Omban names
Most Ombesh speakers have a minimum of two names, a personal name (forename) and a lineage name. In conversation, the personal name is all that is used, and if more specificity is needed, then the lineage is added, either immediately following the forename, or, in more formal contexts, as “of the X”. One's names do not change at marriage, and one's lineage name changes only upon formal adoption into another lineage.
In addition, some people use a third name, a sobriquet or nickname (udul), which describes them in some way - by profession, by some physical or mental characteristic, or by some other trait. These nicknames can be chosen by the individual, assigned by friends or lineage members, or acquired through public discourse. So for instance, Anim, a member of the Gadali lineage, who is a cooper might be known as Anim Gadali, Anim of the Gadali, or just Hoops to his friends.
Corpseborn do not have ordinary lineages or family names, and normally are known by but a single name, assigned to them by the members of their aizer once they arrive there in infancy. Corpseborn names are usually not duplicates of common Ombesh names, but neither are they Sardesh. Among one another, Corpseborn often employ nicknames (ludu) that are an ironic commentary on some attribute - so the cleverest woman in town might be called ‘Knucklehead’.
In Nulu, where Thu Parsh is still widely spoken especially by the lower classes, and where the lineage system never fully took hold, the lineage name is often replaced with a patronymic, where the father's name (or a portion of it) is followed by the Thu Parsh suffix -eng. The (largely Omban-descended) Nuluan nobility do not generally follow this practice, and use the ordinary lineage system.
Voices and Hands do not generally use their lineage name, although they remain part of their lineage. Instead, they go by the title Esho (Voice) or Rizha (Hand) followed by their forename. It is slightly against propriety to refer to a priest as "Title Forename Lineage". The use of the priest's lineage name is indicative of a too-close relationship to one specific lineage or kin group, as opposed to serving all people and Ancestors.
There is an honorific register used today primarily when speaking to saints, but which formerly (and still among highly conservative individuals) applied when commoners spoke to the nobility, to ancestors, or to priests. In this register, which has its own pronoun system (which we indicate using capitalized initial letters) and some different words, it is not permitted to address a higher-ranked person by personal name or to use their personal name in their presence. Saints thus often have a number of nicknames and epithets by which they can be referred, in addition of course honorific pronouns such as "You".
In conservative areas of the former Empire, it is common for a revenant to take an additional name in recognition of their changed Kind. This name, also known as a ghir, is not a nickname, exactly; rather, it is a new Ombesh name, chosen by the individual, used instead of or in addition to their birth name. The person's old name may still be used without stigma, but the ghir may replace their former name for most purposes. The custom of taking a ghir is no longer actively practiced in most of the western successor states.
At Nemnosti, Acolytes generally use an additional name among themselves, the Lady's Name or dimir. This is assigned to the acolyte by Nemnu Ula Herself at some point during their term as a student at the ulajeta, and is often (usually) a name of one of the Nemni ancestors or well-beloved deceased acolytes who now reside at Nemnosti. Acolytes may contact their dimirabas - the Ancestor where their name came from - as if they were of the same lineage, through the intermediary of the Voice. This name is not a secret, but is also not generally used except when talking to other acolytes. It is a symbol of the acolytes' shared bond to Nemnu Ula and their experiences at Nemnosti. Some acolytes rarely use it after their time at Nemnosti, while others - e.g., acolytes who marry other acolytes - may use it regularly.
