[Slightly off-topic] Race names

[thulsa]

Hi all,

English is not my native language and I was wondering if there are any "rules" (or reasons) for how race names should be "constructed" based on the nation's name?

For example, you have (both real-life and invented forms)

Egypt - Egyptian
China - Chinese
Iraq - Iraqi
Greece - Greek
Stygia - Stygian
Shem - Shemite
etc.

The reason I'm asking is that I'm inventing some "fantasy" races.

Now, say there's a country called "Totrah". What would its inhabitants be called?

Totrah-nite
Totrah-nian
Totrah-an
Totrah-i
Totrah-anni

?


- thulsa

 

[mthomason]

Totrah-nite
Totrah-nian
Totrah-an
Totrah-i
Totrah-anni

As far as I know all of the above are valid, plus

Totrahs
Totrani
or even simply, the "Tot"

There's no real hard and fast rules to stick to, just commonly-used possibilities, so feel free to get creative (although only one should be chosen per race, obviously)

 

[Hudson]

Trotrani sounds the best to me out loud. If that helps


"Trotrani raiders approach from the north!"

"Get your filthy hands off me, Trotrani scum!"

 

[Faraer]

The various adjectival suffixes all have complex etymological histories. '-an', '-ese', '-i', '-ian', '-ish', and '-ite' are standard English suffixes; '-nite', '-nian', and '-anni' aren't.

 

[Strom]

I like the suggestions so far.

I like Tothrahian too.

" Sir, the Tothrahians have escaped!"

"I'm Tothrahian - and I'll yield to no man!"

 

[Taharqa]

Hi all,

English is not my native language and I was wondering if there are any "rules" (or reasons) for how race names should be "constructed" based on the nation's name?

- thulsa

Hey, thulsa. If you are not a native speaker of English then you are already aware that English has no consistent rules whatsoever. :wink:

I would also go with Totrani, but I like Totranite as well. I think the latter has more of a "biblical" feel.

 

[Darkspawn]

Hi all,

English is not my native language and I was wondering if there are any "rules" (or reasons) for how race names should be "constructed" based on the nation's name?

- thulsa

Hey, thulsa. If you are not a native speaker of English then you are already aware that English has no consistent rules whatsoever. :wink:

I would also go with Totrani, but I like Totranite as well. I think the latter has more of a "biblical" feel.

Totrani is easier to say. English makes no sense, though. Why are there Eqyptians but no Britains? Or Britainites? I guess historically somebody from the Island was called a Briton, even as recent as the early part of the 1900's.
Hmmm, Britainite sounds like a bad g movie name for something to kill Superman with.
"Keep that Britainite away from me, you Japanian fiend!"

 

[Oly]

English makes no sense, though. Why are there Eqyptians but no Britains? Or Britainites? I guess historically somebody from the Island was called a Briton, even as recent as the early part of the 1900's.

I'm a Briton and British, they're still the correct term for someone from the UK. It also covers the British Isles so it's not just the main island. There's no version of UK that's applicable, UKish or UKite just don't work, though they do sound quite good

You're right about the language though, it really doesn't make sense. Too much history and corruption due to time for it to be logical.

 

[Darkspawn]

English makes no sense, though. Why are there Eqyptians but no Britains? Or Britainites? I guess historically somebody from the Island was called a Briton, even as recent as the early part of the 1900's.

I'm a Briton and British, they're still the correct term for someone from the UK. It also covers the British Isles so it's not just the main island. There's no version of UK that's applicable, UKish or UKite just don't work, though they do sound quite good

You're right about the language though, it really doesn't make sense. Too much history and corruption due to time for it to be logical.

Ack; I actually meant the British Iles, not just the main island, sorry.

I think there should be a revision of the language, somehow. I-ran, Ja-pan. Japanese, Iranese. That way when my Brythonian slave girl gets captured by the Iranistani slavers she can yell:
"I am getting captured AGAIN? Oh, the IRANESE of this!" :shock:

Bleh, couldn't resist.

 

[thulsa]

Hey, thulsa. If you are not a native speaker of English then you are already aware that English has no consistent rules whatsoever. :wink:

Well, that's usually not a problem since after reading, hearing and speaking the language you sort of get a "feel" for what is correct and what's not. Although it seems that every country has its own variant of (spoken) English...

I would also go with Totrani, but I like Totranite as well. I think the latter has more of a "biblical" feel.

Thanks for all the suggestions, folks. I'm making up names for an ancient swords and sorcery world (similar to Hyboria), and "quasi-biblical" names lend the names an appropriate air of antiquity, IMHO.

- thulsa

 

[kintire]

You're right about the language though, it really doesn't make sense. Too much history and corruption due to time for it to be logical.

On the other hand, this does mean that when inventing the constructions of imaginary nation's names, its very difficult for anyone to claim that you have "got it wrong"

 

[Faraer]

It's the fact that English is so mongrel, with a 'superfluity' of overlapping vocabulary and variant constructions, that makes it such a powerful poetic language. At the same time, it's a lot more regular than popularly supposed.