How Does a Person Become a Dragonborn in the elder scrolls?

[Hadriel]

I'm just wondering how a mortal ends up (born?)With the soul of a dragon. Is it some sort of karmic glitch in the universe, or some sort of personal sacrifice? Or the result of when dragons "Fraternize" with mortals (, and therefore hereditary)? On the subject of "Fraternizing". Do Argonians possess a Cloaca or Separate Tracts? Do Argonians possess Copulatory Organs, spawn like frogs, or "press" like Tuataras, Are the other races Copulatory Organs the same as each other’s or are their differences?

[Acolapissa]

Argonians probably posses a cloaca, since many of their curse words stem from the word and it’s just cooler that way. There is some info about Argonian reproduction here, and under "more on the Hist" in this. Men and Mer presumably all have similar reproductive organs. Khajiit have barbed phalluses like real world felines, as described in the uncensored version of "The Real Barenziah" that appeared in Daggerfall.

[Squibbit]

And I have a feeling that nature of reproduction varies with anatomy, as we know that Khajiit have very different phenotypes/breeds. And I think I recall reading that the Argonians also vary in similar way. There is more than one "kind" or breed of the best races, it seems, and I wouldn't expect the anatomies to be universal within a given race. Prior to the Skyrim trailer I would have said purely hereditary. After it though it seems like the Devs are expanding the definition. If I had to guess, and that's all this is, it will end up being someone who is a champion of Akatosh, and by extension the continuation of this kalpa.

[RockOn]

A Dragonborn is a person who has been chosen by the Gods and possesses the soul of a Dragon. It is not heredity nor is it something you can achieve in life, it is chosen from your birth (or some I'm lead to believe) by the Gods. And no, Martin was not a Dragonborn, he merely took the avatar of Akatosh to defeat Lord Dagon. Well it is Dragon-born not Scarab-born: shrug: Though the alignment of their interests in this case makes it a distinction without a difference in my opinion.

[Tionontati]

We don't know that for certain. Martin explained his deus-ex-amoletum as his own dragon-blood mixing with that found within the Amulet of Kings, further, Jauffre and Baurus (if they survive) seem convinced that he was Dragonborn. Perhaps not the most compelling evidence, but given their monastic background, I'm inclined to trust their opinion in theological matters. The Septims might have called themselves Dragonborn, but claiming a divine mandate is not equal to actually having one. Tiber is the only one certifiably Dragonborn, and his blood died out after the second emperor.

[MacIntel]

I think that Dragonborn and Dovahkiin are not the same. I believe that Dovahkiin refers to a person having the soul of a dragon and thus, feared by other dragons. But I also believe that Dragonborn are not born with the souls of the dragons. I don't have any proof mind you, and I can’t properly describe what's in my head here for you all, but I think that if the Septims and Camorans are indeed Dragonborn, it would mean that they are able to wear the AoK, but they don't possess the soul of a dragon, and thus, are not Dovahkiin.

[Wappinger]

There are Souls recycle in the dreamsleeve- they get wiped clean of all memories and such and get planted back into a new living host. That's where the whole Nerevarine storyline came into play- Azura (allegedly) held onto the soul of Nerevar. You WEREN'T Nerevar, but you did share the same soul. Also, keep in mind, Skyrim's pre-release stuff has given indication that there are a lot of dragons. At any time, there are maybe a hundred living dragonborn, at most.