Foreign names in books - how to keep them memorable

Kaylarr · Feb 18, 2018

I apologize if this is a thread that has appeared before, but there are so many threads I may have missed it.

I remember reading a few fantasy novels where the names of people/places/things were a hindrance and an annoyance to the point where I put the book down unfinished. I was constantly wondering: Who is that again? What city is this again? Why is that item important? Etc. I find having to frequently consult the glossary at the back of books to be a distraction. :Shrug:

The book I am writing is set in ancient Japan and deals with a lot of unusual and sometimes long foreign words and names. Since I have lived in Japan for 10 years, I'm not the best judge of what words are difficult for a someone unfamiliar with Japanese to recall.

For example, first names in English tend to be one or two syllables, but first names in Japanese can be quite long depending. It is not unusual for boys' first names to be three or four syllables long: eg. Fu-mi-hi-ro. If you also add that to a long last name, it gets a bit cumbersome: Fu-ta-tsu-mo-ri Fu-mi-hi-ro. Finally, the names of many historical figures and important items have honorifics that are usually attached to them.

If I say Excalibur or Alexander the great, those names have a cultural touchstone in many western readers' consciousnesses and so, hopefully, the reader isn't require to periodically go to the glossary to check, but famous Japanese historical figures/items/events are likely far less well-known.

I'm wondering if anyone has advice on how to make foreign names of people/places more easily comprehensible and memorable. Obviously including a glossary at the end of who's who is useful, but are there perchance some tips or tricks for helping the reader along? For example, what is your opinion on how often should you remind the reader what an item is? e.g. "Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, was thrown into a lake." or "The sword Excalibur..."

sideshowdarb · Feb 18, 2018

Not sure if this will be helpful, but I wrote a novel I'm querying now that takes place in Ireland. Most of the characters have Irish names that are unconventional even to English ears (though common there) and are not phonetic in the least. I made no effort in the book to cushion any of this, or provide any hand holding on reminders. I don't know the extent of your characters or locations, so the scope of your book may be necessary to have something, but for me, it's a small cast in a (mostly) dedicated locale. I think it's awesome you're writing about the period and subject you are; I wouldn't worry too much about getting it. I think your knowledge and passion for it will carry a reader through.

Tocotin · Feb 18, 2018

Hello! I feel you. Personally I don’t think you need to worry too much. I agree with the previous poster in that if your passion shines through and the story is interesting, your readers will be fascinated by it and will remember all the stuff necessary for them to enjoy your book. I’m working on a story set in Japan as well, and there are several things I am doing, so I thought I’ll share.

1. I give the readers time to get used to the characters. I try not to introduce a lot of named characters at once.

2. I avoid similar-sounding names, or names starting with the same letter, in close proximity.

3. I try to use nicknames, office titles, function titles, etc., not only names. It’s more authentic; as you probably know, Japanese people use names, especially first ones, very sparingly, much less than titles and ranks. Even younger siblings don’t address older siblings by name. The reigning emperor has no name.

4. I try to avoid Japanese terminology unless 1) it’s well-known to English readers, to the point of appearing in dictionaries (seppuku, katana, etc.), or 2) it’s a term I am going to use frequently.

5. This is a personal thing, but I hate seeing popular Japanese honorifics and similar stuff in non-Japanese books. I omit them or translate them, except when they are absolutely vital to the story. San, sama, dono, I just hate them. I’m using two: oiran, and sensei. I’m not sure about the latter; I might keep it just for fun, since the guy is a former samurai who’s a bouncer in a brothel, and this is how people address him.

You said “ancient Japan”, which is a wide term, so I can only guess that your setting is somewhere between Jomon and... Heian? Please correct me if I got it wrong. Anyway, you probably know that in those times a lot of people - commoners etc. - simply didn’t have family names. Your example name, Futatsumori Fumihiro, implies much more modern setting than that - Sengoku period? although to be honest “Fumihiro” looks a bit the beginning of the 20th century - and high class as well. Even then, not all names were all that elaborate. Women’s names were generally short, even in samurai families. Among the aristocracy a woman was often known by the name of her residence or by her husband’s rank. So you have a lot of possibilities to play with

Good luck!

Kaylarr · Feb 18, 2018

Tocotin said:
Hello! I feel you. Personally I don’t think you need to worry too much. I agree with the previous poster in that if your passion shines through and the story is interesting, your readers will be fascinated by it and will remember all the stuff necessary for them to enjoy your book. I’m working on a story set in Japan as well, and there are several things I am doing, so I thought I’ll share.

1. I give the readers time to get used to the characters. I try not to introduce a lot of named characters at once.

2. I avoid similar-sounding names, or names starting with the same letter, in close proximity.

3. I try to use nicknames, office titles, function titles, etc., not only names. It’s more authentic; as you probably know, Japanese people use names, especially first ones, very sparingly, much less than titles and ranks. Even younger siblings don’t address older siblings by name. The reigning emperor has no name.

4. I try to avoid Japanese terminology unless 1) it’s well-known to English readers, to the point of appearing in dictionaries (seppuku, katana, etc.), or 2) it’s a term I am going to use frequently.

5. This is a personal thing, but I hate seeing popular Japanese honorifics and similar stuff in non-Japanese books. I omit them or translate them, except when they are absolutely vital to the story. San, sama, dono, I just hate them. I’m using two: oiran, and sensei. I’m not sure about the latter; I might keep it just for fun, since the guy is a former samurai who’s a bouncer in a brothel, and this is how people address him.

You said “ancient Japan”, which is a wide term, so I can only guess that your setting is somewhere between Jomon and... Heian? Please correct me if I got it wrong. Anyway, you probably know that in those times a lot of people - commoners etc. - simply didn’t have family names. Your example name, Futatsumori Fumihiro, implies much more modern setting than that - Sengoku period? although to be honest “Fumihiro” looks a bit the beginning of the 20th century - and high class as well. Even then, not all names were all that elaborate. Women’s names were generally short, even in samurai families. Among the aristocracy a woman was often known by the name of her residence or by her husband’s rank. So you have a lot of possibilities to play with Good luck!

Thank you so much for your advice!

I'm working with the creation myths of Japan and Japanese legends. I'm sorry, I guess my example of Futatsumori was not a good one, but as I am sure you know, the names of Gods and Goddesses in Japanese can be very long. I'm working on ways to shorten them, but it's hard. Also, the names of certain creatures are hard to translate or sound stupid when translated into English, so I am thinking of leaving their names as is. A good example of what I mean is the yokai of the woman with the very long neck. ろくろ首. It translates to something along the lines of potter's wheel neck. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rokurokubi Naming issues like these are giving me trouble. I want to honour and be faithful to the original Japanese names and legends as much as possible, but obviously some accommodation needs to be made to adapt it to an English-speaking audience.

Harlequin · Feb 18, 2018

I would use traditional names.

In the case of Japan there are quite a lot readers who familiar with the language and culture; it's acquired a bit of fetish/cult status in the west.

Kaylarr · Feb 19, 2018

Harlequin said:
I would use traditional names.

In the case of Japan there are quite a lot readers who familiar with the language and culture; it's acquired a bit of fetish/cult status in the west.

I agree, my cousin is quite the manga and anime otaku, but I am trying to keep the book accessible to a general audience as well. I appreciate your advice!

Harlequin · Feb 19, 2018

Generally speaking you're better off writing for a target audience. Over simplifying may alienate potential readers who like accuracy; alternatively, people who just want bog standard medieval western are unlikely to be drawn in regardless.

I don't mean 'write to market' necessarily, but maybr consider what your ideal reader would be like and what that demographic would want.

I would look at silkpunk novels (Black Tides of Heaven) series and see how they compare. Chinese names are shorter but the novel doesn't shy away from delving into cultural specifics.

Kaylarr · Feb 19, 2018

Harlequin said:
Generally speaking you're better off writing for a target audience. Over simplifying may alienate potential readers who like accuracy; alternatively, people who just want bog standard medieval western are unlikely to be drawn in regardless.

I don't mean 'write to market' necessarily, but maybr consider what your ideal reader would be like and what that demographic would want.

I would look at silkpunk novels (Black Tides of Heaven) series and see how they compare. Chinese names are shorter but the novel doesn't shy away from delving into cultural specifics.

I will, thank you again!

morngnstar · Feb 19, 2018

For your example, I'd probably refer to the character as "Fumi" or "Hiro". Depending on POV, this doesn't violate Japanese cultural rules against familiarity. One can be familiar in one's own head, I presume. If referring to non-POV characters, maybe try to keep it to one name most of the time, even if it's the family name, which necessarily can't be shortened. Just keep them distinctive. Avoid having a Nakamura and a Nakajima.

Kaylarr · Feb 22, 2018

morngnstar said:
For your example, I'd probably refer to the character as "Fumi" or "Hiro". Depending on POV, this doesn't violate Japanese cultural rules against familiarity. One can be familiar in one's own head, I presume. If referring to non-POV characters, maybe try to keep it to one name most of the time, even if it's the family name, which necessarily can't be shortened. Just keep them distinctive. Avoid having a Nakamura and a Nakajima.

Yes, you're right. I can keep the authenticity but shorten the names to something more easy to memorize. Thanks for your suggestion.

Foreign names in books - how to keep them memorable

Kaylarr

sideshowdarb

Tocotin

deceives

Kaylarr

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

Kaylarr

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

Kaylarr

morngnstar

Kaylarr