Names

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So in cannon, the personifications have two names: Their nation names and their human names. These names are not necessarily interchangeable. It's somewhat equivalent to humans using full names versus nicknames, with their nation names being like humans full names and their human names being the equivalent of a nickname (although nicknames are also commonly used for both names, but that's a whole other level of complication).

What I mean by that is this: Nation names are used to formally address someone (usually a less powerful country addressing a more powerful country), while human names are either used interpersonally, or when addressing a smaller country. Also, if two nations are not necessarily close but have the same "power", they'll also use each others human names. So it's kind of a sign of status.

In a similar vein, a less powerful or developing country addressing a more powerful or developed country  by their human name is disrespectful, either viewed as the speaker elevating their own status or lowering the other country's status (usually the former). On the flip side, if speaking to a nation where the speaker would usually use their human name, but instead uses their nation name, it's essentially seen as an insult, either seen as lowering that nations status or relegating them to just the nation they represent, depending on the context. This goes for both interpersonal and when a more powerful nation addresses a less powerful nation.

In short, what name you use when talking to a nation has significance. 

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⏰ Last updated: Nov 28, 2022 ⏰

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