Bothan names consist of a given name and a family name, with the family name bearing a suffix indicating the family's overall clan affiliation and separated from the family name by an apostrophe. For example, the name
"Borsk Fey'lya" refers to Borsk, of the family Fey, of the clan
Alya. A Bothan without a clan suffix is considered an outcast from his clan and from Bothan society in general, though some Bothans voluntarily forego their clan names, perhaps as part of a pledge or vow to restore their honor. (One example would be Koth
Melan, onetime head of the Bothan spynet, who stopped using his clan name because he believed that so long as the Empire was in control of the galaxy, there could be no honor.)
Bothans do not generally pay much attention to the meanings of their names, except in poetry. It is considered a pointless pursuit -- something best reserved for linguists, writers, and actors. As in many Human cultures, Bothan family names often have a meaning relating to a profession once carried on by the family's earlier ancestors. Clan suffixes, interestingly, have no commonly accepted meanings. |
Famous Bothan
Borsk Fey'lya |
