i nerd about rain world names and all their hidden rules
i ended up thinking about rain world names recently and why certain phrases that seem like they should be valid just… wouldn’t sound correct despite seeming to follow the format. so i went and analyzed all the examples we have in the game. here’s my observations.
to note: ancient and iterator names are fairly similar, while slugcat names follow a completely different set of rules. that makes sense, given that ancients and iterators were from one civilization and slugcats are a different civilization! but this isn’t a lore analysis this time around.
SLUGCATS———————————————
It’s Rain World I’m starting with our playable characters.
Note that base canon and Downpour have very slightly naming conventions.
Base canon slugcat names are always descriptors that can be applied to people. Survivor, Monk, Hunter, Watcher. These are either occupations or things that you can be.
In Downpour: Artificer, Gourmand, Saint all follow the canon naming conventions.
Rivulet is the first outlier as a descriptor, but not a description a person can be. Spearmaster is the second outlier as it is a compound, made-up word rather than a single defined word.
WORD CHOICE—————————————
well, for ancient and iterator names, since slugcats have already been covered. the words used are always simple concepts. they’re not all simple words, but the layman can look at all of these and understand what they mean.
what i mean by not-simple words is. harassment, rhinestones, unparalleled are all pretty long and decently mid-level words. but they’re words a native speaker of english almost certainly knows.
ITERATOR NAMES———————————
Now, first to iterators, since we actually see them in-game. There are three categories of names: actions, numbered objects, and described objects. Note here I use ‘object’ in the linguistic sense rather than the literal physical object sense.
Action names are a described action: Looks To The Moon, Chasing Grey Winds. They are always in present tense, too.
There are two sub-categories here. There are also two iterators here.
The first: Looks To The Moon is an action applied to a object with a connector in between. [Looks], the action, [To The], the connector, [Moon], the object. Another name of this format is Walks Upon Waves. The action is always a word ending in -s. Walking Upon Waves is incorrect as a result.
However, ‘walking’ is a word that can still be used, as there is a second type of name. This is an action applied directly to an object. Chasing Grey Winds is our example of this type. [Chasing], the action, [Grey Winds], the object. Yes, the latter two words are considered a single object here— explanation on combining name types at the bottom of this section.
On that note, Winds' name is odd as it is always written as either Chasing Winds or Grey Winds, never both at once. I have written both possible permutations together for this analysis, but I suspect some names have multiple permutations like this. However, Winds is the only example of this so there is insufficient evidence to confirm.
Either ways, these names still seem to follow the rules of one of these three categories: "Chasing Winds" is an action name, "Grey Winds" is a described object name.
On to object-focused names.
Numbered object names are exactly that. Five Pebbles is an example. [Five] the number, [Pebbles] the object. It is likely there can be connecting words, but the only example in canon is Six Grains of Gravel, an ancient name. These names follow a number + noun format.
Described object names follow the same format, but have a description rather than a number. Unparalleled Innocence, Erratic Pulse, Sliver Of Straw. They may have a connecting word if it makes sense in the phrase, see Sliver. As Sliver is the only example, I am unsure whether ‘of’ is the only allowed connecting word or if we simply do not see others. These names follow an adjective + noun format.
Described object names can also be negated, as seen with No Significant Harassment: [No] negates the adjective+noun of [Significant] [Harassment].
Also, name types can be combined with each other:
Described and numbered object names can be combined, see Seven Red Suns. [Seven] the number, [Red] the description, [Suns] the object.
Action names can be combined with described object names. Chasing Grey Winds is the action [Chasing] applied to [Grey Winds], which is the adjective + noun combination of a described object name. They likely can be combined with numbered object names as well, but I do not remember a canon example.
ANCIENT NAMES————————————Finally, ancient names. Downpour and basegame canon names follow the same rules, so I will not split them like I did for the slugcats.
Ancient names are two distinct ideas joined either by a comma or a connecting word. These distinct ideas work on the same principle as clauses do in sentences, though these names are not full sentences so it’s not quite the same.
I will first analyze these distinct clause-ideas. There are again three categories: numbered objects, described objects, and, er, described ideas? You’ll see what I mean when I explain them.
The first is numbered objects.
Some, like Six Grains of Gravel, are straightforward. Note that if you are describing a single object, it can use the word ‘a’ rather than ‘one’, i.e. A Bell.
The number of objects can also be indefinite, as seen with the name segments Endless Reflections and Plentiful Leaves. As well as that, if it is indefinite it does not need to have a word to describe it as such, as seen with Droplets and Rhinestones being single-word name segments.
The second is described objects, which works exactly how they do in iterator names. Shattered Glass is an adjective noun combo. I explained this I’m too lazy to do it again.
You can also combine numbers and descriptions as Five Large Droplets or Eighteen Amber Beads does.
Finally are the described ideas: we see one with Mountains Abound. We also only see one with Mountains Abound and this is a very odd category. It seems to be a phrase that brings to mind the idea of scenery, a feeling, or something similar.
Now that I’ve covered the individual parts of names, let’s talk about how to join them!
The easiest way is just to slap a comma in there. [A Bell]<,>[Eighteen Amber Beads]. [Six Grains Of Gravel]<,>[Mountains Abound].
You are also able to use a connecting word, which seems to just need to be a simple word that makes sense when joining the two halves of the name. [Droplets] <Upon> [Five Large Droplets]. [Four Needles] <Under> [Plentiful Leaves]. The resultant name does not need to be logical, either, see Droplets.
It seems that ‘of’ is the only allowed connecting word that does not join the two separate parts of the name, which makes me suspect ‘of’ is also the only connecting word allowed in iterator names. However, there is insufficient evidence to confirm or deny this.
FINALLY! This is an analysis of canon and in-game text! This is by no means a rulebook of rules you must follow or else I GET you. I am only analyzing Rain World’s names as I am very interested in the hidden rules of such design decisions. I have multiple characters who do not quite follow these name rules exactly, but hey! We’re all having fun.
why did pipeyard just become hell. like. out of nowhere. there was a vulture chasing me through every room with a sky, a centipede hellbent on murdering me, and a scav gang appearing for no reason so i couldn't get food. did my slugpup anger everything???
