THE NAMES OF THE ORDINARY ATLANTEANAs in so many aspects of Atlantean society, the form and number of personal names used by Atlanteans varied according to class. There were also differences in the later periods of Atlantean history, and this interlude will deal solely with the period of the First and Second Empires, and the Revolutionary epoch, ending in 650. Basically most Atlanteans normally had three names - a first personal name (given by the mother); a second personal name (given by the father, and often hereditary or constant from generation to generation); and finally the family name (this came from the father, and was also taken over by his wife when she married, as in modern English usage). In Atlantean, these were called
Enultalt first personal name; Buoultalt second personal name; Tonbennaitalt family name. The Atlantean for "name" was "Talt".
Personal names can easily be seen to have a meaning, in the sense that they are derived from words indicating qualities. Examples are listed below ; note that any of these could be used as either first or second personal names.
Of course there were many other personal names which had no obvious derivation. Thus, for men, Lasso, Thoun, Crehon, and for women, Millei, Ceuralla and Puella.
Family names were originally formed from personal names, occupations or after geographical places. If formed from personal names, they were usually preceded by Nor- or Ra- and followed by -el (an old genitive ending), e.g. Rajustel, Norindel, Raparenel. Typical names which originally related to occupations were Meist´ensos or Meistos (Meist´ens meant farmer), Celeuos or Celeurnos (Celeuo meant noble), and Fembuos (Femb´ens meant woodsman). Names originally taken from place-names were Fembeyo, Thestel and Measil.
NAMES OF THE UPPER CLASSES AND EMPERORS
Nobles of Class 1, as well Atlantean Emperors, formed their names in a different way, namely by using the two personal names, but not the family name (or surname, as we should call it). This was because the second personal name was in itself hereditary and distinctive to that noble family.To discuss the vagaries of Imperial names in more detail, we shall give an extract from a work by a writer who was himself noble - Siphon Pareon - who lived at the end of the seventh century. This piece was part of a longer work extolling the virtues of the old Atlantean way of life, which seemed to Siphon to be crumbling around him with the Republic taking over in the west, and the old Imperial order cracking apart in the east. (Comments on the text will appear in brackets).
" ..Although our Imperial masters, because of their eminence, only required their two personal names, they did make use of family names to denote the dynasty to which they belonged. Thus several Emperors would reckon themselves as part of this same dynasty. As an example from the First Empire, the Emperor Lir-Craonos, the founder of the Empire in 199, had the family name Racrehel, and created the dynasty of Celamel-Racrehel. ( Celamel- or Celam- meant "of the noble family.."). All subsequent Emperors retained this name even if their real family name was different, until, after the Imperial Wars, the great Emperor Iustos Atlaniphon decided to start a new dynasty - as it were, a new start altogether - with the name of Celam- Norindel. There have been a few dynasty changes since then as well.
"All the Emperors of the First Empire were known mainly by their first personal name - thus Cao-Mel´on, Yeasor, Lasso. Naturally if another Emperor of the same name as an earlier one came to the throne, he would be distinguished by the addition of I, II, etc. after his name, at least for the benefit of historians recounting the reigns - for example Ruthoyon I and Ruthoyon II. To our modern eyes, some of the names of those distant eyes seem quaint; I notice the way in which people - and not just Emperors - added little prefixes on to their first personal names for example Cao- (as the Emperors Cao-Mel´on and Cao-Thildo I - III), or Lir- (as the Emperor Lir-Craonos). (The origin of these prefixes is a little obscure, but Cao- seems to be related to Car, meaning "dear", and Lir- may originally mean "noble".)
"Sometimes Emperors, by virtue of their prowess or great virtues, might be given a throne-name by their Advisers or others. This procedure began with the Second Empire, and in its purest form was done only when the Emperor concerned had reached a great age of wisdom and maturity. The greatest Emperor in our history, without a doubt, was Iustos, the first Emperor of the Second Empire, which he founded in 361; he, above all others, deserved a throne-name, and he was indeed the first to receive one, late in life - namely Atlaniphon. But then his two successors were seen also as great Emperors, and they too were dignified with the same throne-name. It should be noted that the correct way to denote these Emperors is by using their first personal name and the throne-name - thus Iustos Atlaniphon or Lasso Atlaniphon; but unfortunately the baleful influence of historians, with their love of numbering, has largely prevailed in these cases, and these Emperors - and others who also share the same throne-name - are frequently now referred to as Atlaniphon I, Atlaniphon II, etc. etc.
"Such throne-names should not be given or taken automatically; only deserving Emperors should receive them. Other such Emperors were Siphon Crehonerex and Caron Crehonerex, and certainly in my opinion the unfortunate Iaros Crehonerex (or Crehonerex III, if I must use that terminology), who was so barbarously executed by the Republicans within our living memory. Carel, who reigned from 511 to 526, was also given the name Atlanicerex, wrongly in my opinion; his successor and conqueror in the Civil War, Siphon Crehonerex, was alone deserving of a throne-name.
"Other Emperors have always been known just by their personal name as during the First Empire, although we tend now to use both personal names, which helps distinguish Emperors with the same first name - though again the bad practice of distinguishing such Emperors by the use of a number has crept in. For example, we say Thildo Suayofo and Thildo Louroyon, but also Thildo I and Thildo II - or even, I regret, Thildo I Suayofo and Thildo II Louroyon. I suppose I should also mention our one Empress of the second Empire, Carulla Ceisille (499-504). With true female perverseness, she insisted on being known by her second personal name, Ceisille, rather than Carulla. I think this was to distinguish herself more clearly from her only female predecessor, Ceuralla, who reigned from 312 to 313.
"This then is the traditional way in which Emperors have been named in our great Empire. But I do not know how much longer any of this will continue. The world has changed terribly for the worse in the last twenty years. Republican Revolutionaries have taken over half of our beloved Empire, including Atlantis itself, and they despise all tradition. They have no nobles or Emperor, and name themselves like ordinary men. And what of the areas remaining to the old Empire? Our great and true Emperor still rules and reigns as tradition demands, though sorely beset by enemies on all sides( it appears that Meison Suennon is being referred to, who ruled between 604 and 611), but elsewhere a general is ruling Provinces, and feels it no dishonour not to call himself an Emperor. (This must be General Proinen who seized control of a group of Provinces in the south-east). I fear that in a few years the old traditions of the Empire, not least the naming of Emperors, will have vanished for ever from the face of the earth." (This prophecy turned out to be false. Imperial rule was re-established over the whole former Empire after 650, and the naming of Emperors resumed roughly as it had been in the later Second Empire, at least until 750).
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