Names pertaining to Countries

Imbroglio · Jun 29, 2009

I don't think there is a thread with this question, so I'll just throw it out there.

When you name countries that you make up your own, for worldbuilding in fantasy or science fiction, is there a specific way you choose what the people from that place are called?

Like, so far, I have an idea of how it goes, but is there an actual rule or do you just go with what you want.

For example, right now, I've got a country called Galem, and I guess naturally, I just started to call them Galemians.

But, I have a place called Murcurmur, and I wasn't really sure what to do with it...

Any ideas on this?

K_Woods · Jun 29, 2009

I look at the ending of the country's name, and then kind of wing it with what sounds right on an intuitive level. There isn't any one uniform suffix in English, and I'm not even sure if there's a pattern to which suffix is used when (and I'm too preoccupied to look it up right now).

Murcurmur doesn't really give me any good ideas, though. Murcurmur(e)s, perhaps, maybe Murcurmuri. Murcurmurians and Murcurmurites sounds too strained (and Murcurmurians is a little too homogenous with Galemians for my ear, but that may be a personal quirk).

You could also call them 'the Murcurmur,' though you'd have to make sure to be clear whether you're referring to the people or the land.

mscelina · Jun 29, 2009

I'm a firm believer in simplicity.

Call 'em Murcs.

*grin*

mlazzer · Jun 29, 2009

I guess you just have to with what sounds most natural. Maybe as exercise try to find some old, dead countries and guess what the name of the inhabitants would have been and check it. What do we call the people from Elam? Or Phoenicia?

But is there a real rule? I don't think so... Scythia has either Scythians or Scyts but Asia (with the same ending) has Asians and not Asits or something... I guess there isn't a very definite rule.

And then... Murcurmurians? Maybe. But I guess it doesn't matter what anyone thinks is "right" because it's up to you really, isnt it? It is your world! And if the real world has inconsistencies then you need them for that touch of reality in yours as well.

Imbroglio · Jun 29, 2009

Yeah, for me, I was thinking even though the name of the place is Mucurmur, I could just call them something like Mucurmans, or as Celina suggested, something even as simple as Murcs.

I guess you're right, it's all a matter of preference. My preference is the sound of it when pronounced correctly, I guess. I'll keep looking, I guess, haha.

Smiling Ted · Jun 29, 2009

Call 'em Murmurs.
Then the jackass in the bar can call them Mumblers.
Then the brawl can start.

tarcanus · Jun 29, 2009

Smiling Ted said:
Call 'em Murmurs.
Then the jackass in the bar can call them Mumblers.
Then the brawl can start.

^This, a thousand times, This.

geardrops · Jun 29, 2009

Smiling Ted said:
Call 'em Murmurs.
Then the jackass in the bar can call them Mumblers.
Then the brawl can start.

Oddly, this is what I was going to suggest.

Weird

Richard White · Jun 29, 2009

For some reason when I read this, I had a Star Trek Flashback.

"Well, Captain, then one of them called you a Denebian Slime Devil."
"And that's when the fight started?" (Kirk beaming at Scotty)
"No sir. Ensign Chekov wanted to mix it up, but I told him we were above all that."
(Kirk somewhat deflated) "So, what did cause the fight, Scotty."
"Sir, then one of them called the Enterprise a garbage scow."
(Kirk shocked) "And that started the fight."
"Well, I couldn't let them get away with that."
"I see."

Imbroglio · Jun 29, 2009

That's an interesting thought there. I'll have to think about that...

bagels · Jun 29, 2009

Smiling Ted said:
Call 'em Murmurs.
Then the jackass in the bar can call them Mumblers.
Then the brawl can start.

I'm also a fan of this.

But if you want to get technical, here is a list of current nationalities.

Wark · Jun 30, 2009

Murcurmurans.

Not that I don't like the sound of the country's name, but I don't like the shapes and arrangements of letters. Too many open loops, horseshoes if you will. Lowercase m looks like two upside down lowercase u and there's a c.

But I vote Murcurmurans. Didn't like the ...murians. Just don't pull a Lucas and do Naboo/Nubians. ???

DeleyanLee · Jun 30, 2009

Glorium said:
When you name countries that you make up your own, for worldbuilding in fantasy or science fiction, is there a specific way you choose what the people from that place are called?

I think about the "feel" I want names to convey (ie: ancient Mesopotamia or Victorian, or Navaho mixed with Inuit) and come up with words that have that "feel" to me. I generally use a name generator and play with what it comes up with to make it work for that book.

For example, right now, I've got a country called Galem, and I guess naturally, I just started to call them Galemians.

But, I have a place called Murcurmur, and I wasn't really sure what to do with it...

If you're happy with the country name, then play with the options. Consider shortening it, if it fits your culture or language. I mean, people from England are known as English and Brits, afterall. Don't let yourself get rigidly trapped in whatever confines THIS language has--this is a different language, afterall. Let yourself be creative.

Imbroglio · Jun 30, 2009

Wark said:
Murcurmurans.

Not that I don't like the sound of the country's name, but I don't like the shapes and arrangements of letters. Too many open loops, horseshoes if you will. Lowercase m looks like two upside down lowercase u and there's a c.

But I vote Murcurmurans. Didn't like the ...murians. Just don't pull a Lucas and do Naboo/Nubians. ???

If I spell it any other way, it looks strange to me.

Mercurmur.
Murcermur.
Murcurmer.
Mercurmer.
Mercermur.
Mercermer.
Murcermer.

Wark · Jun 30, 2009

Glorium said:
Mercurmur.
Murcermur.
Murcurmer.
Mercurmer.
Mercermur.
Mercermer.
Murcermer.

EEeeeh, you're freakin' me out man.

See, loading with 'e' makes the c blend with them. Mercermer, also, looks like mercenaries. And we don't want any Necromongering, do we.

You sure arn't getting any anagrams out of those.

Don't worry about the name. At least it's not M'rcrmeern or some other F'ntasy apostrophe Na'me.

Imbroglio · Jun 30, 2009

Hahaha, sorry.

I've never really been into apostrophe's, personally.

I think I wanna do Murcurian.

AFF: It's a little close to Murian, but, it's the only thing I like the raw sound of.

Names pertaining to Countries

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM

K_Woods

9 of 10 Overlords prefer Evil Pie!

mscelina

Teh doommobile, drivin' rite by you

mlazzer

New kid, be gentle

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM

Smiling Ted

Ah-HA!

tarcanus

Lord of the Tarcans

geardrops

Good thing I like my day job

Richard White

Stealthy Plot Bunny Peddler

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM

bagels

Wannabe Intellectual

Wark

Mark Brockman

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM

Wark

Mark Brockman

Imbroglio

PERPETUAL EXISTENTIAL CRISIS VICTIM