Romulan nomenclature

This article describes the process of naming of persons, places and things in languages spoken by Romulans.
 * See also: Romulan language

Persons
Romulan names are very personal, and are rarely used in their entirety in the company of outsiders to the sciety of the Romulan Star Empire. Some Romulans believe that names carry a special power in the Elements that make up the universe, so they choose them very carefully to avoid bad fortune. A Romulan might refuse to give someone their name, or at least be secretive about it, for fear thet the knowledge would deter control of their luck to the person who knows it. Many Romulans have a self-chosen "fourth name" that they keep a secret all their lives, rarely revealed to others.

Personal names
Romulan individuals are usually given a common personal name, many of which are known to have specific meanings describing the person in question, such as "Ael", which means "swift & winged".

As Romulans pass the varous ranks and titles of their lives, they sometimes choose or are assigned changes to the long form of their names. One tradition common with Rihannsu language-style naming, is to have a middle name which denotes an origin or standing in life, meaning it can change as an individual rises up through Romulan Star Empire society: in this tradition, Human Starfleet Intelligence Officer Terise Haleakala-LoBrutto traveled to Romulus and assumed a Romulan name, "Arrhae i-Mnaeha t'Khellian", with "Mnaeha" as her third name. She later changed status from a servant of House Khellian and became a senator, and her third name changed to "Khellian" after she had taken on a new surname. 

Surnames
Romulan surnames were usually the official name of the family, or house, that a person belonged to. A person employed as a bonded servant would bear the name of the house they worked for, even if they were not related to the family that bore that name.

Prefixes
In Rihannsu variations of language, various titles were used as prefixes to the surname, and were used when an individual was being addressed formally. For example, Ael t'Rllaillieu was a member of the family line Rllaillieu whose personal name was Ael, and her gender-specific gender prefix was t'.


 * middle name prefixes:
 * i' (full name address)
 * ir' (formal address without one or more other names included)


 * surname prefixes:
 * (none, in familiar address)
 * t' (female)
 * tr' (male)
 * s' (group or individual in formal address)

Places
Klingon place names may sometimes be taken from historic events that occurred at them, or to honor those who had lived in or fought in those places.

Klingon star systems are often translated into normal conventions of stellar nomenclature, with greek language letters in front of star group names.

Starships and vehicles
Klingon starships may be named for places (IKS Kronos One, IKS Amar), people (IKS Gorkon, IKS Kahless), qualitative characteristics (IKS Fury, IKS K't'inga - "Bringer of Destruction"), or Klingon language terms, phrases and poetic verses (IKV Blue Fire, IKV Qapla' - "Success").

Ships of the Klingon Empire's Klingon Defense Force are often registered with a prefix, most often translated as the generalized "IKS", "Imperial Klingon Ship", with more specific terms being used interchangeably, such as "IKC" ("cruiser"), "IKF" (possibly "fighter" or "frigate") or "IKV" ("vessel"). Many of the prefix references are based on translations of the Klingon language "tlhIngan wo' Duj" ("Klingon Empire Ship"). (Skybox Klingon language cards)

Ships of the Imperial Klingon States splinter government are named in much the same manner, but with the prefix "IKSV", for "Imperial Klingon States Vessel".


 * Most non-canon sources follow the Star Trek Encyclopedia practice of naming ships with "IKS", which was used in canon as well, although earlier and concurrent sources use this interchangably with "IKV", with multiple sources using both prefices for the same vessels. "IKC" was interchanged with "IKS" in early editions of the Encyclopedia based on its reference in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and often occurs interchanged in the same manner in non-canon. "IKF" is the rarest of them all, from such sources as .