Original, pronounceable names.

[Fatimus]

I was reading [insert contemporary fantasy book] today and realized that a lot of the stuff in it was taken straight from Arda and given a different name, usually terrible difficult-to-pronounce names. So I set myself a goal: I'm going to write a fantasy book that breaks convention by.

a) Not including 'Dwarves' 'Ogres' 'Orcs' 'Elves' or any other overused mythological creature and

b) Using easy to say, original proper nouns.

So here are some of my names, and I'd like you to rate them for me and criticize me.

(Pay no attention to syllable repetition, the language is based strongly in morphology)

Races
Gnovegar
Urkar
Hitedok
Selvadok
Leystom
Synstom
Stomen

Names
Motuveo
Leyfinitas
Terorbis
Verkid
Dellombro
Nortim
Neth
Teech
Sworm

Primal 'Elements'
Del
Syn
Ley

Other 'Elements'
Mar
Lam
Fon
Tra
Adu

(If you're a Chinese philosophy buff and are aware the 'Elements' are listed in order of creation have a go at guessing what each syllable represents)

 

[jenna]

I actually don't find those names easy to pronounce necessarily. Pretty much all of your names I needed to really spell them out to get the pronunciation. Not saying I don't like them, as I do, but if you're looking for names that are easy to read I'm not sure you've quite hit the nail on the head.

 

[JDP]

I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Jenna; there's nothing wrong with these names at all, but they're no easier to read or pronounce than any other fantasy names I've read. Fair enough they're not Ryl'lith'ilithor'r, Kr'nchtch'rlrchsh or Gywg (Hmmm... I'll have to use those somewhere...).

I guess the ones I found the worst were:
Gnovegar
Hitedok
Motuveo
Leyfinitas

 

[jenna]

But you've definitely done the right thing by getting feedback on them, I always run my names by a couple of people and if they have to look at them twice then the name is out..

 

[JDP]

I must admit, I'm not someone who actually reads 'out loud' in my head (unless it's a really nice bit of prose), so usually the written name is enough for me to connect to the person/race/place/whatever.

 

[Peter Graham]

Hello Fatimus

I was reading [insert contemporary fantasy book] today and realized that a lot of the stuff in it was taken straight from Arda and given a different name, usually terrible difficult-to-pronounce names. So I set myself a goal: I'm going to write a fantasy book that breaks convention by.

Excellent idea. I wholeheartedly support you!

a) Not including 'Dwarves' 'Ogres' 'Orcs' 'Elves' or any other overused mythological creature and

Make sure that you don't end up with dwarves etc by a different name. It would be a bit of a damp squib if Gnovegar's were diminuitive, bearded tunnellers with a liking for gold and strong ale and a distrust of the fey, harp-playing, pointy-eared forest children that are the Selvadok.....

b) Using easy to say, original proper nouns.

Also excellent. Remember that names are actually very easy to pronounce and are frequently shortened (Bill for William and so on), even if they look a bit of a mouthful when spelt out (Mhairi is much easier to say than to read).

Gnovegar

Sounds a bit like gnome. Make sure these aren't the little tunnellers.....

Urkar

Sounds like Uruk and Orc combined. Don't let these be the bad guys!

Regards and good luck!

Peter

 

[Lith]

Dellombro- I like this name. It has a weight about it.

In order to have easily pronounced names, you have to stick with sounds and spellings that are common to English, which most of that list looks like it does. My pet peeve is a lot of apostrophes, umlauts and accent marks, as well as sounds that are too easily identified with existing cultures, or Tolkien. That and there are too many one-syllable names in fantasy stories. I have an unofficial three-syllable rule when I'm making up names- it gives them weight and the possibility of multiple nicknames.

Spelling sounds that are beautiful but a little more unusual can be difficult. I wish a lot of books would put in pronounciation guides, as awkward as they can be. It must be hard for the authors to hear their names mispronounced.

 

[Cal20]

Hey Fatimus First of all I think your idea of doing a completely original idea is great. Though, personally, I don't find your names easy to pronounce at all, sorry. The only one I took a liking to was 'Neth'. I do like the 'primal' and 'other' elements, they were fine. Hope this helps

Cal20

 

[Spectrum]

Every fantasy book should have a pronunciation guide. An author who fails to provide a pronunciation guide is BEGGING the reader to pronounce his words wrong, no matter how obvious they may seem to himself.