Spelling and pronouncing names in conlangs

[studentofrhythm]

I put a lot of work into naming my characters. I work from conlangs, and don't like to meddle too much with an established lexicon. (Maybe I should state here that I do not share old Tolkien's ideas of phonoaesthetics.) This means more work for me to give characters names that aren't too bizarre or repulsive to native English speakers, but to me it's worth it.

The problem is this: since I can't seriously write a world where every language shares the same sounds and pronunciation rules as Standard American English, I end up with plenty of names that are hard to render accurately in our alphabet. A Finn, Hungarian or Turk might not have any problem with them but it's not likely that many of them are going to read my work yet, or ever unless it gets enough recognition in English to be translated.

Although I posted about this in the Conlangers group, I'd like more non-linguist comments on some sample names. So I'm going to put some below, with variant spellings, and invite comments on which variant you prefer or find clearer.

Lokk-----Lak-----(same)

Gatasnee-----Gatasnii-----Gatasní

Shessoe-----Shesoo-----Shesó

Boekeh-----Böke-----(same)

Pazheyngoursh-----Pazheenguursh-----Pazhéngúrsh

 

[BWFoster78]

As I have stated previously, I think that the search for "authenticity" can really screw up writing technique. To me, a primary rule of modern writing is something like:

Draw the reader into your story. Anything that distracts should be examined.

Any name or word that the reader can't pronounce causes them to draw away from your work. Throwing a few words for authenticity here or there probably isn't going to hurt too much, but you need to realize the risk you're taking. If you have to have these words, try to mitigate the impact as much as possible by spreading them out and introducing them slowly. Refer to the characters by nicknames that use only a syllable or two.

Just my thoughts, but, when I read a piece that starts by introducing half a dozen weird words, I'm probably not going to go any further.

 

[studentofrhythm]

It is a risk I'm prepared to take, but I appreciate the advice to spread them out. My characters do use nicknames with each other, and I changed my MMC's name to /lɑk/ because I thought it would be a better easing in, like for example "Rand." It's been years since I read Eye of the World but as I recall Jordan starts out with comfortable names like Rand and Tam -

- and then after a while he cuts loose with the apostrophes (argh!) and the trisyllabic concoctions with a-e-i or some variant. Those to me are worse than all the Thor-names in Icelandic sagas, which at least had a real linguistic and cultural system backing them up.

I guess it makes sense that most everyone in Randland uses abstract names if the language has evolved far away from their original etymologies. This is what has happened to many of our modern languages after all, and look at the odd names that are coming up, with variant spellings and so on. You have the stereotyped inner-city black or Puertorrican names with a-i-a etc. or the early 20th century Mormon "Le-" or "La-" names and so on. It's great fun, and I might play with that some in my setting, but I don't want it as the dominant practice.

How should I pronounce "Xan?"

 

[Ireth]

I'd pronounce "Xan" as "Zan"; X typically seems to be pronounced like a Z when it's at the beginning of a word or name, like Xavier or xylophone.

 

[Ailith]

So I'm going to put some below, with variant spellings, and invite comments on which variant you prefer or find clearer.

Lokk-----Lak-----(same)
Gatasnee-----Gatasnii-----Gatasní
Shessoe-----Shesoo-----Shesó
Boekeh-----Böke-----(same)
Pazheyngoursh-----Pazheenguursh-----Pazhéngúrsh

As a non-linguist, here are my opinions: The names in the middle make the most sense to me, the ones on the right end look cooler. But I'd definitely go with "Pazhéngúrsh" over "Pazheenguursh." I don't do so well with double u's, but maybe that's just me

 

[BWFoster78]

How should I pronounce "Xan?"

Xan is a short form of Alexander, thus it's pronounced like Zan.