Would love to know the meaning or reason behind Vervaincough’s name, it’s so unusual I’m so curious
Looks like another personally requested Name Deep Dive! Vervaincough time!
Prefix: “Vervain”
Vervain is a well known plant with tiny, bright purple flowers grouped together into a sort of cone. Now there are technically no purple cats in the Clan (Thundergale… yeah I don’t know what to say that woman is purple, but canonically brown so idk), but purple substances like vervain flowers are popular picks for black, dark gray, or dark blue cats. While that may seem silly to some, artistic parents may love the prefix. It’s also a beautiful flower, and therefore could imply a beautiful cat.
Vervain has multiple medical uses. It reduces inflammation, especially in the throat, eases anxiety, fights off tooth and gum infection, and promotes healthy gums. Clerics often experiment with the herb to find other uses. This makes “Vervain” a prefix ripe with powerful medical connotations.
Suffix: “-cough”
So I won’t lie; “-cough” can be a little controversial. In the language of cats, cough is synonymous with disease, with the prefix denoting the telltale trait of the disease. Greencough literally means the green disease. This means that “-cough” appears more frequently in dishonor titles as opposed to typical names.
However, some like Downstar are able to separate cough from disease and instead view its definition as “the body creating an abundance of”. In this definition, greencough’s literal meaning is “the body is producing an abundance of green”. For names in this perspective, “-cough” implies that the cat in question produces their prefix, or is so rich in their prefix they literally cough it out. It isn’t pretty, since coughing is harsh, but it can work!
Full Name: Vervaincough
Let’s look at this name from two angles: Vervaincough as a disease, and Vervaincough as “the body produces an abundance of vervain.”
Vervaincough as a disease sounds like some type of cough that also affects the gums. It brings to mind images of purple gums, but clearly this isn't what Downstar was going for, even though it is funny to think that Vervaincough's name means "Gum Disease".
In actuality, Vervaincough's name implies an abundance of beauty and usefulness. She is actually a beautiful molly, despite her insecurities. While she is a codekeeper, she is also very skilled at maintaining the territory with the caretakers, something that Downstar took to note. Downstar chose this name in order to relax some of Vervaincough's seriousness and remind her of her skill.
[Image ID: Scaleripple, a gold tom with white vitiligo markings and dark blue eyes.]
My beautiful boy gets a name deep dive all of his own! Oh I'm so proud of him. Isn't he gorgeous?
Prefix: "Scale"
As I'm sure everyone knows, a scale is a specialized plate that grows out of an animal's skin, often for protection and camouflage. For the Clans, there are two main variants of scales; fish scales and snake scales. Fish scales are big, beautiful and serve many purposes on a fish, but prove largely useless for the Clans. These scales, as such, are associated with art and frivolity. Snake scales, meanwhile, stick together and are seen more like skin, with snake leather being a rare but useful material largely produced by SlugClan. Snake scales still have an artistic connotation, however.
While its use in a prefix is undefined as being fish or snake, "Scale" brings to mind images of both sorts of animals, who have their own sleek and nimble connotations. Its appearance in SlugClan often denotes creative influences, but the other Clans focus more so on the fish and snake connection. The tiny size of a scale is also a useful marker for cat size, making Scaleripple's prefix ironic.
Suffix: "-ripple"
I've explored the importance of this word quite a bit in the early days of RippleClan, so I'll be brief here. The symbolism of a ripple is one of growing influence, where a small action creates important, long-term consequences and grows far beyond that one event. When used as a suffix, there is an air of importance bestowed to the cat. Their leader is saying that, no matter how minor their role may seem, their presence affects the entire Clan. Perhaps this was a way to let Scaleripple know that despite his aloof nature, RippleClan cares for him.
Full Name: Scaleripple
Scaleripple leans heavy into fish imagery with his name. Specifically, his name forms the mental image of a fish splashing slightly out of the water and quickly returning to the depths, leaving just a flash of scales and ripples in their wake. It’s almost a magical image, something that typically requires time and attention to see. It’s beautiful, even if all it does is touch your heart for a moment. In some ways, that sums up Scaleripple nicely.
When a Clan cat hears Scaleripple’s name, they imagine someone who made an important impact on just a few cats. A stranger would assume Scaleripple to have a tight circle of kin and family who wouldn’t know what they’d do without him. Even though part of Scaleripple’s name acted as a way to honor Ripplefern, it fits him perfectly. He struggles to connect with many cats, but those who care for him are bonded to him for life.
[Image ID: Trumpetspore sits under the words "Name Deep Dive: Trumpetspore".]
Trumpetspore’s name is one of those where the prefix and suffix are about the same thing, leading to a very clear-cut image.
Prefix: “Trumpet”
Before you ask, no, the Clans do not have trumpet instruments. The word trumpet instead refers to the black trumpet mushroom, also known as black chanterelle. The word is synonymous with mushrooms and chanterelles, specifically noting mushrooms whose tops fan out like a horn. As such, Trumpetspore’s name can also be translated to Mushroomspore, Chanterellespore, or even more specifically, Fanningspore.
Black trumpets tend to grow in mossy areas of hardwood forests and are somewhat rare in the Clans due to their more coniferous setup. However, caretakers and clerics tend to find them in the leaf litter around beeches and oaks. Since cats can eat non-poisonous mushrooms in our world, this means that the Clans occasionally cook delicacies with black trumpets (please note that I can’t find whether this type of mushroom specifically would harm them or not).
This gives “Trumpet” a few fun meanings. Mushroom names naturally have a connotation of growing out of dead things and spreading far beyond what cats can see, which fits well with Trumpetspore’s origin story. “Trumpet” and “Chanterelle” have the extra addition of gentle flowing fur and grace due to their fanning tops. If you know Trumpetspore is named after the black trumpet specifically and not just any chanterelle, you’ll also pick up your typical shadow, stealth, and darkness connotations found with any black things.
Suffix: “spore”
Spores are a mushroom’s main method of dispersing and reproducing itself. Considering their microscopic nature, the Clans have only known about spores for a few generations thanks to the scientific research of historians in SlugClan. To the Clans, “spore” essentially means “mushroom dust”, as in their eyes, that is what it is; a dust that acts as seeds for mushrooms.
The connotations of "dust", and therefore of "spore", include imagery of being grounded and connected to the earth as dust blows off dry dirt. Unlike other grounded suffixes, though, cats are also reminded of dust's ability to cover everything, leaving traces of itself on long-forgotten and lesser explored locales.
Full Name: "Trumpetspore"
This perfect fusion of prefix and suffix means that Trumpetspore's name refers to something extremely specific; the spores that come off a black trumpet mushroom. This focuses the imagery of the name into the inner portion of the mushroom, which has a more rugged and dusty appearance than the outer walls. The suffix takes attention off of itself and stresses the imagery of the black trumpet. Perhaps, therefore, Trumpetspore is a great name for a molly whose birth resulted in the death of her mother...
[Image ID: Fennelspot sits under the title of the post, “Name Deep Dive: Fennelspot”.]
It’s time for my BOY! The first cleric of RippleClan!!!!
Prefix: “Fennel”
Fennel is one of the most popular herbs in the five Clans. Grown alongside dry soils near the sea and the river, it is most commonly used as an addition to recipes. Like many plants, it cannot be used to excess or cats will start vomiting, but it provides a tasty addition to various flavorful dishes. Many cats love the taste, and it is considered an important strengthening herb, brewed into a tea for travelers.
Ironically, fennel does not grow well in SlugClan’s wetter soil, making it an odd name to see in a cat born in SlugClan. Regardless, the prefix is wonderful for future cooks and implies a particular interest in the culinary arts. Like all plant names, it also works well for clerics. “Fennel” in particular implies a light and casual strength, easily found and well-cherished.
Suffix: “spot”
“spot” is another of those suffixes that doesn’t have a lot of innate meaning on its own. Similar to suffixes like “fur”, “stripe”, or “tuft”, “spot” is used for cats with, well, spots! This works especially well for Fennelspot. He has a lovely rosette pelt, considered beautiful in SlugClan and AshClan, alongside a particularly notable dot of white underneath his looping vest.
Full Name: “Fennelspot”
Fennelspot’s name works well for a cleric! One of the two mental images conjured by a name like his is of finding patches of fennel around the territory. Clerics and caretakers can feel lucky to have found these herbs so they can then take them and move them to their gardens. In SlugClan, you only find fennel in the Dry Patch, the special portion of the territory used to grow herbs outside of the wetter soil, so finding a random spot of fennel is exciting to plant-minded cats.
The name also reminds many of fennel seeds, as a seed could be considered a small spot of fennel as well. Fennel tea is often made with fennel seeds, and fennel seeds are considered to be stronger than other parts of the plant for medicinal purposes. As such, this interpretation of the name better highlights the small strength implied by the prefix.
while shrewkit's mother was a kittypet, he has a traditionally clanlike name - and following the naming traditions of rippleclan, it's interesting to choose Shrew- (a small venomous mammal that takes to consuming its own brain matter to continue during famine, known to attempt to kill things multiple times its size, etc); it seems like itd be a very connotations heavy name, a bit like Locust-
I was saving this ask for after Shrewflame got his full name, because I'm going to treat it as the official Shrewflame Name Deep Dive!
Prefix: "Shrew"
In the Clans, there are five types of shrews; the arctic shrew, the masked shrew, the smoky shrew, the American pygmy shrew, and the American water shrew. None of these species are the venomous shrews you mentioned, but they are very territorial, either fighting or mating whenever they encounter another shrew. They're famous for their burrows and are strangely popular prey for some trout species.
Rather than hibernating in winter, they shrink, reducing the size and volume of their bones and organs. Historians with an interest in other animals noticed that the shrews they caught in winter were strangely smaller than they recalled, so one historian in WheatClan preserved the body of a winter shrew and studied it against a summer shrew later on. The brain thing Ravestar mentioned is likely this shrinking phenomenon, which the Clans view as a strange survival strategy.
Historian knowledge of shrew habits has led to the shrew being seem as a hardy loner, allowing itself to suffer for the sake of continued survival. This hardy loner persona can make a bit antithetical to the cooperative culture of the Clans, but some praise the name for its survivability and health connotations.
Suffix: "-flame"
"-flame" and "-fire" may be somewhat interchangeable, but there are a few differences. The main difference is that a flame is focused on a single point, and can be used to describe a lick of fire, while a fire itself is wide-spread and could be considered a conglomeration of flames. From a human perspective, a candle has a flame, not a fire. Fire can be a bunch of smoldering embers, while flames are the streams of warm-colored burning gas we connect with fire.
For the Clans, both phrases pack a lot of meaning. They connect to intensity, showcasing an individual with a drive and passion. Fire allowed the Clans to develop cooked food and other technologies, giving it extra connotations of inventiveness and intelligence.
Narrowing down to the connotations of "-flame", because a flame is a focused and describes the actual burning gas itself. As such, this suffix implies a controlled intensity, one that can be better managed and studied due to its visible and smaller nature. A flame is weaker than a fire, because it doesn't focus on something burning, but that makes it lean more toward the intelligence connotations. "-flame" is a pretty good suffix for a chef due to their skill with mastering heat!
Full Name: Shrewflame
Alright, so Shrewflame is a little funny, because pairing a prey animal with the focused heat of a flame used for cooking gives Shrewflame the connotation of cooked meat, but considering cooked meat provides strength and life to the Clan, it isn't too hard to focus on the good side of things (Shrewflame's smoke-den buddies from SlugClan totally made fun of him at first though).
When you focus on the blending of connotations, Shrewflame is a name for someone who cannot be stopped, cannot be killed. It combines the survivability of a shrew with the intensity of a flame. The suffix works for Shrewflame as a teacher, since he is focused and intelligent.
[Image ID: Oilstripe sits under a block of text reading "Name Deep Dive: Oilstripe]
So this may seem a bit dull compared to other lore posts, but I really want to talk about name lore. Since you were most interested in the first cat to graduate in RippleClan, here is an examination of her name and its meaning! But first, name rules.
As I've said a few times before, I've been inspired by a lot of @bonefall's work. He runs a detailed section on Clan Mew, the unique language of the Clans. It's very cool, but doesn't interest me as much as it does others. However, it did inspire me to be picky about names. In the RippleClan universe, a good name involves a suffix that plays well with the prefix, the connotations of each word, and the connotation of the two words when combined. Some names are canonically awkward and silly, while others are beautiful by Clan standards.
With that out of the way, we'll be examining the prefix and suffix in isolation before moving onto the name when combined.
Prefix: "Oil"
Oil is a rare commodity in this universe. Only WheatClan has the resources and tools needed to develop oil. They have a large flax population on their territory, which they then use in their special oil press to make flaxseed oil. Flaxseed is a great source of nutrition for the Clans, and oil acts as a better tool than fat to make certain specialty dishes. As such, it is one of the most prized resources in the Clans, available only through trade with WheatClan.
Because of this, the word "oil" in the tongue of the Clans is associated with prosperity. Oil means trade with the other Clans for even more resources. It means a source of nutrition. It means a unique cooking culture for the Clan. If artisans have the time and resources to make a pot of oil, WheatClan is truly thriving. This also means that the word "oil" is permanently connected to WheatClan culture.
Suffix: "-stripe"
The stripe suffix has been used in Clan culture since the first leaders of the original three Clans. Most cats have stripes, making it an easy addition to a range of names. There are very few prefixes that don't work for this suffix. If a cat has a suffix with round connotations, such as a type of flower, -stripe may not be the best choice for them.
Full Name: Oilstripe
When oil lands on water, it floats above the surface in a glistening swirl of rainbow colors. This makes Oilstripe an amazing name, as a stripe of oil does in fact exist in the world. As a classic tabby, Oilstripe's swirling pelt also matches the way oil dances over water.
There are two major connotations with a name like Oilstripe. The first is remarkability. Oil glistens and shines over water, never mixing with it. It stands out. As such, Oilstripe will always stand out, especially since she was RippleClan's first apprentice.
However, there is also a negative connotation that can ruffle some pelts in the Clan; isolation. Because oil cannot mix with the water below it, it is forever alone. Clans pride themselves on a community identity, so for Oilstripe's name to signal her out as a potential loner could spell trouble for her relationships.
Before Redstar became the leader of ForestClan, her name was Redpath. Redstar was a very strict and sharp warrior during the days of Lakestar's reign, although very few had the privilege of knowing this sharpness was born from ambition to do better than Lakestar. Today, the name "Redstar" carries regality, energy and strength - a powerful cat with the heat and force of the largest stars in space. However, when she was a warrior, Redpath's image was conflicting. When she was young, her love of history and willingness to join border patrols made her clever and impressive. But the older the grew, and the closer she spoke with Lakestar - the more her presence carried the weight of fear. Only Iciclepool, Hopechase, Cliffstep and Lucifer truly knew that underneath the eyes of ice and words like spears, lay a cat who would willingly become an enemy, if it meant no one else had to die again.
Redpath is a name that speaks many images - and it's one that Lakestar gave herself, after much deliberating and watching Redpaw's skills. So what kind of weight did that name carry for her, before Redstar took the mantle of leadership?
PREFIX: RED-
"Red" is a fairly common prefix, if unoriginal. It's about as normal as calling a kit by any other color prefix, like "White", "Black", "Ginger", "Golden" or "Silver". It is almost always named after the primary color of a kit's pelt - which suits Redstar's tortoiseshell pattern.
While ForestClan typically use color prefixes to refer to a cat's pelt, there's still some occasional connotations that come with them, by association to other elements found in nature. When a cat thinks of the color "red", positive elements can be tied to autumn leaves, raspberries, raw prey, and sunsets. Red landscapes are often tied to the leaf-fall season and its rush of energy for harvesting herbs and hunting before the cold leaf-bare settles in.
However, there are two negative images associated with "red". The first is deathberries, hiding from untrained minds as berries acceptable to eat. The second is blood, and flesh, and all the wretched associations that come from staring at the maw of an active Woodcrawler den. Considering the horrors tied to those things, it's expected that any cat with the prefix "Red-" should definitely have a suffix tied to their appearance or something unquestionably positive, if they can help it.
SUFFIX: - PATH
"-path" is an unusual suffix that is rarely seen in ForestClan, but when it does appear, it carries some degree of seriousness - unless, of course, the prefix makes it sound beautiful or whimsy.
A cat with the suffix "-path" is often one that is perceived with a hint of ambition, stubbornness or faith. When a cat thinks of a path, it's not complicated - it's a road that is travelled, and a well-tread path is one that can be deemed reliable by many. Especially if more animals than just cats find it helpful! A path can be anything - a log across a river, lines of plants and grasses parted away under the feet of animals that have tread through it. Lilypath or Bluepath sound like beautiful trails lined with flowers, for instance. Woodpath or Riverpath communicate actual passages - and a cat that bears them might be seen as having an affinity with traveling them.
Alternatively, a path could be a metaphorical one. When one decides what kind of role in the Clan they will take, that is a path that they have chosen for themselves. Or when one has a strong goal that they wish to pursue in their life, or a belief they hold to their heart - that is a path they have chosen to walk. It can apply to faith, stories, philosophies, anecdotes about how the world works - whatever a cat holds close as an expression of themselves and how they choose to carry their life.
FULL NAME: REDPATH
Redpaw was a young cat that asked a lot of questions. A lot of questions. But when she was given an answer that held no further line of inquiry, she accepted it at face value. Redpaw's mentor, Cloverdash, noted to Lakestar that she was sharp and pursued answers to their satisfaction, and if there was a historical basis for it, she devoured the knowledge and used it to her benefit. Even Lakestar herself noticed that Redpaw would press her without fear. While at first this agitated her, the fact that Lakestar could simply tell her the truth of apprentice trials - that they existed to keep the Woods at bay and that no, Lakestar could not just give her lives to the woods to do it...well. It impressed her when Redpaw accepted it with no outward horror or aggression.
Redpaw grew into a warrior with a keen eye, good hunting skills, and a level of ambition that boiled at the surface that Lakestar couldn't identify. Perhaps it is deep in the roiling subconscious of her mind, some nagging force that told her this cat would leave something behind, that made her give the name Redpath. Really, it was reflexive. She mulled over it. Thought about giving the name Redleaf, or Redheart. But no. Redpath, she decided before she stepped on the High Rock.
It was a visually pleasing name, at least at first. Redpath's well-mannered and witty personality gave her clanmates, at first, the impression of "a path layered in red autumn leaves." But as Lakestar's insanity dived further and further, and Redpath's heart grew colder and colder, the positive image lost its luster, and perhaps finally, Lakestar's hunch came to fruition. Now, she was perceived as "a path soaked in blood."
But as the lives poured out from Lakestar's body, the other interpretation of her name came to her as her last thoughts. "A bloodstained philosophy."
Redstar wonders sometimes if Lakestar knew the path she would take, secretly. A road that involved a lot of blood and pain. Perhaps she just didn't think it'd be her blood.
Iciclepool and Hopechase still stare at their friend as she leaves at night to try and feed the woods over and over. Trying to die and spill her own blood for the sake of those she loves.
Bloodstained philosophy indeed. Although Redstar would prefer that name remain one of her past.
