Dundulanyä/Names

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The Dundulanyä people have a naming tradition which strongly reflects their traditional matriarchal and matrilocal society. Their naming customs, originating in ancient times and only slightly changed since then, are not just continued by the Neo-Dundulanyä or Lārutäteṣai peoples, but they have also been extended to all other ethnicities of the present-day Dundulanyä Confederation, as well as to other peoples of Lusaṃrīte and Jūhma.

All names are adapted to the morphophonology of their language and accordingly written in the Dundulanyä script.

Dundulanyä people have three names - the lilene or surname (traditionally the clan name); the matronymic and the given name. While today clanic structures are no longer legally binding anywhere in the Dundulanyä Confederation - but are still an important part of interpersonal relationships - surnames are still transmitted exclusively matrilinearly.

Given names come from a variety of sources: some of them are native Dundulanyä roots with a clear meaning, while others are from cultures absorbed during the two millennia of Dundulanyä expansion across Lusaṃrīte and Jūhma: the earliest ones, from the cultures of Mandabuda, the Lusamritene Inland Seas, North Lusaṃrīte and some of the East Lusamritene Islands, are found and used in most of the Dundulanyä-speaking world, while others - with a few exceptions - are mostly regionally used.

The standard format is surname - matronymic - personal name(s)[1]; the latter are usually romanized in italic in order to better distinguish them.

Surnames

Matronymics

Personal names (lilarañjiḫe)

Dundulanyä personal names (lilarañjiḫe, pl. lilarāñjiḫi, from lila "person" and rañjiḫe "name") have a large variety of origins.

The majority of pan-Dundulanyä given names, not tied to any particular region or culture, are those from native Dundulanyä words or from ancient languages of Mandabuda and neighboring areas in Central Lusaṃrīte, such as Ancient Naṃratausulu, Ancient Ūdhatausulu, or Ancient Nanaḫmairulu[2], as well as a few other given names of very old, but uncertain etymology.

Many of the most common names are compound, especially those from native Dundulanyä words, and there are a few suffixes that can be used to derive new nouns from existing ones, sometimes male ones from female ones and viceversa. Being Dundulanyä itself a language with no grammatical gender, there are no regular ending patterns tied to gendered names, and it is especially notable with names from Ancient Naṃratausulu, which are head-first rather than head-final as Dundulanyä ones are; another example is the common suffix -śīlan, which forms female names when added to female ones and male names when added to male ones. Many names, furthermore, are epicene.

Despite the majority being compounds or loanwords, a few given names of Dundulanyä origin are made of a single word, such as Imāma "light" (also among the most common female names), Laire "sky", Śanu "sunset", Dāvan "sun".

Many areas of the Dundulanyä world also have their own local or regional names, taken from pre-Dundulanyä or present-day local languages; this is particularly common areas such as the Toyubeshian realms, which often spread outside that area. Some names traditionally tied to a particular region have, especially in the last century, spread through the entire Dundulanyä world (such as Amabu and Nimālśi, of Kumañjike origin, from northeastern Jūhma).

Most common given names at the 4136 census

The 4136 (248812) federal census found these names as the most common among the population of the Confederacy of the United Dundulanyä Republics.

Female names:

  1. Hamiläṣṇa
  2. Imāma
  3. Imika
  4. Laire
  5. Kālomīye
  6. Mämihūmya
  7. Fulaɂimāma
  8. Lulūb̃alka
  9. Nimālśi
  10. Emeni

Male names:

  1. Kāltaryan
  2. Dalaigam
  3. Bhām̃p̃a
  4. Khālbayam
  5. Śindagharja
  6. Daladārḫa
  7. Śanu
  8. Oṅgūdam
  9. Turābayam
  10. Ubukhai

Common given names and their meanings

Reconstructed meanings for non-Dundulanyä names are given when known, but note that the actual etymology of nearly all such names is often unknown to the average Dundulanyä.

Female names

Name Meaning (origin) Notes
Amabu sunlight (Kumañjike)
Anāka name of a turtle (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Āpita truth (Classical Toyubeshian)
Baiñśima hand of the wind (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Boyuñīla female variant of Boyuna
Bundukāri sure woman (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Bunduṣulga woman of happiness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Bhājñafaula of the caretaker's hearth (Dun.)
Camifaula of the great hearth (Dun.)
Chaudaṃde voice of a puma (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ejindīddha from Ancient Naṃratausulu yezen (star), also found as a component of many common names + the general morpheme -dīddha
Emeni diminutive of eme "star" (Dun.)
Emeniśīlan Emeni + the general morpheme -śīlan (originally "keeper")
Faula of the hearth (Dun.)
Fulābhājña caretaker of the hearth (Dun.)
Fulādāvan sun of the hearth (Dun.)
Fulāśīlan keeper of the hearth (Dun.) variants: Fulahśīlan, Fulaɂśīlan
Fulaɂimāma light of the hearth (Dun.)
Garjaghande sun through the darkness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Hālyähaika first element from Tamukāyulu haaliye "river", second element -haika of unknown origin
Hālyähulca post-classical corruption of Hālyähaika
Hamiläṣṇa first sage (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Hāreṇe dawn (Dun.) e-stem
Homānaiṣa bounty of flowers (?) (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Hūmīnaiṣa likely a variant (more commonly found) of Homānaiṣa
Hundarīmya leading woman (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Imāma light (Dun.)
Imika courageous (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Iñika possibly a variant of Imika
Kālomīye unknown e-stem
Kalyahīṃsa gifted of splendour (Tamukāyulu)
Kilahkalya splendour of the village (Tamukāyulu)
Kilahmulla protector of the village (Tamukāyulu)
Khaguśīla female variant of Khaguṣan
Laire sky, day, air (Dun.)
Lallafaula of the great hearth (Dun.)
Lanailulya island flower (Dun.)
Lähimausa emerald (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Läṣam̃b̃alka daughter of the sage (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Lilämāvya shy [and] brave (Tamukāyulu)
Liläkuhla probably from Tamukāyulu
Lulauśima blessed hand (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Lulūb̃alka blessed daughter (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu) variants: Lulaub̃alka
Lulūmausa blessed gem (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mambap̃iṅga water pearl (Tamukāyulu)
Mämihomah red flower, beautiful flower (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mämihūmya likely a variant of Mämihomah
Mämijūltä beautiful song (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mämiläṣṇa red sage (?) (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mämimausa red gem, beautiful gem (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mäminaiṣa red wealth (?) (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mausahomah gem flower (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Mausahūmya likely a variant of Mausahomah
Mumūya plenty (Dun.)
Naive name of a flower (Dun.)
Nimālśi the young one (Kumañjike)
Nimūlśime the young one (Kumañjike) from a different language of the K. family compared to Nimālśi
Numminaiṣa first element unknown, the second from Ancient Nanaḫmairulu naysh "wealth"
Ñīladala strong daughter (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ñīlaigam daughter of the full moon (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ñīlājan daughter of the star(s) (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ñīlāṅgal welcome daughter (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ñīlaṣulga daughter of happiness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Śanūdīddha from śanu (sunset), also a masculine name (Dun.)
Śūbhājña great caregiver (Dun.)
Ṣastira water fairy (Tamukāyulu)
Ṣulega happiness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ṣulegdīddha from ṣulega
Ṣurlāśīla female variant of Ṣurlāke
Tālimausa first element unknown, the second from Ancient Nanaḫmairulu mowsa "gem"
Tainah gem (Tamukāyulu)
Tūva name of a flower (Dun.)
Ūrghnajūṇa female variant of Ūrghan

Male names

Name Meaning (origin) Notes
Ādhra name of a predatory bird (Dun.)
Boyuna Ancient Nanaḫmairulu, etymologically related to Baina
Bhām̃p̃a lion (Dun.)
Daladārḫa lucky strenght (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Dalaigam strength of the full moon (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Daṃdhidala strong puma (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Daṃdhikāri sure puma (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Dārḫa lucky (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ejiṅghai blue star (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ejināde distant star (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Emayāsmyam star watcher (Dun.)
Fulaɂudai servant of the hearth (Dun.)
Hundaraśība leading man (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Ḫurdhārḫa lucky message (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ḫurthāṅgal welcome message (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Imāṃdālu having light (Dun.)
Jariśūṭ sea wind (Dun.) root ablaut noun
Kāltaryan painted man (Tamukāyulu)
Khaguṣan righteous (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Khālbayam quick man (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Khālejña star man (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Khālṣulga man of happiness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Läṣaṅkam̃u son of the sage (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Lulaukam̃u blessed son (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu) variants: Lulūkam̃u
Māṅgadu trusted spirit; friend (Ancient Ūdhatausulu) formerly epicene; variants: Māṅgudu
Oṅgodu companion spirit (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Oṅgūdam a variant of Oṅgodu
Oṅguśība companion man (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Śanu sunset (Dun.)
Ṣastirdālu male variant of Ṣastira
Śindagharja son of the sun (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Śindaigam son of the full moon (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Śindāṅgal welcome son (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ṣurlāke miracle (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Ṣurqam name of a bird (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Turābayam quick step (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Turāde distant step (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Turāghande step through the dark (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Turākāri sure step (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Tūvākṣan male variant of Tūva
Ūrghan unknown
Ubukhai follower of the light (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)

Epicene names

Name Meaning (origin) Notes
Baina wind (?) (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Cambhugra eagle (Dun.)
Chaukāri sure voice (Ancient Naṃratausulu) in the last 90 years more commonly male, and almost exclusively given to males in the last 40 years
Dāvan sun (Dun.)
Dāvañśīlan Dāvan + the general morpheme -śīlan (originally "keeper")
Hūlya greater moon of Eventoa (Dun.)
Julāghande conqueror of the darkness (Ancient Naṃratausulu)
Läṣañśima hand of the sage / sage hand (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Lulau blessing (Ancient Nanaḫmairulu)
Lūm̃am̃a "painted quail" (Dun.) name of a bird featured in multiple Central Lusaṃrītene legends and folktales due to its colors and birdsong
Ñäfä child (Classical Toyubeshian)
Qūdalgu name of a bird (Ancient Ūdhatausulu)
Savu pelican (Dun.)
Śugdah (long-)awaited child (Ancient Ūdhatausulu) ṛ-stem
Taɂona lesser moon of Eventoa (Dun.)
Ūruśi unknown

Notes

  1. ^ It is uncommon for people to have more than one given name among the Lārutäteṣai and many other cultures; however, among some ethnicities two or more names are sometimes given to newborns, often a more broadly used Dundulanyä one and another one from that specific ethnicity.
  2. ^ Ancient languages spoken in the present-day regions of Naṃratūsa, Ūdhatūsa and Nanaḫmīra respectively.