Symmetry is weird

[Doomslug the Arcane she/her]

Why do people consider the name Nohadon symmetrical even though it isn't? Shouldn't it be Nohahon or Nodadon? 

[Weaver of Shadows he/him]

2 minutes ago, Doomslug_Is_Cool said:

Why do people consider the name Nohadon symmetrical even though it isn't? Shouldn't it be Nohahon or Nodadon? 

It’s because in Vorin the letter H is essentially a wild card, it can be used as any letter in regards to symmetry.

Edit:

 Welcome to the shard!

Edited January 29, 2024 by Lightweaver2

[Treamayne]

Wecome to the Shard.

9 minutes ago, Doomslug_Is_Cool said:

Why do people consider the name Nohadon symmetrical even though it isn't? Shouldn't it be Nohahon or Nodadon? 

It is a feature of Vorin Languages (see below) that Symmetry is "holy" but being truely symmetrical can be blasphemous. So, in the Alethi Women's Script, the letter "h" is a symmetrical placeholder that is written as the letter to which it is paired, but with a diacritic mark showing that it is pronounced as an "H."

Words of Radiance Ch 47:

Spoiler

“Bajerden? Nohadon? Must people have so many names?”

“One is honorific,” Shallan said. “His original name wasn’t considered symmetrical enough. Well, I guess it wasn’t really symmetrical at all, so the ardents gave him a new one centuries ago.”

“But . . . the new one isn’t symmetrical either.”

“The h sound can be for any letter,” Shallan said absently. “We write it as the symmetrical letter, to make the word balance, but add a diacritical mark to indicate it sounds like an h so the word is easier to say.”

So, written in the Women's Script, it would look symmetrical (except the diacritic). 

For more on how the Women's Script was decoded by fans, please see this (very long) thread.

Edited January 29, 2024 by Treamayne
SPAG

[Doomslug the Arcane she/her]

Thx for clearing up some confusion!