merlinscribe: (Default)
James P. Mallory ([personal profile] merlinscribe) wrote 2019-12-29 12:49 am (UTC)

Re: The names of things

I adore supergeeky linguistics questions and (as you have probably figured out by now) conlangs.

I use a couple of systems for proper names: primarily it's a word or phrase (in Elven) that I attach one of several "stock" endings to: -iel, -othon, and so on. That works for the Highborn. With lower ranks (Craftworker, Landbond, Crofter, etc.) I try to go for a shorter name spun out from Indo-Aryan sources and extensively massaged by yours truly to be easily distinguishable to the reader. For standard names, like Janglanipaikharain (star-bright forest); Janubaghir (Southern forest) (note the two different words for "forest" -baghir and -harain); (southern plain) Ifjalasairaet (wind and dust), I retreat to Classical Persian.

Fortunately, the language does not seem to have evolved much since Amrethieon's time, so the Elves don't need a translator run on their visions:

"...it had not been Ifjalasairaet to Lady Indinathiel. It had been Ch'rahwyr-thrawnzah, Border of the World."

Thank you for asking such awesome questions!

Post a comment in response:

If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting