# Need more naming help



## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

EDIT: Things have progressed since I started the thread.  Please see post 7 below:

I hate naming things.  Really, I abhor it.  Nothing ever sounds right to me. 

I've got three kingdoms that I need to name.  I've listed my choices, but I don't trust my taste on this issue.  Your opinions would be appreciated.

1. Kingdom in the mountains - I've used Spiredom as the placeholder.

Mauna — Hawaiian for mountain

Possibilities:

Maunien
Maunand
Maunacia
Maunor
Mauneth

My choice: Maunacia

2. Kingdom in the desert - I've used Sandhold as the placeholder.

Datilla — a type of desert plant
Aryne — French for sand

Possibilities:

Arytilla
Dataryne
Datiland
Arynor

My choice: Arynor

3. Kingdom by the sea - I've used Waveshire as the placeholder.

Kai — Hawaiian for ocean
Umi — Japanese for ocean
Mar — Spanish for ocean

Possibilities:

Umimar
Kaimar
Kaicia
Kaieth
Umikai
Umien
Kaiumi

My choice: Kaiumi

Thanks in advance for the help!


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## Ireth (Jul 10, 2012)

1. Maunor
2. Dataryne
3. Kaimar


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## Fluffypoodel (Jul 10, 2012)

I think your choices are valid ones. they are varied enough to show that different cultures live in the different places and I think that is what matters most.


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## Light (Jul 10, 2012)

For some reason I'm immediately attached to Aryne. Even though it's not listed as one of your possibilities. It just seems regal and distant. I like Mauna as a preference to the alternatives. Kaimar for the sea-faring city.

If I were to conclusively choose, 

Maunor 
Arynor
Kaicia

I like naming conventions that have some level of synergy with one another. I choose Kaicia as the sea city with these others because I'd think it more distant from the inland cities and more differentiated in it's naming as a result


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

Light said:


> For some reason I'm immediately attached to Aryne. Even though it's not listed as one of your possibilities. It just seems regal and distant. I like Mauna as a preference to the alternatives. Kaimar for the sea-faring city.
> 
> If I were to conclusively choose,
> 
> ...



I'm trying to avoid using actual words, hence why aryne and mauna aren't choices.  Kaimar is a fairly well known city.  I shouldn't have included it either.


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## Mindfire (Jul 10, 2012)

Ireth said:


> 1. Maunor
> 2. Dataryne
> 3. Kaimar



I agree with Ireth's choices. Except I like Arynor a little more than Dataryne. But it's also similar to Arnor from Tolkien's work. I'd also like to throw "Dastanar" into the ring for consideration for your desert kingdom. Maunor is an awesome name. I'll use it if you don't, so better take it while it's there. xD


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

Okay, let's go with definitely:

1. Maunor. (so Mindfire doesn't steal it  )

If we're ending the mountain kingdom with "or," though, I don't want to do the same with the Desert kingdom.  That leaves:

2. Dataryne OR
2. Dastanar (thanks Mindfire!)  Edit: The more I think about this, the better.  These are the bad guys for the first three books, and I like the "dastardly" connection.

I want to avoid Kaimar (I shouldn't have listed it) since it's a well know name.  Also, it ends in "ar," which is the same as Dastanar if we choose that one.  For the ocean kingdom, that leaves:

3. Kaicia (the only choice to get a vote besides Kaimar)
3. Kaiumi (still my favorite)

What do you think?


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## Mindfire (Jul 10, 2012)

Kairal? Kaiak? Kaina?


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

Mindfire said:


> Kairal? Kaiak? Kaina?



I'm kinda dug Kaiak at first because of the similarity to kayak.  On the other hand, that's how it'll be pronounced, which isn't necessarily what I'm looking for.

Apparently, you really don't like the two choices that I left.


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## Mindfire (Jul 10, 2012)

Akkai perhaps?


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## PrincessaMiranda (Jul 10, 2012)

You could also pick one as the Kingdom name but use some others as Provinces or cities. Just try to put yourself inside your world, think about the kind of language that particular Kingdom would have, and test out what sounds the best. No one would judge on the name, and when people are able to figure out the real-life connection to the world it kinda gives them a rush. AS in "ooh! I figured it out! IM AMAZING AND SMART!! WHOOHOO!!


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## PrincessaMiranda (Jul 10, 2012)

You could also pick one as the Kingdom name but use some others as Provinces or cities. Just try to put yourself inside your world, think about the kind of language that particular Kingdom would have, and test out what sounds the best. No one would judge on the name, and when people are able to figure out the real-life connection to the world it kinda gives them a rush. AS in "ooh! I figured it out! IM AMAZING AND SMART!! WHOOHOO!!"


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## ThinkerX (Jul 10, 2012)

> I want to avoid Kaimar (I shouldn't have listed it) since it's a well know name. Also, it ends in "ar," which is the same as Dastanar if we choose that one.



That might not work against it. The 'ar' designation could imply a bit of shared history with the other kingdom.  Maybe they were one kingdom that broke up, or the same people settled both nations. 

And even though Kaimar is well known (though I can't seem to recollect it offhand), I would argue you probably could use a name like that once or twice - again hinting perhaps at some sort of link between the two.


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

ThinkerX said:


> That might not work against it. The 'ar' designation could imply a bit of shared history with the other kingdom.  Maybe they were one kingdom that broke up, or the same people settled both nations.
> 
> And even though Kaimar is well known (though I can't seem to recollect it offhand), I would argue you probably could use a name like that once or twice - again hinting perhaps at some sort of link between the two.



I don't like sharing the "ar" because of the potential confusion to the reader.  If two end the same, it's going to be too easy to mistake one for the other.  I'm already making up weird names; I don't want to compound my problem.


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

Okay, I've decided:

1. Mountain Kingdom - Bermau (Maunor turned out to be too hard for me to say.  Bercer is French for rock.)
2. Desert Kingdom - Dastanar (This is my favorite.  Thanks again Mindfire!)
3. Ocean Kingdom - Kaicia


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## Mindfire (Jul 10, 2012)

Bahahahahaha! Maunor is mine!


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 10, 2012)

Mindfire said:


> Bahahahahaha! Maunor is mine!



Use it with my blessings!  I consider it a trade for Dastanar (and feel like I got the better end of the deal).

Seriously, I had problems following the ow sound with the nor sound.


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## Mindfire (Jul 10, 2012)

BWFoster78 said:


> Use it with my blessings!  I consider it a trade for Dastanar (and feel like I got the better end of the deal).
> 
> Seriously, I had problems following the ow sound with the nor sound.



Really? Hmm. Maybe I'm just gifted at pronunciation. It gives me no issues.


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## Helleaven (Jul 10, 2012)

So you're using real words from the languages of our world as a brick to build up your names. I like that idea. For your future uses I'll give you more words that you can combine or twist.

Deniz - Sea
Kaya - Rock
Dag - Mountain
Kum - Sand
Toz - Dust
Chamur - Mud
Kir - Dirt
Tash - Stone
Atesh - Fire
Kumul - Dune
Buz - Ice
Souk - Cold
Kar - Snow
Sivri - Sharp pointed
Donuk - Frosty
Su -Water
Kan - Blood... 

I hope this helps.


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 11, 2012)

Helleaven,

That's nifty.  I had a hard time actually finding the words I wanted.  I had to do google results one at a time.  For some reason, I couldn't find a website where I could enter a word and it translate it into every known language.  If anyone finds that website, let me know.


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## BWFoster78 (Jul 11, 2012)

Mindfire said:


> Really? Hmm. Maybe I'm just gifted at pronunciation. It gives me no issues.



Truthfully, it's not one of my strong points.  I took two years of French way back in high school.  Memorizing words and learning the grammar was no big deal.  Trying to speak it kicked my butt.


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## Helleaven (Jul 11, 2012)

BWFoster78 said:


> Helleaven,
> 
> That's nifty.  I had a hard time actually finding the words I wanted.  I had to do google results one at a time.  For some reason, I couldn't find a website where I could enter a word and it translate it into every known language.  If anyone finds that website, let me know.



I've tried to find a site which has the services of multi-translating but I couldn't find any working one too. There is a program named Babylon, it has limited use but I guess you can simultaneously search for words with it.

Google translate is very very bad if you're translating whole sentences. Especially fo non-west-european languages. But if you translate word by word it's usually correct and you can also listen how it is pronounced.


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