A call for help.

DocBrown · Feb 3, 2012

Hey everyone. I've just sent my characters to a new world that I've been dreading (a little, but not really) sending them to. The biggest problem I'm having is coming up with character names.

Here's the deal: The names translate, but not meaningfully.

My MC's name is Chip and to the people in the dimension it translates to Fragment. Likewise, the local names translate oddly in return. Here are some examples of three character names I have thus far:

Foxden Windup
Mill Bologna
Tombs Milksop

Mostly I'm looking for two paired incongruous words about 3-5 syllables. So something like "Pulchritudinous Pudding Pop" is far more silly than I'm looking for. I'm just lookng for slightly strange and no brand names.

Note: It's okay that this dimension doesn't have foxes or bologna. I'm okay with that being part of why the names aren't translating well.

For as many oddly paired names as I'll need, it's tough coming up with them all on my own. Hence the call for help. If you have an inspiration or two, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Sam K. · Feb 3, 2012

So Mark Bridges would become Spot Overpass? Is that the kind of thing you're asking for?

DocBrown · Feb 3, 2012

Not exactly. Spot Overpass would be the direct translation of the name of the person. The name just doesn't make sense in a human context.

Chip is the MC's name (who is human) and this other culture translates it directly as "fragment" (which could be a synonym to the word chip in our language). Yet, doesn't make sense to them as a name in their language.

Kate Monster · Feb 3, 2012

How could these people have a name in their language which translates to "fox den" if there are no foxes in their world? That doesn't make sense. Think about that. How would they have a word for something which they've never heard of?

They might have a name which translates to "phlox den" (a phlox, in this case, being the name of an animal which DOES exist in their world), and it gets MIStranslated to "Foxden" because it sounds pretty similar and we don't know what a phlox is. Alternately, "Foxden" might be a totally normal name in their language, in which case it would just be a coincidence that it means something in English...but that wouldn't be a translation.

Arcadia Divine · Feb 4, 2012

Kate Monster said:
How could these people have a name in their language which translates to "fox den" if there are no foxes in their world? That doesn't make sense. Think about that. How would they have a word for something which they've never heard of?

They might have a name which translates to "phlox den" (a phlox, in this case, being the name of an animal which DOES exist in their world), and it gets MIStranslated to "Foxden" because it sounds pretty similar and we don't know what a phlox is. Alternately, "Foxden" might be a totally normal name in their language, in which case it would just be a coincidence that it means something in English...but that wouldn't be a translation.

I was wondering that also

Filigree · Feb 4, 2012

Doc, you're caught in the uncanny valley between not enough worldbuilding and too much. You may have to just create a simple language first, and see where it takes you.

Unless you have English-speaking characters visiting this world, you won't have a direct translation. Keep the names relatively simple and at whatever level of ludicrous you like/tolerate, and you should be fine.

DocBrown · Feb 4, 2012

Filigree said:
Unless you have English-speaking characters visiting this world, you won't have a direct translation. Keep the names relatively simple and at whatever level of ludicrous you like/tolerate, and you should be fine.

Sadly, I was reticent to post this here because I feared people would over-think this.

There is an English speaking character in the story and I am looking for names that are relatively simple.

The story, at its core, is a (non-derivative) parody. So I am looking for an element of oddity or non sequitur, but I don't want it to go off the rails.

Luciamaria · Feb 4, 2012

YES!!!!

Frisk, Intarsia, Frond, Garland, Larch, Kilter, Throve.

All interesting names you might use. I've been collecting them. I'm glad I can put them to use.

Filigree · Feb 4, 2012

I have a big city in one WIP just called 'Throng', built on the ruins of a little village called 'Gather'.

Kate Monster · Feb 4, 2012

DocBrown said:
Sadly, I was reticent to post this here because I feared people would over-think this.

Sooo...you post a question asking for help, and then when people try to help you by pointing out something incongruous, you accuse them of over-thinking it?

If you do this very often, people are going to think twice about offering to help you in the future.

DocBrown · Feb 5, 2012

Kate Monster said:
Sooo...you post a question asking for help, and then when people try to help you by pointing out something incongruous, you accuse them of over-thinking it?

If you do this very often, people are going to think twice about offering to help you in the future.

Please read the original post. What more could I have added, other than repeating myself six different ways, that I wasn't going for depth? Or too silly?

You are suggesting I treat people, a priori, like they're idiots when I know around these forums, they are not. Again, my fear was that people would over-think this.

Why do people always seem to go out of their way to take the written word in the most negative context possible?

Luciamaria said:
YES!!!!

Frisk, Intarsia, Frond, Garland, Larch, Kilter, Throve.

All interesting names you might use. I've been collecting them. I'm glad I can put them to use.

Thank you! A name like "Garland Frisk" is exactly what I'm looking for.

Debbie V · Feb 5, 2012

Some how I feel you must use the word pizza. Perhaps Pizza Snow. Sounds like a female to me.

Arcadia Divine · Feb 5, 2012

DocBrown said:
Please read the original post. What more could I have added, other than repeating myself six different ways, that I wasn't going for depth? Or too silly?

You are suggesting I treat people, a priori, like they're idiots when I know around these forums, they are not. Again, my fear was that people would over-think this.

Why do people always seem to go out of their way to take the written word in the most negative context possible?

I don't understand how what kate said was negative. Seemed perfectly okay to me.

benbradley · Feb 5, 2012

Kate Monster said:
How could these people have a name in their language which translates to "fox den" if there are no foxes in their world? That doesn't make sense. Think about that. How would they have a word for something which they've never heard of?

Speaking of doesn't make sense, look up some subatomic particle names and properties. I forget what's what (actually I never learned much past electrons, protons and neutrons), but there's quarks, leptons, hadrons, and some or all may have color, flavor, charm and spin, and of course these properties have no relation to the ordinary meanings of these words.

There are some zany things in published fiction, such as Larry Niven's planet/human outpost named "We Made It."

But then again, this is fiction and things SHOULD make at least some sense to the reader. At least Niven's planet name is somewhat explained.

DocBrown · Feb 5, 2012

My favorite is still Hiro Protagonist from Snow Crash.

Neal Stephenson has some big cojones!

Debbie V said:
Some how I feel you must use the word pizza. Perhaps Pizza Snow. Sounds like a female to me.

Hmm, Pizza Snow. I think you're onto something there Debbie.

Vilya · Feb 6, 2012

Catapult Canary- sounds like a girl to me. But that may be too sing-song.

kuwisdelu · Feb 6, 2012

I've given my secret formula before on these forums.

For the first name, a random country's capital. For the last name, a foreign word for a random fruit.

That's how my secret protagonist, Budapest Ringo, was born.

kuwisdelu · Feb 6, 2012

benbradley said:
Speaking of doesn't make sense, look up some subatomic particle names and properties. I forget what's what (actually I never learned much past electrons, protons and neutrons), but there's quarks, leptons, hadrons, and some or all may have color, flavor, charm and spin, and of course these properties have no relation to the ordinary meanings of these words.

They all have spin.

An electron is a flavor of lepton.

Hadrons are either baryons or mesons, the former of which are made up of quarks, which have colors charges, and three flavors, one of which is charm (the others are up, down, strange, top, and bottom).

benbradley · Feb 6, 2012

kuwisdelu said:
They all have spin.

An electron is a flavor of lepton.

Hadrons are either baryons or mesons, the former of which are made up of quarks, which have colors charges, and three flavors, one of which is charm (the others are up, down, strange, top, and bottom).

See what I mean?

RichardFlea · Feb 7, 2012

Filigree said:
I have a big city in one WIP just called 'Throng', built on the ruins of a little village called 'Gather'.

I used to have a thong that lived in a garter, no hold it, I am misreading not misinterpreting...

... sorry... I am not very good at this game!

Althou, pizza snow is pretty cool. A hill covered in pizza snow, now you are talking.

how about...

'Clock hump' instead of Benny Hill?

A call for help.

DocBrown

Hopes to one day write for food.

Sam K.

DocBrown

Hopes to one day write for food.

Kate Monster

Prophecy Girl

Arcadia Divine

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

DocBrown

Hopes to one day write for food.

Luciamaria

Filigree

Mildly Disturbing

Kate Monster

Prophecy Girl

DocBrown

Hopes to one day write for food.

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

Arcadia Divine

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

DocBrown

Hopes to one day write for food.

Vilya

May the way of the hero...

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

RichardFlea

Foo!