Khinasi Names

[LordSchmit@aol.co]

I've been studying the name structures of Khinasi characters, and I have some
questions I hope someone can answer:

1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do they
play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.

2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in "el-
Arrasi"?

3) Is all this taken from actual Arabic names, or was it all made up for the
game?

[Jim Cooper]

LordSchmit@aol.com wrote:
> 1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do they play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.<

bint = "daughter of" / ibn = "son of" / min = "of" (as far as I can
tell). Therefore Banira bint hamilah el-Reshid means: Banira, daughter
of Hamilah (her mother) of the great Reshid (clan). Also: Gerad ibn
farid el-Arrasi means: Gerad, son of Farid, of the Great Arrasi (family
line).

> 2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in "el- Arrasi"?<

Its an honorific = 'The Great' (as far as I can tell).

> 3) Is all this taken from actual Arabic names, or was it all made up for the game?<

That I cannot say - probably they are corruptions of Arabic pronouns.

Cheers,
Darren

[MANTA]

Some names have a definite arabic as they are still used in the portuguese
language (they were here for some time...)
Ex.:Alvaro; Duarte; Fatima,etc.

MANTA
ip209007@ip.pt
ICQ: 17080887

- ----------
> From: Jim Cooper
> To: birthright@MPGN.COM
> Subject: Re: [BIRTHRIGHT] - Khinasi Names
> Date: quarta-feira, 19 de agosto de 1998 5:58
>
> LordSchmit@aol.com wrote:
> > 1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do
they play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.<
>
> bint = "daughter of" / ibn = "son of" / min = "of" (as far as I can
> tell). Therefore Banira bint hamilah el-Reshid means: Banira, daughter
> of Hamilah (her mother) of the great Reshid (clan). Also: Gerad ibn
> farid el-Arrasi means: Gerad, son of Farid, of the Great Arrasi (family
> line).
>
> > 2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in
"el- Arrasi"?<
>
> Its an honorific = 'The Great' (as far as I can tell).
>
> > 3) Is all this taken from actual Arabic names, or was it all made up
for the game?<
>
> That I cannot say - probably they are corruptions of Arabic pronouns.
>
> Cheers,
> Darren
>
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> 'unsubscribe birthright' as the body of the message.

[bstoner]

LordSchmit@aol.com wrote:

> I've been studying the name structures of Khinasi characters, and I have some
> questions I hope someone can answer:
>
> 2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in "el-
> Arrasi"?
>

I actually don't know how much it may apply, but "el" means "god" in some ancient
Middle Eastern languages, most notably Hebrew. The term appears often in the
Bible, especially as part of names...such as Israel ("struggles with God"). I
reckon, though, that the BR designers are merely basing the names on various Arab
names...which may use the word "el" in this fashion. I don't know Arabic or
Hebrew, though, so I can't give much more information.

Brian, aka Dearnen

[TheMotive@aol.co]

In a message dated 8/19/98 6:07:23 AM Eastern Daylight Time, bstoner@efn.org
writes:

>

What does "aka" mean, then? =)

- - The Motive
- --
Sorry, couldn't resist.

[CBebris@aol.co]

In a message dated 98-08-18 23:38:21 EDT, you write:

> 1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do they
> play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.

bint = daughter of (a modification of the Arabic "binte")
ibn = son of (real Arabic)
As for "min," I honestly don't know.

> 2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in
"el-
> Arrasi"?

el = the (real Arabic). Thus el-Arrasi means "The Arrasi." Obviously, you have
to be pretty important to have people referring to you that way :)

> 3) Is all this taken from actual Arabic names, or was it all made up for
the
> game?

A combination--as is the case with BR's other languages.

Carrie Bebris

[Solmyr]

>I've been studying the name structures of Khinasi characters, and I have some
>questions I hope someone can answer:
>
I'll answer them as a dedicated Arabophile :)

>1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do they
>play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.
>
bint = daughter (of)
ibn, bin, or ben = son (of)
min = of

>2) What does the "el-" at the beginning of the last names mean, like in "el-
>Arrasi"?
>
"el-" is an alternate form of "al-" which means simply "the" or "of the".

Thus:
Gerad ibn Farid el-Arrasi = Gerad, son of Farid of Arrasi family
Rigel min Namal = Rigel of Namal
Corazon bint Rilni = Corazon, daughter of Rilni (rather pretentious if you ask me :)

Some other words you might want to use:
Sitt = Lady, used by important women before their first name
Abu = father (of)
Umm = mother (of), both used in the manner of ibn or bint, if you have a well-known child

Abd = slave (of), not necessarily a derogative term; used more as an expression of respect or piety. E.g. Abdullah is actually Abd Allah, "Slave of God".

>3) Is all this taken from actual Arabic names, or was it all made up for the
>game?

Yes, most of the names are actual Arabic ones or based on them.

******************
Aleksei Andrievski
aka Solmyr, Archmage of the Blue Star
solmyr@kolumbus.fi
Visit the Archmage's Tower at
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/2198/index.html

[LordSchmit@aol.co]

Thanks to everyone for the information. (:

[Andreas Kjeldsen]

> > 1) What exactly do "bint", "ibn", and "min" mean? What significance do they
> > play in the name? I can't detect a pattern to their usage.
>
> bint = daughter of (a modification of the Arabic "binte")
> ibn = son of (real Arabic)
> As for "min," I honestly don't know.

I think "min" means "of" or "from", which can refer to either a
family or a geografic location.

Andreas Kjeldsen
morkitar@dadlnet.dk
ICQ# 12703652

[HSteiner1@aol.co]

In einer eMail vom 19.08.98 04:38:21, schreiben Sie:

>

Ah, the old memories of long forgotten games in desert of desolation...
I only remember the meaning if "ibn", it means "son of"

There, a memory flash...
My character name was "Ach al baas ibn al sarah", meaning "Brother of the cat
and son of the desert" (picked from an arabic dictionary long ago)

I think "el" means "from" or so


Aedric Maeras
Undead Master
Lord Mage of Roesone


######################################
Holger Steiner
Programmer & Object-Technology Consultant
HSteiner1@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/HSteiner1
Only the code gets executed, not the intentions...
######################################

[HSteiner1@aol.co]

In einer eMail vom 19.08.98 04:38:21, schreiben Sie:

>

Ah, the old memories of long forgotten games in desert of desolation...
I only remember the meaning if "ibn", it means "son of"

There, a memory flash...
My character name was "Ach al baas ibn al sarah", meaning "Brother of the cat
and son of the desert" (picked from an arabic dictionary long ago)

I think "el" means "from" or so


Aedric Maeras
Undead Master
Lord Mage of Roesone


######################################
Holger Steiner
Programmer & Object-Technology Consultant
HSteiner1@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/HSteiner1
Only the code gets executed, not the intentions...
######################################