   

Surnames

As for last names, traditional Dawaran language does not use surnames outside of important clans or noble families - and these family names were mostly administrative honorifics, that did not over-ride one's true name.    A traditional name goes like this: First Name + Matronym + Attribution (optional honorific after). A matronym is a name that is basically "child of (mother's name)" - typically said by adding the prefix Bit- or Bet-. An attribution is either one's home or occupation. Farmers, small landowners, or other mostly-sedentary people tend to go with place over occupation; typically, using the prefix Sim-. Craftsmen or mobile folk tend to go with occupational names.   But what about those with no mother, no occupation? There are generic options, which also serve as a kind of "John/Jane Doe" generic fillin: Bet-ahali for the matronym, and Sim-Kapi for the attribution. That is, "child of the supreme" - aka God - for the matronym, and "from somewhere" for the attribution.    It is also worth noting that surnames are a bit in flux right now in some places. Kiami, Siashi, and some places in Severesh have begun encouraging commonfolk to turn their attribution names into hereditary surnames, for administrative purposes. So, to some good occupational attribution names:
  • Setwa: librarian, archivist, scholar
  • Mandi: cobbler
  • Fell: soldier
  • Kisi: farmer
  • Sikwar: miner
  • Yaswa: doctor
  • Lon: smith
  • Jura: weaver
  • Darit: tailor
  • Nadi: carpenter
  • Sowa: merchant
  • Nali: sailor
  • Rokosh: rancher
  • Abi: hermit, monk, or other honorable exile
  • Haba: acolyte or priest-assistant
But those are all commonfolk. What about your fancy noblemen? Well, there are plenty of prestigious clan names as well. Some of them are so big and flashy that they exist in a whole different category: the Dawara clan, the Nonawara clan, and the Enivar family are all ascended bloodlines tied to major institutions. But, if you want a noble that isn't quite royal:
  • Karlusa: great house of severesh, ascendant
  • Kiadawara: great house of severesh
  • Minasawara: great house of severesh
  • Shensawara: great house of severesh
  • Mitawara: great house of Kiami
  • Soyusa: great house of Kiami
  • Etanava: controversial Ashakahdan nobility
  • Swepeja: ancient and pious Siashan clan
  • Emeji: large Sebikadan Sumoxan clan
  • Imasha: large Sebikadan Sumoxan clan

Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!