Active Users:740 Time:17/03/2026 02:05:56 PM
Back to Messageboard Post New Thread Search Help Stats Rules
Awww Camilla Send a noteboard - 19/09/2010 02:06:44 PM
Reading Joe's post below, I remembered that I really like the name Ilyena. It is, to my mind, the best of the made-up names of Robert Jordan's books. And science fiction and fantasy suffers under a tendency to make up some stupid names, frequently unpronounceable, which only seem to be there to make it clear that we are not talking about the real world. Being slightly obsessed with how words sound and also how names fit things, this is something I find rather distressing.

For it to be a made up name, doesn't it have to have been made up for the book and not an existing name?

Helen Mirren, for example, is of Russian descent and her first name at birth was Ilyena.


Dammit. I had a sneaking suspicion that might be the case (well, not the Helen Mirren bit, that would have been a weird thing to have a sneaking suspicion about, but the real name thing). Trust Jordan's good names to be taken from the real world.

So.

-What is your favourite made-up name in a work of fiction?

-What is the worst example you can think of?

I can't think of either off hand. I just wanted to be a smartarse and point out that Ileyna isn't a made up name. Or at least not made up by Jordan:P

Broadly speaking though, I tend to prefer names that are varients on real world ones.
*MySmiley*
structured procrastinator
Reply to message
Good names Camilla - 19/09/2010 11:25:23 AM 1521 Views
eyjafjallajökull? jh - 19/09/2010 01:16:49 PM 941 Views
Yes, that one is quite evil Camilla - 19/09/2010 01:19:16 PM 1011 Views
Hmm. snoopcester - 19/09/2010 02:03:49 PM 972 Views
Awww Camilla - 19/09/2010 02:06:44 PM 1100 Views
It makes sense for him, though. Rebekah - 19/09/2010 02:12:23 PM 926 Views
Re: It makes sense for him, though. Camilla - 19/09/2010 02:14:36 PM 930 Views
Re: It makes sense for him, though. Rebekah - 19/09/2010 02:19:07 PM 1002 Views
sorry to keep nitpicking snoopcester - 19/09/2010 02:40:35 PM 852 Views
Re: sorry to keep nitpicking Rebekah - 19/09/2010 02:42:45 PM 879 Views
Re: sorry to keep nitpicking snoopcester - 19/09/2010 02:44:32 PM 935 Views
Mat and Elayne and Thom are pretty recognizable as English names *NM* Darth_Katie - 19/09/2010 04:32:20 PM 415 Views
Some Dutch girl's names are lovely. Legolas - 19/09/2010 04:20:57 PM 970 Views
Yeah, he once said that BlackAdder - 19/09/2010 08:47:05 PM 918 Views
But it's spelled Elena or Yelena in the Roman alphabet, surely. Legolas - 19/09/2010 04:14:46 PM 1032 Views
I know the example I quoted is spelt that way snoopcester - 19/09/2010 04:19:56 PM 923 Views
I actually rather like David Eddings' names. Rebekah - 19/09/2010 02:26:52 PM 1106 Views
Re: I actually rather like David Eddings' names. Camilla - 19/09/2010 02:28:30 PM 883 Views
Ce'Nedra is one of the rare cases where the apostrophe is justified. Legolas - 19/09/2010 04:16:51 PM 930 Views
Me too Elaine - 20/09/2010 03:01:02 PM 984 Views
Nynaeve ("Neigh-neev" ) Lordling - 19/09/2010 02:45:22 PM 1000 Views
Re: Nynaeve ("Neigh-neev" ) Camilla - 19/09/2010 02:49:53 PM 980 Views
Funny, I hate the "neigh-neev" pronunciation. Darth_Katie - 19/09/2010 04:29:14 PM 1041 Views
me too ranagrande - 19/09/2010 06:31:11 PM 844 Views
Re: Funny, I hate the "neigh-neev" pronunciation. Lordling - 19/09/2010 06:45:54 PM 1029 Views
Mild-may-your-sufferings-be-at-the-hands-of-the-wicked. Chas - 19/09/2010 04:18:31 PM 981 Views
That is very cool. *NM* Camilla - 19/09/2010 04:21:49 PM 394 Views
I just looked up that book series... Missa Sedai - 20/09/2010 05:24:11 PM 1027 Views
Quite a bit. Chas - 21/09/2010 12:04:51 AM 928 Views
It's fantastic. *NM* Aeryn - 21/09/2010 04:02:16 PM 443 Views
iain m banks has some great names... temeraire - 19/09/2010 04:52:49 PM 919 Views
I was grumbling to myself about his names last night Camilla - 19/09/2010 04:56:44 PM 1010 Views
That's a fairly silly stance, you know. Legolas - 19/09/2010 05:04:22 PM 1094 Views
I don't know Camilla - 19/09/2010 05:08:29 PM 890 Views
hehe... sometimes i just make up my own nicknmes when his are too long temeraire - 21/09/2010 04:37:43 PM 937 Views
I've always been quite impressed by Anomander Rake. Tim - 19/09/2010 10:05:10 PM 878 Views
That is a good name, I agree. Camilla - 19/09/2010 10:18:37 PM 808 Views
I like that the older beings in Malazan have varying names (e.g. Anomandaris Purake). *NM* Ghavrel - 20/09/2010 02:20:15 AM 406 Views
I was going to mention that one myself, too. Just rolls right off the tongue. Delicious. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 20/09/2010 06:13:10 AM 476 Views
The ships in the Culture do have the BEST names. *NM* LiterateDog - 20/09/2010 07:13:45 PM 427 Views
Robb Hobb has the easiest names in the Fitz series *NM* Dark Knight - 20/09/2010 03:50:07 AM 423 Views
oh man, i don't know how i forgot robin hobb...... i adore her names. especially nighteyes. *NM* temeraire - 21/09/2010 04:31:33 PM 429 Views
A Song of Ice and Fire tends to have good names. Grounded, but just exotic enough. *NM* lord-of-shadow - 20/09/2010 06:14:13 AM 405 Views
+1 *NM* Fox and Ravens - 20/09/2010 05:11:58 PM 395 Views
Hands down winner is Zaphod Beeblebrox. *NM* Tigr - 20/09/2010 03:56:58 PM 446 Views
So true *NM* Camilla - 20/09/2010 04:00:06 PM 388 Views
I don't know who has the best names overall, but I'll always love the name Bellatrix Lestrange. LiterateDog - 20/09/2010 07:12:18 PM 957 Views
That is a very good one. Camilla - 20/09/2010 07:13:42 PM 886 Views
Back to Messageboard Post New Thread Search Help Stats Rules

Reply to Message

Block Quote Paragraph Quote
Formatting
Smiley Codes