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Ta'agra and Khajiiti Names

JamuThatsWho
JamuThatsWho
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I've been doing a lot of research lately on Ta'agra and Khajiit naming conventions while trying to create unique titles for my Necromancer.

After looking at honorifics, apostrophe use and how names are formed, I landed on a couple of ideas and wanted some input from like-minded lore fans.

I've read that Khajiit choose names for the sound, and that they have "patterns of meaning" which relate to the individual. So I did some digging, looked up some phrases and scoured NPC lists for tips on lore-friendly formation.

2E names seem to be the most unique, with all sorts of different prefixes rather than the generic honorifics seen in Morrowind, Oblivion and Skyrim. You get Fa', Na, Qa', Ak', Zhaj' and all kinds of interesting combinations, for example.

So my first attempt was Fa'tenurr-jo, meaning "Night One" with the mage/scholar honorific, but I didn't end up liking it.

Currently, I've gone with Mor'srenaz-jo, meaning "Dark Dawn". I like this one better, but I'm still playing around with making it more natural and less obvious.

As an experiment, I came up with Var'jasiir-jo, meaning "Life's Twilight", then started removing letters to make it flow better, sound less contrived and more conceptual.

So far I've got;

Va'jasii-jo
V'jasii-jo
Va'siir-jo
V'siir-jo

Basically, I want to imply meaning through combining Ta'agra words without being too explicit, i.e. take fragments of relevant words and mixing them to create the essence of a phrase that conveys a general idea.

I'm leaning towards the 3rd one at the moment, with the first part of "Life" and the second half of "Twilight". Does anyone have any advice, insight or thoughts on this?

Thank you!

Edit: these are the main resources I've been using.

https://www.taagra.com/

https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Khajiit_Names

https://en.m.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Khajiiti_Honorifics

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/interviews-3-booksellers
Edited by JamuThatsWho on November 19, 2020 12:55AM
@JamuThatsWho - PC EU - CP2000

Main:
Vasiir-jo - Khajiit Necromancer, AD

Alts:
Sul-Mael Hlarothran - Dunmer Sorcerer, EP

Ushaar-Ixaht - Argonian Nightblade, DC

Rorbakh gro-Khraag - Orc Templar, AD

Anduuroon - Altmer Warden, EP

Travanius Braelia - Imperial Dragonknight, DC
  • Richard_Arisen
    Richard_Arisen
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    @JamuThatsWho Hello! Long time Khajiit lorehound here. It's been a little while since I did most of my intensive digging into the matter, but I did at one point co-lead a Khajiit-oriented roleplay guild with several friends who also liked to delve deep into Khajiiti lore, so I'll do what I can to help.

    1. For starters, you may consider whether you envision your character to be particularly special and exceptional--we're talking on the level of great Manes, monarchs, arch-clergy, and other such rulers--or if your character is any less than the absolute greatest of those aforementioned positions.

    Because having 2 honourifics at once is generally avoided by most Khajiit, as they consider it extremely ignorant and/or prideful for someone to use more than 1 honourific at a time without being that great. Unfortunately, the only source I could find on this was a UOL linked in this UESP article about Khajiit Names, but I could almost swear on my life that I once saw the sentiment expressed in-game somewhere, I just can't remember it.
    https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Khajiit_Names#Honorifics

    2. The other things to keep in mind, convention-wise, are time and place. In the Khajiiti Honourifics lorebook you linked, its author, Radurra-dra, mentions that the most common placement of honourifics is at the end of a name. Only what she calls the "faddish youth" of Alabaster, at this time, apply it to the front, like we see done in future-set TES games. So if your character is not from Alabaster, it'd make the most sense to keep whatever honourific you choose at the end.

    3. I love the idea of using Ta'agra words to construct a hidden meaning in a name. I've done it myself for one of my Khajiit, actually! Alijhavanzi-ra. His name (sans honourific) means "high tradition," referring to his belief in one of the old pre-ri'Datta religion variants as being superior to the current system (presumably, his parents were much the same and hoping for their son to be that way too!).

    That said, it's also often painfully obvious when people have such names. xD I can tell from just one glance at a name who's spent some time on the Ta'agra website, heh. I think what my character's name may have going for it is the fact that one of the words is so uncommon, and has so many letters, that it might just get glossed over unless you know what you're looking for.

    So I think smashing the words together could be a good strategy to make it more inconspicuous. The apostrophe will just make it too obvious--and, as mentioned before, the Khajiit frown upon having 2 simultaneous honourifics anyway. I also like your idea of corrupting the words a bit to disguise them further.

    Hope this helped!
  • JamuThatsWho
    JamuThatsWho
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    @Richard_Arisen Thank you so much for the reply! I really appreciate it. I'm a massive lore junkie and always try to be consistent in the games I play.

    I think you're right about apostrophes. I like the aesthetic, but it's not really in keeping with 2E conventions.

    I've settled on Vasiir-jo, combining parts of "Var" and "Jasiir". It's pretty much exactly what I was looking for.

    Thanks again! Jobal kha'jay!
    Edited by JamuThatsWho on November 19, 2020 2:21PM
    @JamuThatsWho - PC EU - CP2000

    Main:
    Vasiir-jo - Khajiit Necromancer, AD

    Alts:
    Sul-Mael Hlarothran - Dunmer Sorcerer, EP

    Ushaar-Ixaht - Argonian Nightblade, DC

    Rorbakh gro-Khraag - Orc Templar, AD

    Anduuroon - Altmer Warden, EP

    Travanius Braelia - Imperial Dragonknight, DC
  • Richard_Arisen
    Richard_Arisen
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    Awesome, glad I could help! :D That name sounds pretty cool, and very Khajiiti, so I think you've done quite well with it. ^-^
  • SantieClaws
    SantieClaws
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    Lovely name yes.

    Now just stick Claws on the end of it :smile:

    Yours with paws
    Santie Claws
    Shunrr's Skooma Oasis - The Movie. A housing video like no other ...
    Find it here - https://youtube.com/user/wenxue2222

    Clan Claws - now recruiting khajiit and like minded others for parties, fishing and other khajiit stuff. Contact this one for an invite.

    PAWS (Positively Against Wrip-off Stuff) - Say No to Crown Crates!

    https://www.imperialtradingcompany.eu/
  • RaddlemanNumber7
    RaddlemanNumber7
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    This khajiiti Vestige of mine is an avatar of the Missing God. He is so important a personage he has three honorifics.

    Ri-Ri'Maaszi-do = Most Holy Warrior of Necessity – he does whatever is needed:

    Ri-Ri' Doubly honoured, or Holy-holy, or Most Holy.
    Maaszi Necessity, a synonym of inevitability, so also one of doom.
    do Warrior

    He has an apostrophe because that parvenu Rid-Thar-ri'Datta has one. Maybe I should have given him two ;)
    PC EU
  • Eporem
    Eporem
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    I appreciate these links to the naming of the Khajiit as well...I have a fairly new Khajiit character of which now I want to change her name.
  • JamuThatsWho
    JamuThatsWho
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    Eporem wrote: »
    I appreciate these links to the naming of the Khajiit as well...I have a fairly new Khajiit character of which now I want to change her name.

    Haha! Believe me, I put an unhealthy amount of time into this :lol:
    @JamuThatsWho - PC EU - CP2000

    Main:
    Vasiir-jo - Khajiit Necromancer, AD

    Alts:
    Sul-Mael Hlarothran - Dunmer Sorcerer, EP

    Ushaar-Ixaht - Argonian Nightblade, DC

    Rorbakh gro-Khraag - Orc Templar, AD

    Anduuroon - Altmer Warden, EP

    Travanius Braelia - Imperial Dragonknight, DC
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