this baby can hold so many suffixes

a warriors suffix catalogue by @sparrowminder.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

How would you feel about the suffix -dance? It could be for a cat who is particularly agile or tricky, like a leaf dancing on the wind or the light dancing across the forest floor or even firelight dancing off a stone. It might also indicate a cat that's good at misdirection, dancing around a talking point or being a quick- or smooth-talker.

I think it's really fun! I wouldn't have thought of that last meaning. In my -er system, I use -dancer for exceptionally graceful cats, skilled at agility and stealth.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

I think -wing could actually be used for mentors or parental figures really effectively, indicating taking someone "under your wing"

Oh that's really neat! I'll add that to the meanings list now.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

How do you feel about -petal as a suffix? I'm not sure if I've seen it used in Canon before, but it seems like a lovely addition to either medicine cat names, like -root or -leaf, or to the -flower/-blossom/-bloom collection of parental suffixes

I really like -petal! I like the idea of having it as a meddie suffix. Generally I've used petal to signify an attractive cat, sometimes in addition to other meanings, because the petals exist to attract pollinators.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

wouldn't growl be a cute suffix for those big mood babies? if only dustpelt was named dustgrowl...

It’s not really my typical aesthetic but I agree, it’s very cute!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

Do you help w names or is your blog exclusively a masterpost of suffixes?

Yep! Anything naming is good to go here! As you may have noticed, it’s incredibly sporadic, especially now, but I’m open for questions and opinions anytime!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

So I'm conflicted on something. I had an OC named Cottonfoot and idk if I should rename her because of the prefix. If it helps, she's a black cat with white paws, chest and underbelly and a little bit on her muzzle but I don't want to be racist or anything so could I have some advice?

a) I’m very white

b) I’m pretty sure nobody is going to get mad at you for referencing a plant that exists because of circumstances surrounding it unless you’re going out of your way to make the name as a whole an offensive phrase because that would be ridiculous.

c) However, I don’t see what’s particularly cotton-y about that design? You’re free to do whatever you like of course but I’d expect a mostly white cat to be named Cotton-. If you’re naming her solely after her feet that means that she doesn’t get a chance to earn a name based on skill or personality, and also white feet are super common so that’s not a super distinctive trait to name for.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

Is wort on your list? It describes plants previously used as food or medicine. I thought I could turn it into a suffix for my plant-based clan but nothing has come to mind. Also I'd be interested in seeing what you have for moss and fern. I have nothing for moss and fern in mine just means the same thing as -stripe.

It’s kind of an odd one, because it’s not really its own word in English anymore, its really only a suffix for plant names (bladderwort, liverwort, etc), usually meaning a plant that resembles x. For that reason, I wouldn’t recommend the use of it, but if you did want to use it anyway, it could be used sort of like Ailuronymy’s -step, for a cat who not only has the color of their namesake plant, but had other traits associated with it (calming for Chamomile-, agile and adaptable for Willow-, etc).

If cats use moss in their dens, especially in the nursery, it could be associated with parenting, or tangentially, mentoring. This is the meaning I had for -moss, with it originally being an alternate parental suffix and then diverging to be for good mentors specifically. Ferns are tricky because they’re kind of a nothing plant, so having -fern be analogous to -stripe seems ok to me.

I’ll put these three in the queue as well!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

Do you think Purr could be used either as a suffix or a prefix?

Not as a prefix in a traditional system, but canon’s done weirder so if you want to do it I don’t see an issue. For a suffix, I’d imagine it’d denote a cat with a very calming presence, as cats purr not just when happy, but to reassure each other and even speed up healing from certain illnesses!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

I just discovered your blog and I’m reading through it rn, I also wish they used -dapple more. I love Leadstar, but because of that I wish they used her warrior name on a different cat. Leafdapple is such a cute name :(

I’ve always loved Leafdapple as a name. In general I’m a big advocate for marking suffixes, they’re super cute and fun!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

-chaser

1. Speed or combo hunting/speed. The second is very handy if you also want to use -runner, it can specifically imply a cat who is good at running down rabbits and other speedy prey.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

-fluff

1. A fluffy, longhaired cat. Look, this might not fit in a traditional system, but it’s really, really cute, and if you like to make a distinction between longhaired and shorthaired generic suffixes this is a very fun option.

2. An alternative kit suffix, referencing the fluffy fur of kittens.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

-flower/-blossom/-bloom

-flower is the most common, but these all may as well be the same. They can all technically be action suffixes as well, but for -blossom and -bloom that use is a bit more obvious.

1. A nurturing, parental cat. See Ailuronymy’s post. 

2. An attractive cat. Flowers are pretty!

3. A cat who has really changed in personality since the start of their apprenticeship, who has “blossomed”. The metaphor especially tends to apply to shy cats who become more confident, but it could be used for a wide range of personalities.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

hello! i'm not sure if this has been asked before, but what are your thoughts on the suffix -chaser? i was thinking it would apply to a cat who is a fast runner, much like -foot.

I like -chaser! In my -er list I ended up using it for speed+hunting skill, and just using runner for speed, but either way could work. I will put it in the queue.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

Muzzle/Snout could perhaps be for good hunters, since the killing bite is delivered via the snout!

Eh, I sort of feel like that’s saying we smell with our faces though? If you want to reference the killing bite, -fang, -tooth or even -mouth would be much more obvious.

[sparrow-names-warriors]

for the suffix toe- you could say they’re stealthy, or a good hunter, or good senses because “they’re always on their toes”

Oh, that’s pretty clever! I like that, I’ll add it to the post.

(a few asks accidentally got added to my drafts a while ago, posting them all now)

[sparrow-names-warriors]

The spreadsheet version of the suffix catalogue is now up!

I’ve chosen not to link the posts for every suffix, so to find a specific post on the blog you should add /tagged/(suffix) to the end of my url. The second tab has every suffix I’m planning to do, along with ones that have been requested and are waiting to be written up. If you have a suffix not on the list, or one that is on the list but you’d like me to actually post about sometime soon, ask in and let me know!

[sparrow-names-warriors]

Hey, I have a tip on suffix choice I think may be helpful. Try to pick words that can't work as prefixes because they're colorless (-wind, -dew), or have too many colors to pin down (-sky, -bird, -bark), or are body parts (-pad, -feather). Then you don't have to worry about getting Cloudcloud or Blazeblaze in your system.

Good advice! This is one good way to plan for possibly duplicated prefixes and suffixes. The other two that I’m fond of are to have two suffixes per trait (added benefit of getting to use more suffixes!) and Grey’s idea to change the prefix to Two-, so Twocloud, etc.