Kryptonian naming conventions
The various incarnations of Superman aren't completely consistent with each other, on this point any more than any other, but does anyone know (or have a vague recollection of knowing) any more than this:
Clark Kent is Kal-El, son of Jor-El, of the House of El (every incarnation).
Supergirl, back when she was Superman's cousin (as opposed to the matrix from hero!Lex's parallel universe, or the streetkid she merged with whose name I can't remember), was Kara Zor-El (Silver Age Comics).
Clark's mother was Lara Lor-Van (Silver Age Comics).
Now, extrapolating from these last two, I presume the cousin relationship was through Clark's father, and that Jor and Zor were brothers, of the House of El. In which case SV!Clark was right just to call himself Kal, rather than using his surname too.
In addition, it would appear that women use their father's full name, rather than just his house name, as their own surname. In which case Clark's maternal grandfather was Lor-Van, of the House of Van.
Other than this, we met Clark's Kryptonian fiancee Zara (Lois and Clark). She identified herself as being of the House of Ra, which would actually make her Za-Ra and puncture my patronymic theory, but I'd rather presume that that was a mistake on the writer's part.
In the same episode we met the tyrant Nor (no surname specified, but identified as being head of a ruling House).
Are we to assume from this that members of ruling Houses all get a first name from a small (rhyming!) pool, or various subsets thereof? (Jor, Zor, Lor, Nor; Lara, Kara, Zara; Kal...)
And what of the non-ruling classes? Do they not get a surname at all? We met Ching (Zara's bodyguard and paramour) and various forgettable extras with monosyllabic first names in the above mentioned episode.
The only others I can think of are the villain General Zod (various) and his two sidekicks Ursa and Non (Superman). Oh, and Vonda, the rival scientist who disagreed with Jor-El about Krypton's impending demise (Superman). Again with one syllable for men, and maybe a rule of two, ending in -a, for women?
Lastly, Superboy, the lovechild cloned offspring of Superman and Lex Luthor, was given the honorific Kon-El by Clark (Modern Comics). Possibly one more first name (rhyming sequence of first names?) to add to the Great House pool.
Why yes, I have too much time on my hands this afternoon. But can anyone think of anything I've forgotten?
Clark Kent is Kal-El, son of Jor-El, of the House of El (every incarnation).
Supergirl, back when she was Superman's cousin (as opposed to the matrix from hero!Lex's parallel universe, or the streetkid she merged with whose name I can't remember), was Kara Zor-El (Silver Age Comics).
Clark's mother was Lara Lor-Van (Silver Age Comics).
Now, extrapolating from these last two, I presume the cousin relationship was through Clark's father, and that Jor and Zor were brothers, of the House of El. In which case SV!Clark was right just to call himself Kal, rather than using his surname too.
In addition, it would appear that women use their father's full name, rather than just his house name, as their own surname. In which case Clark's maternal grandfather was Lor-Van, of the House of Van.
Other than this, we met Clark's Kryptonian fiancee Zara (Lois and Clark). She identified herself as being of the House of Ra, which would actually make her Za-Ra and puncture my patronymic theory, but I'd rather presume that that was a mistake on the writer's part.
In the same episode we met the tyrant Nor (no surname specified, but identified as being head of a ruling House).
Are we to assume from this that members of ruling Houses all get a first name from a small (rhyming!) pool, or various subsets thereof? (Jor, Zor, Lor, Nor; Lara, Kara, Zara; Kal...)
And what of the non-ruling classes? Do they not get a surname at all? We met Ching (Zara's bodyguard and paramour) and various forgettable extras with monosyllabic first names in the above mentioned episode.
The only others I can think of are the villain General Zod (various) and his two sidekicks Ursa and Non (Superman). Oh, and Vonda, the rival scientist who disagreed with Jor-El about Krypton's impending demise (Superman). Again with one syllable for men, and maybe a rule of two, ending in -a, for women?
Lastly, Superboy, the lovechild cloned offspring of Superman and Lex Luthor, was given the honorific Kon-El by Clark (Modern Comics). Possibly one more first name (rhyming sequence of first names?) to add to the Great House pool.
Why yes, I have too much time on my hands this afternoon. But can anyone think of anything I've forgotten?