Apostrophes in fantasy names?

Kalsik

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If you must use an apostrophe, it must be because the name would actually sound different without it.

For example, a name like O'Donnell is pronounced Oh Donnell, as in 'Woe' Donnell. Without the apostrophe, it would be Odonnell, which would sound like O as in 'Odd', then Donnell.

Whenever I use them, I think whether they'd actually sound different if an English speaker was speaking it. Never mind the fictional language or culture, the book is being written in English, so I'm thinking in English context. Apostrophes should be treated like chores in a household for writers, avoid them however you can, use them when you absolutely must for the sake of what story you're trying to convey.
 

Frostrunes

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Wow I had never heard of this. I was using them to visually set apart certain names. In one culture I used them for cities: Kin'Matir, Kor'Tandil, Hal'Durrath. In another I used them in names like Sil'krath (otherwise it seemed to be pronounced Silk Wrath). Is this really that frowned upon??
 

cornflake

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Wow I had never heard of this. I was using them to visually set apart certain names. In one culture I used them for cities: Kin'Matir, Kor'Tandil, Hal'Durrath. In another I used them in names like Sil'krath (otherwise it seemed to be pronounced Silk Wrath). Is this really that frowned upon??

Y'es

:ROFL:
 

Harlequin

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Spelling wise, there is almost always a way around awkward or alternative stress patterns.

Silhkrath gets rid of your apostrophe and signals to an English speaking reader the correct pn/stress.

I'm not saying you have to change your spellings by any means, btw. Just highlighting as an option that you can accomodate them in other ways.

Spaces are also perfectly good (Sil Krath, Kin Matir, etc).
 

Frostrunes

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Spelling wise, there is almost always a way around awkward or alternative stress patterns.

Silhkrath gets rid of your apostrophe and signals to an English speaking reader the correct pn/stress.

I'm not saying you have to change your spellings by any means, btw. Just highlighting as an option that you can accomodate them in other ways.

Spaces are also perfectly good (Sil Krath, Kin Matir, etc).

You're probably right. Though it always feels weird to me to change the names of characters I've been working with for several years. Mostly I'm a little surprised to learn that this is "a thing." Learn something new every day I suppose. I can see how it could be used in an annoying fashion with forty something characters wandering around with multiple apostrophes in their names. All things in moderation I suppose.
 

Harlequin

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It probably isn't a thing at this exact moment :p but there were years and years of it in previous decades and so, much like the Wake Up opener, it's acquired a reputation even though few published books do this in practice.
 

Siwyenbast

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I tend to use apostrophes in names when it would make sense for the language that the character's name is in. If a publisher tries to tell me that Ma'at, an Egyptian goddess and concept of truth, justice, and cosmic order shouldn't have the apostrophe, then there's gonna be some stink eye. It's mainly because Late Egyptian has glottal stops in it, and hers has one. None of my main characters have those in their names, but they do talk about the concept a bit.
 

Blinkk

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Wow, I just read through this whole thread. I've never realized there was such a thing with apostrophes. I have a fantasy character who is from a foreign nation called en'Aleryia. The character pronounces his country's name correctly, but whenever he's talking to people from other countries, they call it Leeryia. It's pretty clear that it's a derogatory term. This other country doesn't have the prefix 'en' so they drop it from the pronunciation because that's how their language is formatted. Educated characters will use the foreign prefix, but almost everyone else drops it.

I like using it that way, because it shows the history between two different countries that don't get along. Because Leeryia is derogatory, the reader can identify a character's political views almost right away.

Oh man, now I gatta think through this...
 

Kjbartolotta

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Wow, I just read through this whole thread. I've never realized there was such a thing with apostrophes. I have a fantasy character who is from a foreign nation called en'Aleryia. The character pronounces his country's name correctly, but whenever he's talking to people from other countries, they call it Leeryia. It's pretty clear that it's a derogatory term. This other country doesn't have the prefix 'en' so they drop it from the pronunciation because that's how their language is formatted. Educated characters will use the foreign prefix, but almost everyone else drops it.

I like using it that way, because it shows the history between two different countries that don't get along. Because Leeryia is derogatory, the reader can identify a character's political views almost right away.

Oh man, now I gatta think through this...

I dunno, that sounds super-sweet and awesome to me. Though, LOL, I just read the rest of this thread too. I'm glad I have nothing with conlangs right now.
 
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Brightdreamer

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Wow, I just read through this whole thread. I've never realized there was such a thing with apostrophes. I have a fantasy character who is from a foreign nation called en'Aleryia. The character pronounces his country's name correctly, but whenever he's talking to people from other countries, they call it Leeryia. It's pretty clear that it's a derogatory term. This other country doesn't have the prefix 'en' so they drop it from the pronunciation because that's how their language is formatted. Educated characters will use the foreign prefix, but almost everyone else drops it.

I like using it that way, because it shows the history between two different countries that don't get along. Because Leeryia is derogatory, the reader can identify a character's political views almost right away.

Oh man, now I gatta think through this...

To me, this would work because there's a clear reason for the apostrophe. It's not just stuck in there for exotic aesthetics; it matters. It was the misuse/overuse of apostrophes for fantasy aesthetics that gave them such a bad name. (And the use for aesthetics is not dead - I'm currently reading a fantasy novel with some random apostrophe names and terms... and I'm over halfway through and still can't keep track of them.)
 

JJ Litke

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Wow, I just read through this whole thread. I've never realized there was such a thing with apostrophes. I have a fantasy character who is from a foreign nation called en'Aleryia. The character pronounces his country's name correctly, but whenever he's talking to people from other countries, they call it Leeryia. It's pretty clear that it's a derogatory term. This other country doesn't have the prefix 'en' so they drop it from the pronunciation because that's how their language is formatted. Educated characters will use the foreign prefix, but almost everyone else drops it.

I like using it that way, because it shows the history between two different countries that don't get along. Because Leeryia is derogatory, the reader can identify a character's political views almost right away.

Oh man, now I gatta think through this...

That totally works for me, too. You set up reason for it, and you're using it in a way that shows worldbuilding.
 

Thomas Vail

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To me, this would work because there's a clear reason for the apostrophe.
Yep. The reasoning behind the original blog post read by the OP is that the apostrophe gets over-used, poorly, by amateur writers who use the because it makes something look exotic and different. So, for example, the first thing an agent sees in a query is a name with apostrophes in it that shows the writer doesn't know what they're doing, that's not a good sign for the rest of it.
 

tnfalpha

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Here is an unsolicited readers perspective. I love apostrophes in fantasy names. It's like bonafide fantasy kitsch at this point but totally my tempo.

As a random aside: fantasy languages may not use Roman script, which means all manner of weird transliteration is possible.
 

Criccieth

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Wow, I just read through this whole thread. I've never realized there was such a thing with apostrophes. I have a fantasy character who is from a foreign nation called en'Aleryia. The character pronounces his country's name correctly, but whenever he's talking to people from other countries, they call it Leeryia. It's pretty clear that it's a derogatory term. This other country doesn't have the prefix 'en' so they drop it from the pronunciation because that's how their language is formatted. Educated characters will use the foreign prefix, but almost everyone else drops it.

I like using it that way, because it shows the history between two different countries that don't get along. Because Leeryia is derogatory, the reader can identify a character's political views almost right away.

Oh man, now I gatta think through this...

OK, I get that Culture B might drop the prefix but then why are they pronouncing Aleryia as Leeryia? That said, I fully get that the name used will indicate political leaning - look at Londonderry/Derry in N.I.