Who names the shardworlds?

[Raven Wilder]

Were their names chosen by the people living there? Or are they something that's been assigned to them by the Shards and/or worldhoppers?

Like, if you told an average citizen of the Final Empire that they lived on the planet Scadrial, would they have any idea what you're talking about?

[Weltall]

The names predate the Shattering, whether the inhabitants of a world know what their planet is called in the greater Cosmere depends on the planet. Rosharans do, for example. Kelsier and Wax at least know that their planet is named Scadrial because Hoid/Khriss tell the two respectively but it's not clear the population as a whole does during Era 2. The fact that Wax doesn't get utterly confused when Khriss brings up the name suggests it is common knowledge though.

Quote

Thorondir (paraphrased)

Who names the planets? You've said once that "Scadrial" was the name of the planet as Ruin and Preservation knew it, but where'd they get that name? Do the Shardholders all get together and vote on it or something?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said thay already had their names and that the all the planets existed before the shardholders got there.

Footnote: This is true for all worlds save Scadrial, which was created by Ruin and Preservation.
Oslo signing, 2011 (May 30, 2011)

Quote

EHyde

Since we generally don't see inhabitants of your worlds refer to their planets by name, where do the names come from?

Brandon Sanderson

From world-hoppers, Shards, and those who know about the cosmere.

17th Shard Forum Q&A (Sept. 27, 2012)

 

Edited December 5, 2020 by Ookla the Crimson King

[Aspiring Writer]

10 minutes ago, Raven Wilder said:

Were their names chosen by the people living there? Or are they something that's been assigned to them by the Shards and/or worldhoppers?

Like, if you told an average citizen of the Final Empire that they lived on the planet Scadrial, would they have any idea what you're talking about?

I think the group Khriss is in names them?

[Eternal Khol]

apparently most of them were already named before the shattering/before shards arrived.

I think they kind of already had names and the shards or whoever was just like "well it feel like it should be named this"

either it was Adonalsium, or the Shards literally named them from the "feel" of the planet

Thorondir (paraphrased)

Who names the planets? You've said once that "Scadrial" was the name of the planet as Ruin and Preservation knew it, but where'd they get that name? Do the Shardholders all get together and vote on it or something?

Brandon Sanderson (paraphrased)

He said thay already had their names and that the all the planets existed before the shardholders got there.

Footnote: This is true for all worlds save Scadrial, which was created by Ruin and Preservation. 
Oslo signing, 2011 (May 30, 2011) Edited December 5, 2020 by Eternal Khol

[Raven Wilder]

2 minutes ago, Ookla the Crimson King said:

The names predate the Shattering, whether the inhabitants of a world know what their planet is called in the greater Cosmere depends on the planet. Rosharans do, for example.

 

I thought Ruin and Preservation created Scadrial from scratch, rather than seeding life on an existing planet? That'd mean it couldn't have existed pre-Shattering.

[Weltall]

1 minute ago, Raven Wilder said:

I thought Ruin and Preservation created Scadrial from scratch, rather than seeding life on an existing planet? That'd mean it couldn't have existed pre-Shattering.

Yeah, thatt's the ONE exception, the rest predate it. Almost all of the worlds were also inhabited before the Shards arrived, per Khriss.

Edited December 5, 2020 by Ookla the Crimson King

[Eternal Khol]

1 minute ago, Raven Wilder said:

I thought Ruin and Preservation created Scadrial from scratch, rather than seeding life on an existing planet? That'd mean it couldn't have existed pre-Shattering.

"You've said once that "Scadrial" was the name of the planet as Ruin and Preservation knew it"

the made scadrial and felt it was/should be "scadrial" and so called it as such

[Frustration]

Brandon does Silly

Edited December 5, 2020 by Ookla The Frustrated

[Kingsdaughter613]

I now have an odd idea. We know that objects in the Cognitive ‘know’ what they are. Is it possible that a planet ‘knows’ it’s own name? Like a fire knows it’s fire and a stick knows it’s a stick, Roshar knows it is Roshar and Scadrial knows it is Scadrial?

[Elegy]

On 17.12.2020 at 5:47 AM, Kingsdaughter613 said:

I now have an odd idea. We know that objects in the Cognitive ‘know’ what they are. Is it possible that a planet ‘knows’ it’s own name? Like a fire knows it’s fire and a stick knows it’s a stick, Roshar knows it is Roshar and Scadrial knows it is Scadrial?

Very probable. It's confirmed they have souls.