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Altmer naming convention

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neht's picture
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Joined: 05/07/2020

it came to my attention that Altmer usually only use their given names, and nothing else. however, in ESO we learn one specimen's full name:

Lirendel Rumilion 'len Inecil Culanarin Salolinwe 'ata Piryaden-Itelnoril Hilnore Firlamil 'cal Ternerben-Nivulirel

now, the in-game book, Guide to Altmeri Culture, mentions "full name—taking care to call upon matrilineal, patrilineal, and clan honorifics where appropriate." if it's in order, it would indicate that everything after 'len is matrilineal, after 'ata patrilineal, and after 'cal would be the clan. it was also reinforced by recurring statement that "ata" in Ayleidoon means "father".

the real question is... what are those names? is Rumilion just his second name, or something else? then the biggest issue - both the matrilineal and patrilineal parts include three names, but whose are they exactly? are any of them titles/honorifics? if an Altmer has parents from two different clans, do they include both in their name?

my wild guess about the matri- and patrilineal parts would be that it might go like parent-grandparent-great grandparent, but of course i've got nothing to support this claim.

i know that's a lot of questions i'm hoping to answer here, or at least brainstorm it with you good people, but this particular lore detail can be very interesting to explore in my opinion.

cpt.Od's picture
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Joined: 07/02/2010

I haven't played ESO. Maybe those Altmer with just one name have renounced their families. We mostly find them on Tamriel's mainland. Or perhaps those with only one name have no breeding to speak of. Or maybe yet, they were hatched. The PGE talks about Altmer giving their children numbers which only resemble names to foreigners... Sorry I can't help.

They have no real names of their own, only combinations of numbers that, when spoken aloud, sound to human ears as such.

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/his-names-numeric-mystery

neht's picture
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Joined: 05/07/2020

oh, i'm fully aware of the number thing actually, and i think it's fascinating. however ESO provided more context on how full names are structured, so that's what interests me the most.

it's only one case, mind you, all other Altmer in Summerset also just use only their given names, except for very rare cases of a surname being present. Perhaps for them the numbers are more understandable and so unique that they don't have to say which family they're from, because it's obvious to them. Then again, it could be contradicted by the fact that there are multiple Altmer with the same name sometimes... Hm.

Fiore1300's picture
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Joined: 07/24/2011

I think all your suggestions are perfectly reasonable. That certainly seems what the developers were going for. As for the second name - Rumilion - its hard to say. Surnames are uncommon with elves but not unheard of, but they are already somewhat accounted for by the later names tracing that individual's patriarchal and matriarchal lineage. If I had to guess, its something akin to a second first name. Just as people sometimes give their children middle (or indeed multiple middle) names.

neht's picture
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Joined: 05/07/2020

thank you! i think that makes sense - perhaps, as you said, second given names can happen but aren't "mandatory" so to speak.

i think the last mystery to solve here would be the speciment's clan name, Ternerben-Nivulirel. i would assume it could indicate the inclusion of both mother's and father's clans, if they come from different ones? all the other clans/families in lore that we know of consist of one word only, so perhaps this speculation isn't too far-fetched.