On the Convention of Gnome Names

On the Convention of Gnome Names
a brief list by Tobor Walenrut

As the Graetish Language is seldom used anymore and the extant manuscripts of Gnomish origins are very rare, the sages agree that the language of the Gnomish People is dying a slow death. Of the thirty-three some odd manuscripts in existence, no more than any three agree on a spelling for the same words, leaving much to be desired in the way of unanimity.

And, despite having a clever and exacting mathematical system which was quickly adopted and widely employed by all peoples for both accounting and engineering, Graetish is a primitive phoenetic language that was only set down in writing by various Elfish scribes. As a result, it remains in its purest and least adulterated form in the names of people and places.

Nevertheless, some interesting hybrids have resulted between true Graetish words and the words of other cultures. One example would be the Graetheim, which appears to have simply added the Northruner word for hearth to the prefix Graet. Not only is this portmanteau in wide use among Northruners, but remarkably, it has been adopted wholesale by the Gnomish Peoples themselves -- who either little remember the name of their realm, or else choose not to reveal it.

So, while it is by no means exhaustive, the following root words are most often used in names for Gnomish offspring.

An (spirit)
Anen (prism or scattered light)

Ast (pebble, eroded stone)

Ath (primary or first)

Barji (beaded)

Cori (v. burrow, dig, tunnel)

Crolo (excavation or mine)

Cur (open air)

Elthe (glass-like, having some translucency)

Eyan (dull, not sharp or bright)

Gaza (glass-like, transparent)

Gnip (bright)

Gnop (shining)
Gnor (maker)

Graet (select, chosen)

Immer (twinkling)

Jarin (diamond)

Kmar (grand, large, wealthy)
Koru (father)

Lanti (fire, warmth, emotional)

Lin (cold, snow, even-tempered)

Lod (Gnomes)

Lodi (protected home, fort)

Neb (pure)

Niran (quartz)

Nofz (craft, skill, profession)

Osse (contraption or machine)

Ranko (shattered, broken)

Rul (ruby)

Sa (nostril)

Sath (elongated nose, animal-like muzzle, shnoz)

Selle (splitting, fracturing, dividing, giving birth to)

Seth (rounded nose)

Snathr (nose gifted for smelling)

Sval (pointed nose, bird-like beak)

Svirf (dark, black, night)

Syn (raw unworked gems)

Syth (finished jewels)

Tirk (broken, misused)

Tirn (bent)

Tram (steal, take, borrow)

Trom (hidden)

Vind (star)

Volf (emerald)

Yando (cold and wet)

Yns (facet)