Post by DOG on Jun 5, 2008 19:06:15 GMT -5
Names
In the Warriors series, names are very important for the clan cats. The name of a cat indicates his or her rank, and ceremonies are performed when a cat is ready to receive his/her apprentice or warrior name.
That's all well and good, but how exactly do clan names work, anyway?
When a kit is born, they receive a name that describes them, followed by the suffix of -kit. The name that appears before the suffix, is called a prefix. Once a kit ages to six moons (roughly six months in human terms), they will receive their apprentice name, which is the prefix of their Kit name, followed by the suffix of -paw.
When a cat becomes a warrior, the leader gives them their full warrior name, with a suffix that reflects the cat's appearance, personality, or a general trait that the leader deems would make a good name for them.
The name of a warrior is not just a compound word of two things that might sound good together. These names are formed with a purpose, and not just thrown together to get the job done.
The first part of a cat's name is a noun, adjective, or present tense verb. Nouns are people, places, and things, but in the case of a warrior name, you're more likely to use a 'thing'. Plants, types of animals. Adjectives are words that describe, such as colors or contrasts: dark, light, dusty, pale, etc. Present tense verbs, however, are tricky. These are words that describe a current action, such as 'running', 'walking', or 'crawling'. Words such as 'swirl' or 'wisp' can be taken different ways; such as a verb, or a noun. It would be best to leave words that can be taken differently out of names, as it can get very confusing.
The latter half of the name is solely a noun; a thing. Claw, thorn, storm, water, wind; all are 'things'.
Names with the first word ending in a letter that the second word begins with should be separated by a hyphen. Like so: One-eye, Black-kit.
This does not mean that a name with a noun in the beginning and in the ending is an acceptable name! Try saying 'Breezeheart' or 'Dovestorm'...do they make as much sense as 'Brightheart' or 'Whitestorm'?
Warrior names aren't just names that 'sound good'. If you're having trouble deciding what's warrior-like and what isn't, Native American names are quite similar.
However, 'Featherstone' would not be acceptable. These are two nouns, both in the beginning and ending; I find that most names like this are not proper warrior names. However, if you switch the two and make 'Stonefeather', this would be acceptable.
It's a very confusing processes, which isn't always easy.
I'm still a little confused..
For a simple example, let's say a gray-black kit is born. The kit's mother decides to name him Smokekit, because his fur resembles a smokey color. When Smokekit ages to six moons, he then takes on the Apprentice name of Smokepaw. Smokepaw, when he becomes a warrior, then becomes Smokepelt, to honor the fact that his pelt color resembles smoke.
In general, kits are named for their appearance, as their mother names them when they are still nursing at her belly. Whether it be fur color, body build, or noticeable markings and features, a kit is most likely going to be named after what they look like.
Important points to note:
- Suffixes are lowercase, as the prefix and suffix combined form one name. So a cat would be named Brackentail, rather than BrackenTail.
-The suffix -star may -only- be used by Leaders.
- Star can not be used as a prefix, as Star is bestowed only upon leaders, by starclan, as a suffix.
- Cats are also named for the native plant and animal life in their clan's territory, both for the kit's physical appearance, and perhaps for the queen's admiration of native species.
Okay, so, can I name my cat after a phoenix? Or a centaur or something? Those are cool!
In the Warriors series, these are domestic cats that consider larger cats such as Lions and Tigers to be mythical beings. Fantasy creatures such as Dragons, Phoenixes, and other beasts common in fantasy stories would be foreign terms to these cats, and in turn would not be appropriate prefixes or suffixes for clan names.
If I can't name my cat after one of those, how about a Coyote, or a kangaroo, or a wolf?
When creating a character to play in the Warriors' universe, one must also consider the environment these cats live in. The authors of the series were born in Britain, and if one reads the series, it is easy to deduce that the clan cats live somewhere in the United Kingdom, by the animals they encounter (Badgers, foxes, voles), the environments the cats live in, and the plantlife native to the cats' homes. This may help when creating warrior-names, as wildlife and plants native to America would not work as prefixes for warrior cat names.
Clan cats also do not live in the type of territories that the tribe of the Warriors series live in (Even Cliffclan's territory is safe compared to the difficulties and sheer precipices of the Tribe's dangerous mountain home), and animals known to the tribe may not necessarily be known to clan cats.
You are not limited to what is on this list; there are many other possible name combinations that are unaccounted for. However, your best bet to be accepted is to follow the guidelines given to you on this page and choose recommended names.
If you see something you believe should not be on the list (for example, if you see something like 'tractor'), feel free to bring it up with the staff.
================================
Contents:
- Physical Appearance
- Environmental
- Animals/Plants
- Unique Attributes
- Suffixes
In the Warriors series, names are very important for the clan cats. The name of a cat indicates his or her rank, and ceremonies are performed when a cat is ready to receive his/her apprentice or warrior name.
That's all well and good, but how exactly do clan names work, anyway?
When a kit is born, they receive a name that describes them, followed by the suffix of -kit. The name that appears before the suffix, is called a prefix. Once a kit ages to six moons (roughly six months in human terms), they will receive their apprentice name, which is the prefix of their Kit name, followed by the suffix of -paw.
When a cat becomes a warrior, the leader gives them their full warrior name, with a suffix that reflects the cat's appearance, personality, or a general trait that the leader deems would make a good name for them.
The name of a warrior is not just a compound word of two things that might sound good together. These names are formed with a purpose, and not just thrown together to get the job done.
The first part of a cat's name is a noun, adjective, or present tense verb. Nouns are people, places, and things, but in the case of a warrior name, you're more likely to use a 'thing'. Plants, types of animals. Adjectives are words that describe, such as colors or contrasts: dark, light, dusty, pale, etc. Present tense verbs, however, are tricky. These are words that describe a current action, such as 'running', 'walking', or 'crawling'. Words such as 'swirl' or 'wisp' can be taken different ways; such as a verb, or a noun. It would be best to leave words that can be taken differently out of names, as it can get very confusing.
The latter half of the name is solely a noun; a thing. Claw, thorn, storm, water, wind; all are 'things'.
Names with the first word ending in a letter that the second word begins with should be separated by a hyphen. Like so: One-eye, Black-kit.
This does not mean that a name with a noun in the beginning and in the ending is an acceptable name! Try saying 'Breezeheart' or 'Dovestorm'...do they make as much sense as 'Brightheart' or 'Whitestorm'?
Warrior names aren't just names that 'sound good'. If you're having trouble deciding what's warrior-like and what isn't, Native American names are quite similar.
However, 'Featherstone' would not be acceptable. These are two nouns, both in the beginning and ending; I find that most names like this are not proper warrior names. However, if you switch the two and make 'Stonefeather', this would be acceptable.
It's a very confusing processes, which isn't always easy.
I'm still a little confused..
For a simple example, let's say a gray-black kit is born. The kit's mother decides to name him Smokekit, because his fur resembles a smokey color. When Smokekit ages to six moons, he then takes on the Apprentice name of Smokepaw. Smokepaw, when he becomes a warrior, then becomes Smokepelt, to honor the fact that his pelt color resembles smoke.
In general, kits are named for their appearance, as their mother names them when they are still nursing at her belly. Whether it be fur color, body build, or noticeable markings and features, a kit is most likely going to be named after what they look like.
Important points to note:
- Suffixes are lowercase, as the prefix and suffix combined form one name. So a cat would be named Brackentail, rather than BrackenTail.
-The suffix -star may -only- be used by Leaders.
- Star can not be used as a prefix, as Star is bestowed only upon leaders, by starclan, as a suffix.
- Cats are also named for the native plant and animal life in their clan's territory, both for the kit's physical appearance, and perhaps for the queen's admiration of native species.
Okay, so, can I name my cat after a phoenix? Or a centaur or something? Those are cool!
In the Warriors series, these are domestic cats that consider larger cats such as Lions and Tigers to be mythical beings. Fantasy creatures such as Dragons, Phoenixes, and other beasts common in fantasy stories would be foreign terms to these cats, and in turn would not be appropriate prefixes or suffixes for clan names.
If I can't name my cat after one of those, how about a Coyote, or a kangaroo, or a wolf?
When creating a character to play in the Warriors' universe, one must also consider the environment these cats live in. The authors of the series were born in Britain, and if one reads the series, it is easy to deduce that the clan cats live somewhere in the United Kingdom, by the animals they encounter (Badgers, foxes, voles), the environments the cats live in, and the plantlife native to the cats' homes. This may help when creating warrior-names, as wildlife and plants native to America would not work as prefixes for warrior cat names.
Clan cats also do not live in the type of territories that the tribe of the Warriors series live in (Even Cliffclan's territory is safe compared to the difficulties and sheer precipices of the Tribe's dangerous mountain home), and animals known to the tribe may not necessarily be known to clan cats.
You are not limited to what is on this list; there are many other possible name combinations that are unaccounted for. However, your best bet to be accepted is to follow the guidelines given to you on this page and choose recommended names.
If you see something you believe should not be on the list (for example, if you see something like 'tractor'), feel free to bring it up with the staff.
================================
Contents:
- Physical Appearance
- Environmental
- Animals/Plants
- Unique Attributes
- Suffixes