@martyrjoan replied to your post “Random thought, but Montilyet sounds sort of...French? And Josie's...”
I always assumed it was kind of a class this? That a lot of the nobility of antiva or other places would have french (orlesian) names because of cultural imperialism? But it is strange
@mybookswerealltome replied to your post “Random thought, but Montilyet sounds sort of...French? And Josie's...”
Adding: Josephine itself is a french name. I think the Italian variant is Josefina, but the original is French. And adding to Kat's theory: the family could have an Orlesian origin be it immigration or intermarriage. I can't remember if Orlais ever ruled Antiva
But as an example, you get French surnames in England from the 1066 invasion of the Normans.
And then muuuuuch later, French was the courtly language even in Russia. Cultural imperialism can be weird like that
@star--nymph replied to your post “Random thought, but Montilyet sounds sort of...French? And Josie's...”
maybe it's supposed to show the Orlesian influence over the noble classes in Antiva. Josie mentioned that she was sent to Orlais to learn how to properly become a noble woman. It feels like to me that Orlais, probably from it's own background of invasion, has a strong grip on the aristocratic culture of soutthern thedas
You'll notice it's not just Antiva that holds Orlais as this aristocratic center piece, but Nervarra and the Free Marches as well. Fereldan actively not sending nobles to Orlais learn the etiquette is kind of a show of rebellion and nationalism in that now that they have their country back, they refuse to give Orlais any in, even at the expense of their nobles and culture being outcasted as boorish because of their refusal.
...But then again, I'm giving the devs too much credit here, they probably just gave Josephine a french name make her sound like a noble woman
Yeah I figured it was something like Cultural Imperialism? Or perhaps intermarriage/immigration and I’ve thought of those instances to put in stories/meta/headcanon as well
If the devs DID give her that name, they probably just did it so she sounds more ~noble, doubt they would know the intricacies of why an Antivan family would choose to make their name Orlesian seeing as Orlais (besides Tevinter I guess, but they’re separated from the Andrastian part of Southern Thedas) is the aristocratic center