aHELPFULplace (traditional naming)

[pretzel]

a guide to traditional naming

Hey kids. Your friendly neighborhood Pretzel here, giving you a quick guide on how to name your warrior traditionally. Because sometimes, we all (even us all-powerful, never wrong admins) make mistakes.

Anyways, here at SN, we are fairly strict on our names. They must be traditional and they must follow a certain set of standards that we enforce. If you have any questions about a name, I suggest you amble on over to this board where you can ask your fellow SN members about any names you have come up and whether or not they are traditional. (Or you can just ask on the c-box, but I recommend going to the aHELPFULplace (naming your warrior) thread.) Please do not post your names here; this board is simply for the guidelines and rules of traditional naming.

Now, to begin.



The formula for naming a cat goes like this:

prefix + suffix = warrior name

but that is in very, very simple terms. We will be breaking down this formula below.

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THE PREFIX:

The prefix is a very important part of a warriors name. The prefix describes the cat's appearance and it is the name given to them by their mother. It is the defining part of a warrior, as the prefix is unique to each cat in a clan.

But what is the right prefix? And how should you go about choosing a prefix? Well a prefix should describe the cat's appearance. It can describe their size or the color of their fur. It should not describe the cat's eyes or personality. Why not? Well, you see, when a kit is first born it does not open its eyes for a few weeks and even then, their eyes stay blue for a few months. That is a long time for a kit to go nameless if their mother is waiting to see their eye color to name it after. As for personality, kits generally have the same personality for the first few weeks of life - hungry, weak, and begging for attention. A queen cannot base their kit's name off of this.

Your cat's prefix absolutely cannot be any of the following: Moon, Star, Sky, Earth. These things are sacred to the Clans, for their mystic abilities and their connections to StarClan.

A prefix also cannot be a "Twoleg" thing. These are forest cats, they don't know what Twoleg things are. That means that any names involving precious gems, jewelry or any technologies are out. Natural stones and colors are okay, but nothing man-made.

For a list of example prefixes, see below.

THE SUFFIX:

We now move on to the all important suffix. A suffix should either

a) describe the cat's appearance.
b) denote a certain skill they have
or c) describe their personality.

For now, we will focus on suffixes that describe a cat's appearance. Suffixes like -stripe, -fur, and -pelt describe the cat's fur (obviously). I have nothing more to say on these.
Now, onto letter b). These skills are usually focused on things that the cat possesses (like a tail, whiskers, etc.) and how they are skilled with this body part. These suffixes are suffixes like -tail, -whisker, -foot, -leg, -claw, -fang, -nose, -eye, -ear, and -belly. (-paw may not be used as a warrior suffix as it is the suffix for apprentices.)
And, finally, letter c). There are basically three suffixes that fall solely under this description (yes, suffixes like -fang can go here too, but its already been mentioned.) The suffixes -storm, -heart and -flower fall under this category. They describe a defining part of the cat's personality and can be used to describe the cat. (i.e. flowery, stormy, hearty)

For a description on all the suffixes and what they represent, see below.

THE STEP SUFFIX:

This suffix refers to how the cat steps, not the appearance of its feet. Your cat may have gray paws, but that does not mean you can name it Graystep. By naming it thus, you are saying that the cat steps gray-ly. It just doesn't work.

This suffix works with most animal names (badger, crow) and some names that refer to things like size (little, big).

SAMPLE PREFIXES:

WEATHER Snow Cloud Frost Blizzard Flurry Storm Rain

[/color][/td]
[td]COLORS
White
Gray
Silver
Black
Blue
Ginger
Golden
Dark
Red
Tawny
Brown
Sable[/color][/td]
[td]BIRDS
Dove
Swan
Raven
Crow
Jay
Heron
Swift
Swallow
Flicker
Tern
Gull
Robin
Plover
Crane
Quail
Pheasant
Bittern
Egret[/td][td]
Ibis
Osprey
Buzzard
Kestrel
Merlin
Falcon
Coot
Snipe
Owl
Lark
Martin
Wren
Pipit
Thrush
Rook
Shrike
Finch
Cardinal
Sparrow[/size][/td]
[td]MAMMALS
Ermine
Wolf
Tiger
Fox
Badger
Lion
Leopard
Lynx
Bat
Vole
Squirrel
Hare
Rabbit
Fawn
Deer
Otter
Mink
Weasel[/td]
[td]EARTHY
Moor
Canyon
Pebble
Boulder
Coal
Obsidian
Shale
Slate
Rock[/td]
[td]PLANTS
Lily
Aspen
Willow
Sage
Juniper
Briar
Bramble
Bracken
Reed
Rowan
Maple
Hazel
Gorse
Ivy
Rush[/color][/td]
[td]SIZE
Little
Tiny
Small
Big
Large
Tall[/td]
[td]MISC
Toad
Frog
Adder
Snake
Turtle
Minnow
Ant
Cricket
Moth
Wasp
Beetle
Night
Dusk
Dawn
Morning[/color][/td]
[td]OTHER
Talon
Cinder
Dapple(d)
Patch
Ash
Honey
Spot
Ember[/td]
[/tr][/table]

SUFFIXES AND THEIR MEANINGS:

fur - a cat with no outstanding skills or personality traits
pelt - a cat with no outstanding skills or personality traits
stripe - a tabby cat with no outstanding skills or personality traits
tail - a cat with a long tail and/or a good sense of balance; they may be skilled at climbing trees
claw - a cat with unusual or long claws, skilled with using their claws and/or skilled in battle
whisker - a cat with unusual or long whiskers, skilled at hunting and/or skilled in tracking
fang - a cat with a sharp tongue and/or skilled in battle/fights
foot - a cat with unusual or different feet, or simply fast or quiet on their feet
step - explained above
leg - a cat with long or short legs or something special about their legs
ear - a cat with exceptionally good hearing
eye - a cat with exceptionally good eyesight
nose - a cat with a good sense of smell; usually curious
belly - a cat with something unusual about their stomach; jovial personality
jaw - a cat with a strong jaw; they may talk a lot; possibly skilled in battle and at hunting
flower - an ornate or kind cat; 'flowery' personality
storm - a temperamental cat; usually rough or difficult to get along with; skilled in battle; 'stormy' personality
heart - a caring and loyal cat; 'hearty' personality
stream - a graceful or a cat with a sleek/lithe build

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