I'm facing a dilemma choosing proper names for the characters and locations (rivers, mountains, banks, usw) in a prehistoric (late chalcolithic, to be exact) eurasian setting.
I'd like to be consistent; the method I choose must be used to generate all the names of either people and/or places.
The narrative has a 3rd-person POV and personal names will naturally appear in the dialogues.
For personal names, I see three possibilities:
1) Given the process involved in the genesis of personal names (already researched this a lot), use adequate english nouns and adjectives for the composition
The problem with this method is that the products won't look like personal names you could easily be acquainted with, but end up resembling the usual caricatures and tropes you may see in the naming of amerindians and generic pre-literate savages.
2) Given the process involved in the genesis of personal names, use adequate nouns and adjectives from reconstructed archaic languages (also have tons of research material on this).
This was the first method I've attempted - I thought it could sound more authentic and original. Unfortunately, the end products were either not aesthetically pleasing or overly lengthy or just sounding too strange or exotic. Perhaps I could eventually find interesting compositions if I try harder.
3) Use actual, historically attested names from the closest and most ancient languages related to the linguistic community of the characters.
I still have to try this one up. Perhaps this may be my best bet.
As for geographical locations; surely it is anachronistic and just not tasteful to have ancient roaming indo-european tribesmen referring to the "carpathian mountains" or the "caspian sea". Perhaps I could use the modern acknowledged names strictly off-dialogue.
I'd like to hear your suggestions. Thanks in advance.
I'd like to be consistent; the method I choose must be used to generate all the names of either people and/or places.
The narrative has a 3rd-person POV and personal names will naturally appear in the dialogues.
For personal names, I see three possibilities:
1) Given the process involved in the genesis of personal names (already researched this a lot), use adequate english nouns and adjectives for the composition
The problem with this method is that the products won't look like personal names you could easily be acquainted with, but end up resembling the usual caricatures and tropes you may see in the naming of amerindians and generic pre-literate savages.
2) Given the process involved in the genesis of personal names, use adequate nouns and adjectives from reconstructed archaic languages (also have tons of research material on this).
This was the first method I've attempted - I thought it could sound more authentic and original. Unfortunately, the end products were either not aesthetically pleasing or overly lengthy or just sounding too strange or exotic. Perhaps I could eventually find interesting compositions if I try harder.
3) Use actual, historically attested names from the closest and most ancient languages related to the linguistic community of the characters.
I still have to try this one up. Perhaps this may be my best bet.
As for geographical locations; surely it is anachronistic and just not tasteful to have ancient roaming indo-european tribesmen referring to the "carpathian mountains" or the "caspian sea". Perhaps I could use the modern acknowledged names strictly off-dialogue.
I'd like to hear your suggestions. Thanks in advance.
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