Evolution of Two-part Naming

[Sparrow]

In a clan, having a comprehensive, descriptive naming system is useful. It distinguishes clan cats from outsiders and summarizes each cat's most notable traits.

In my clans, the use of suffixes evolved from epithets. How did it come about for your cats? Have prefixes always been descriptive of pelt color? Did some suffixes come into being later than others? Was there a precursor to this system or did the founders just come up with the idea?

[Foxthroat]

With my clans, two part namimg has pretty long roots.

Prefixes equalling pelt color began with the Wanderers, the first organized "group" of cats to inhabit the area. Because they lived predominantly solitary lives (those who chose to remain Wanderers) they needed to easily identify others, and so developed a style of naming that matched a cat's name to their pelt color. Lumca the Panther is credited with this idea.

The prefix thing caught on with pretty much all rogues, loners, and others, both because it was simple and functional, but also because the Wanderers often interbred with others and spread their beliefs that way.

However, it was the clowders who first came up with suffixes-- or rather epithets. It started with the most senior and experienced molly taking the epithet "clowderhead", so Hawk the Clowderhead. It soon evolved into more, with the Hunter, the Battler, the Tracker and so forth. Only skills were noted by epithets, and different clowders followed different sets. It's suggested that the clans' Pantheon, with the Leader, the Hunter, the Trickster, etc, is somehow derived from this.

Then came the first "clan", Squirrel's Glaring, which derived from barncats, loners, Wanderers, and rouges. They liked how the clowders had a two part naming system; they felt it distinguished them from other groups. So they tried to imitate it in their own way, taking the names of body parts that correlated with a skill (-claw, -foot), or appearance (-face, -fur), or a turn of phrase indicating personality (-throat, -pad).

Of course, the suffixes evolved over time. The personality ones didn't exist until Onesky of the North-Clan started it by naming Foxthroat. And then came -pad and later, -heart. Skill and base ones evolved fairly quickly, as the clan began with one part names and sought to find a suffix for everyone's talents. The suffix -kit was implemented by one of the first clanners, Hawkbelly, while the suffix -paw wasn't created until the South-Clan leader Ashfire formed the final phase of what was slowly becoming a mentor-apprentice (seeker) pairing. The leader suffixes varied by clan as they evolved from different roots and has different beliefs. North and West clans had -sky, Central and East clans had -hollow, and the South clam had -fire. The rank-indicating suffix -sight (for Seers) was created by the North clan, with Snowsight and then Jaysight. The -tongue (skilled healer) suffix was also invented by the North-Clan, with Tanagertongue, Jaysight's initial seeker who instead was drawn to healing (without herbs).

So that's how mine was created.