Re: Vocab. Exercise: Name that kingdom!

--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, Roberto Suarez Soto <ask4it@G...> wrote:

 >         - Elves:
 >
 >         Run-of-the-mill wood elves, not unlike D&D (tm) ones. Primitive
 > in technology (no stone building, no metal armors). They distrust anyone
 > outside their forests. Secretive, a bit cold-hearted (doesn't
 > "empathize" well with other races), prefer hiding to fighting unless
 > necessary.

My Tautoans are a low-tech jungle folk, so they might fit the bill
of the Elves.  Their language Oro Mpaa /urum'baa/ might not be what
you expect from an Elven language, though.  =P  At least it's quite
fluid.

Possible names for the country:

|ncuaco ntei| [gwagun'dZe] "jungle territory; reign of the forest"
|ncuaco cog| [gwagu'guN] "home land" (sounds orkish...  blekh!)
|ntei ama| [dZe'jama] "mother forest"
|ntei mpaa| [dZem'baa] "talking forest" (poetic or just spooky?)
|ntei epra| [dZe'jebra] "holy forest"



 >         - The snake-men:
 >
 >         Small (5' 5"), nimble, reptilian beings that inhabit a sand
 > desert on the far south. Diplomatic and manipulative, their expertise is
 > always to agree with everyone. Not really trusted by anyone, but always
 > listened to by everyone.

These are intriguing.  My conlang Obrenje would fit them well.
One province of Obrenaja, known as Casan /ha'san/, in their
dialect [h@'sA~], is mostly arid and hot.  Their personality is
reserved and dignified from the outside, but with strong passions
underneath.  That doesn't quite fit the "manipulative", but who
needs a perfect match?

I'll give both the standard Obrenje pronunciation and the Casanje
dialect:

|casan| /ha'san/ [h@'sA~] (proper name, just sounds desert-like to
     me)
|macaja bolan| /ma'ha:ja bO'lan/ [m@'hA:j@ bu'lA~] "reign of the
     sun"
|sin ur bolna| /Sin Mr 'bOlna/ [SE~ ur 'bo5n@] "land of sun"
|sin ur pelve| /Sin Mr 'pElv@/ [SE~ ur 'pelv] "land of wind"
|sin cusme| /Sin 'hMsm@/ [SE~ 'hus@m] "silent land"
|sin kurme| /SiN 'kMrm@/ [SE~ 'kur@m] "burning land"


The Dragon Waste, being adjacent to their land, would need a name
in their language too:

|acra zhadar| /'axra Za'dar/ ['Ahr@ Z@'dAr] "dragon desert"
|sin pwaj| /Sim pwaj/ [SE~ pwAj] "land of pain"
|sin pon| /Sim pOn/ [SE~ pQ~] "dead land"
|sin ponda| /Sim 'pOnda/ [SE~ 'pQ~d@] "land of death"



-- Christian Thalmann