Darwin for aliens?
Jan. 31st, 2012 10:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethIs Darwin a good name for an alien?
I need half a dozen names for my biotech people.
They're from another planet that has never spoken English and they all speak different languages, plus Trade.
They've gone on an expedition to look for rare plants and animals and stuff, and possibly mythical ones. Cryptozoology of another planet. But since biotech is their main tech path, if they can find a truly novel genetic sample, it's like striking gold, or possibly being microsoft.
They find humans. From Earth.
Invading for our water or gold don't make much sense when there's a lot on rocks that aren't defended, but invading for our ecosystem? There aren't that many of them around.
So, names.
I can give aliens names that are random letters, as long as someone can pronounce them.
I could give them ordinary names of no particular associations. I mean, there's no inherent reason that people on other planets can't be called Clive. And no reason to spell it Klyf.
Or I could name them for stuff. People or things. Shortcut names. Like naming the hero Goodman.
They might have names that translate.
But if I name them after people then there's not really an excuse. If there's been no contact for thousands of years they wouldn't deliberately name their biologists Darwin. Or have a whole bunch named after cryptozoologists, even if there are some unusual names in there.
It could be a nickname. But then I have to think up another name for their own anyway.
Really I only need something to put on the script to tell which character is which. They could be X Y and Z.
X is the linguist played by Gillian Anderson.
Y is the biologist played by Daniel Anthony.
Z is the beastmaster with the two swords. Also she's a woman. Beastmistress doesn't sound quite right though.
There's three others and I don't know what their roles are yet.
Other characters are SD, SD, RP, MT, DS, and AP. ... my initials somewhat lack variety there.
So the other three offworlders can be any of BCEFGHIJKLNOQ
UVW
Still, they should have names eventually.
I was reading a list of naturalists and one was called Battye.
I thought of naming Z Battye. Or Betty. Because she is odd and possibly hasn't been human long.
But they're all quite odd and I wouldn't name them all words for crazy.
Maybe more words for animals though.
Okapi is a cool word. Also an old symbol for a cryptozoology organisation. But it sounds like O, Kapi.
Zizel means chipmunk, according to a list of unusual Z words. Or a big squirrel called a suslik, in wiktionary. Or a ground squirrel, on other pages. Squirrels are cool and acrobatic, which would fit, but I don't know if zizels are cool and acrobatic at all. It sounds cool though. Zizel.
She could be North. Or East. Or South or West. Or Zephyr. Name herself for stuff that is relevant even if she's not human.
*ponders*
I'd have to decide on a map and which way they had to go to get to the ice wall and the city. Also where the oceans are from here. I was going to skip that by the magic circle transport method.
Zizel is nice. It probably isn't a bouncy sort of squirrel, but it sounds good.
There's a site that randomly generates alien names.
... one of the first names it generated is Cok. *facepalm*
It also made Xeuxey. In my head that's a funny way of spelling Susie. Like Xander, it starts with a Z sound.
So, anyways, six names, do I try and make them mean something, make them funny looking, make them random?
Too many options. Not landing on anything.
... except Darwin, which stuck the moment I typed it. It is at least perfectly pronounceable.
I know, they're all different language groups, so they all get different methods. So Darwin has used up the Naming After Famous People name. There's common names, names of things, and random name generator names still to go.
Zizel is named for a sort of animal.
So X needs a random generator name or a common name.
... she might be out of luck on common...
Xanthe means golden or yellow or fair haired, and they're all wearing bright yellow armour dresses. Also it is one I would spell with an X if I heard it.
Also its from Greek, which is the go to language for Things Sounding Old.
The other three can have random generator names. If I ever figure out what it is they're along to do exactly.
I am also trying to think what the Matrix controller would call himself. I know matrix is a mother word but he's being a he. He chooses an avatar from pop culture in the minds of his new visitors. He could choose a name the same way.
But any name I choose that way is going to be totally loaded down with connotations.
At the moment I'm coming up Jareth.
I can see why a dude might think he's got lots in common with a goblin king, but it's an odd sort who'd introduce himself to visitors that way.
Also, it would make googling for out guy insufficiently distinctive. Which obviously will ever be relevant ever at all.
But I'm also thinking of having him call himself Matrix or Labyrinth. Or maze or puzzle. Not a people name, his function as the environment. He wouldn't be forge or source or architect, he wasn't those things. But people would hear it as a title and ask for his personal name. Then he'd make one up for them.
Sim is another obvious one.
Sim, Sima (Seema, f, boundary), Shem (m, means name, assoc with Noah's ark, which is one thing the ice could be, lived 600 years. pros: suggests many other useful names. cons: would have to read bible, major con: am naming a parasite), Siemowit (Zeimowit, from the elements sem "family" and vit "lord, master"), Symphony.
Names is hard. It takes a while to find one that sticks.
Xanthe, Darwin, Zizel.
Do they sound like offworlders?
If they only have one name it sort of goes with there not being very many of them.
Also then I don't have to think of six different naming systems.
I need half a dozen names for my biotech people.
They're from another planet that has never spoken English and they all speak different languages, plus Trade.
They've gone on an expedition to look for rare plants and animals and stuff, and possibly mythical ones. Cryptozoology of another planet. But since biotech is their main tech path, if they can find a truly novel genetic sample, it's like striking gold, or possibly being microsoft.
They find humans. From Earth.
Invading for our water or gold don't make much sense when there's a lot on rocks that aren't defended, but invading for our ecosystem? There aren't that many of them around.
So, names.
I can give aliens names that are random letters, as long as someone can pronounce them.
I could give them ordinary names of no particular associations. I mean, there's no inherent reason that people on other planets can't be called Clive. And no reason to spell it Klyf.
Or I could name them for stuff. People or things. Shortcut names. Like naming the hero Goodman.
They might have names that translate.
But if I name them after people then there's not really an excuse. If there's been no contact for thousands of years they wouldn't deliberately name their biologists Darwin. Or have a whole bunch named after cryptozoologists, even if there are some unusual names in there.
It could be a nickname. But then I have to think up another name for their own anyway.
Really I only need something to put on the script to tell which character is which. They could be X Y and Z.
X is the linguist played by Gillian Anderson.
Y is the biologist played by Daniel Anthony.
Z is the beastmaster with the two swords. Also she's a woman. Beastmistress doesn't sound quite right though.
There's three others and I don't know what their roles are yet.
Other characters are SD, SD, RP, MT, DS, and AP. ... my initials somewhat lack variety there.
So the other three offworlders can be any of BCEFGHIJKLNOQ
UVW
Still, they should have names eventually.
I was reading a list of naturalists and one was called Battye.
I thought of naming Z Battye. Or Betty. Because she is odd and possibly hasn't been human long.
But they're all quite odd and I wouldn't name them all words for crazy.
Maybe more words for animals though.
Okapi is a cool word. Also an old symbol for a cryptozoology organisation. But it sounds like O, Kapi.
Zizel means chipmunk, according to a list of unusual Z words. Or a big squirrel called a suslik, in wiktionary. Or a ground squirrel, on other pages. Squirrels are cool and acrobatic, which would fit, but I don't know if zizels are cool and acrobatic at all. It sounds cool though. Zizel.
She could be North. Or East. Or South or West. Or Zephyr. Name herself for stuff that is relevant even if she's not human.
*ponders*
I'd have to decide on a map and which way they had to go to get to the ice wall and the city. Also where the oceans are from here. I was going to skip that by the magic circle transport method.
Zizel is nice. It probably isn't a bouncy sort of squirrel, but it sounds good.
There's a site that randomly generates alien names.
... one of the first names it generated is Cok. *facepalm*
It also made Xeuxey. In my head that's a funny way of spelling Susie. Like Xander, it starts with a Z sound.
So, anyways, six names, do I try and make them mean something, make them funny looking, make them random?
Too many options. Not landing on anything.
... except Darwin, which stuck the moment I typed it. It is at least perfectly pronounceable.
I know, they're all different language groups, so they all get different methods. So Darwin has used up the Naming After Famous People name. There's common names, names of things, and random name generator names still to go.
Zizel is named for a sort of animal.
So X needs a random generator name or a common name.
... she might be out of luck on common...
Xanthe means golden or yellow or fair haired, and they're all wearing bright yellow armour dresses. Also it is one I would spell with an X if I heard it.
Also its from Greek, which is the go to language for Things Sounding Old.
The other three can have random generator names. If I ever figure out what it is they're along to do exactly.
I am also trying to think what the Matrix controller would call himself. I know matrix is a mother word but he's being a he. He chooses an avatar from pop culture in the minds of his new visitors. He could choose a name the same way.
But any name I choose that way is going to be totally loaded down with connotations.
At the moment I'm coming up Jareth.
I can see why a dude might think he's got lots in common with a goblin king, but it's an odd sort who'd introduce himself to visitors that way.
Also, it would make googling for out guy insufficiently distinctive. Which obviously will ever be relevant ever at all.
But I'm also thinking of having him call himself Matrix or Labyrinth. Or maze or puzzle. Not a people name, his function as the environment. He wouldn't be forge or source or architect, he wasn't those things. But people would hear it as a title and ask for his personal name. Then he'd make one up for them.
Sim is another obvious one.
Sim, Sima (Seema, f, boundary), Shem (m, means name, assoc with Noah's ark, which is one thing the ice could be, lived 600 years. pros: suggests many other useful names. cons: would have to read bible, major con: am naming a parasite), Siemowit (Zeimowit, from the elements sem "family" and vit "lord, master"), Symphony.
Names is hard. It takes a while to find one that sticks.
Xanthe, Darwin, Zizel.
Do they sound like offworlders?
If they only have one name it sort of goes with there not being very many of them.
Also then I don't have to think of six different naming systems.
Poll #9342 Names for offworlders who never spoke to English people before
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 4
Is Darwin a good name
Is Xanthe a good name
Is Zizel a good name
no subject
Date: 2012-02-01 10:37 am (UTC)