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> Was the naming thing a reference to William Gibson, or Rumpelstilskin?

Much older. The idea that knowing a being's True Name gives you power over it is common to many human cultures.

There is not actually a language named after Le Guin (at least, not that I know of). However, she did write a fantasy series (Earthsea), in which wizards gain their power from the use of names.




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