From al’Meara to al’Thor, What’s With the “Al” in ‘Wheel of Time’ Character Names?

In that forum post, the inquisitive fan had a theory, writing, “Is it like the ‘O,’ ‘Mac,’ ‘Mc,’ or ‘Map’ found in Celtic cultures or the ‘ibn’ found in many Islamic states? Just curious.”

That fan was on to something. All of those prefixes are parts of patronymics from various cultures, or names derived from one’s father or ancestor. And the same goes for the prefix “al’” for some characters in The Wheel of Time. For others, however, the prefix is a marker of royalty…

From al’Meara to al’Thor, What’s With the “Al” in ‘Wheel of Time’ Character Names?
Source: Maharo News