Wugu Names

Wugu names are made up of 2 parts: a birth order name (chosen from a relatively small common set), and a given name (which may include 1-3 words). Even if a given name has multiple words in it, it still counts as a single name (and thus all the words have to be said to identify the person).

There are no family names or surnames, and all names are gender-neutral.

Birth Order Names
Choosing the birth order name happens before the child is born, when one discovers they are with child. The name chosen is based on how many previous children the pregnant person has had:


 * First child - Name list TBD
 * Second child - Name list TBD
 * Third child - Name list TBD
 * Fourth child onward - Name list TBD

If twins are had then the names are chosen from the same list, e.g. if one's second pregnancy results in twins, the twins will be both named as though they are the Second child, and the next pregnancy will be considered the Third child.

Birth order names are very commonly used, to the point where the words for siblings are very rare (with most most Wugu speakers avoiding phrases like "my sibling" and instead using phrases like " ikʷai" (literally "the beside me").

Naming Ceremony
Before the birth, the pregnant person nominates a trusted friend as a TBD:SomeWord. This person will be in charge of the naming ceremony.

The given name is not chosen immediately upon birth. Instead, a naming ceremony is held on the full moon of the next month, where the child's name is decided. Over the course of the time between birth and the naming ceremony, the birthing parent decides what they want the child's given name to be. This is typically something related to the circumstances of the birth, and will be one or two words.

The naming ceremony is hosted by the TBD:SomeWord, and is attended by family members and friends. Food and drink are shared, and discussions are had, but it is tradition to not state anyone's name during the ceremony - doing so is bad luck. The ceremony starts as the sun is setting, and concludes once the sky is dark and the moon is visible. At this point, the birthing parent announces what they want the name to be and the baby is shown the full moon for the first time. All remain silent for several moments. If the baby does not cry, then it has accepted the name. If it cries, then the assembly waits for it to calm down. The TBD:SomeWord then announces an alternative name for the child, based on the birthing parent's proposed name plus an additional word. The eldest attendees will indicate their acceptance of this name, and thus the baby is named.

There are some variations to this standard ceremony:
 * If the moon is not visible (e.g. due to clouds), then the baby is instead shown the eldest attendees.
 * If the birthing parent has passed away, then the TBD:SomeWord instead chooses the child's name.

Incomplete ideas regarding names

 * Caste system - does Yōoŋwẹ society have a caste system? If so, does it affect how names are chosen?
 * Birth order names - they are chosen from a set, but what's the set? Does it include regular words, or are these names only used as names?
 * Verbs - can given names include verbs? If they can, then I think the order for given names has to be inverted compared to regular word order (to reduce ambiguity - cat see-ERG cat see is hard to understand, but see cat-ERG cat see is a little easier)
 * Chosen third name - do people get an additional name when they're older? How is it chosen?
 * Naming moon - for astrology purposes, the moon you were named under is what's important (not the moon you were born under).