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How do you guys come up with names for your stuff. Stonebarrow, Falckenstein, Earthflower, are all really creative and awsome. How do you do it though. I'm working on a castle right now, but don't know what to call it. Any techniques on how to come up with origional names.

Thanks so much,

DM

Hi DM,

A great resource for learning basic medieval naming conventions is:http://www.prenticenet.com/~news/2001/e ... ffixes.htm

It has many structural and geographic names that can be combined with your own creative prefixes to come up with names for castle etc. This is not a comprehensive list and many other western European countries are likely to have similar databases somewhere. I just happened to have this one book marked. I hope this give you a great start.

Other ideas would be to look up Tolkien's languages library. I had the link at one time, but I lost it. I use a lot of combinations of elvish and dwarvish words when naming some of my MOCs. I know many people who use Robert Jordan's and Terry Goodkind's books as naming references as well.

Reading is one of those activities that has the ability to immerse us in another world, as well as also opening the mind to come up with our own unique names and ideas.

Historical castles and keeps can also be a basis for naming MOCs. Try switching prefixes and suffixes to get your own unique names.

Hope these ideas will help you a bit. I am sure many others here can give you even more exhaustive and accurate ideas, but this should give you a start.

Will

Hello!


Well, I think Will's reply is very exhausting and helpful :-)

To be honest, I often face the same problem as you (DM) when it comes to names. As for Falckenstein it was not that much of a problem, though I don't think it's too creative. "Falcken" ~ "falcon" (since the Lord of the Castle is a BF), "Stein" in German means both "stone" and "rock" in a more metaphoric manner. So because a castle often is built upon a mountain/crag/rock a combination of both the name of the family (Falck) and the place the castle is built on seemed appropriate.

BTW. not every k-sound in every German word is 'ck' ;) It's more an ancient occurance that suits the medieval character of a Castle. Usually "the falcon" is "der Falke". So, when searching for a name for something medieval try alter a "modern" name to a more antique appearance. (Though too many "y" and "kh" at unusual places in a word are not always cool.)


Bye
Jojo

Thanks Both of you so much. When my castle is done I'll look at it and see what an appropriate name for it would be. Maybe I'll even have a contest to see who gets to name it

Thanks so much,

DM

Much like Jojo, I also name my MOCs using certain languages with regard to location. Like my mythology & history based Ancients Theme, I use the name of "Bikol" (linguistic region in the southern portion of Luzon island, Philippines) and "Lupa" (meaning: land) to make Bikolupan. It used "Lampur" from Kuala Lampur (Malaysia's capital) before, but I had no idea what Lampur meant. Thus the change.

BTW, anyone know any old latin names and meanings? I need to make a Samnite fortified town. Not to mention Gaelic as I also need to make a Celtic town (I don't wanna use "Alesia"), and a perhaps some Scandinavian for a Norse fortress.

Ave!

JPinoy wrote:I don't wanna use "Alesia"

Alesia!? Nobody knows where Alesia is located! I don't know any Alesia!

Gergovia I know.


Salute
Jojo

Most of creations have very basic names. I admit they arent as inspired as some fans. My gate to the city is: City Gate. The large gatehouse is Tower Gatehouse. A timber gate is called: Tudor Gatehouse. http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/galle ... =BenjaminE

Maybe I need to be more creative

Ben

:O You don't know Alesia?!?!

It was a Celtic fortress in Gaul. Caesar was attacking them despite being outnumbered by the Gauls about 5 to 1. Vercingetorix was the Celtic leader who lead the Celt resistance against the Roman invasion. Of course.... the Romans won.

http://heraklia.fws1.com/battles/alesia/

Hello!

JPinoy wrote::O You don't know Alesia?!?!

Yes.... It's been kind of a quote from Asterix.

http://www.asterix.com/


Bye
Jojo

I've read the Asterix, its :"Asterix et le Bouclier Arverne" right. (thats the French name, and the version I've read).

Thanks wlister I have a name for my new castle, currently "Castle under Construction" in Castle MOC Forum

Now called Caer Mawrdon

"Castle Big Hill!!!" because its on a hill

Aren't I creative

I've read the Asterix, its :"Asterix et le Bouclier Arverne" right. (thats the French name, and the version I've read).

Thanks wlister I have a name for my new castle, currently "Castle under Construction" in Castle MOC Forum

Now called Caer Mawrdon

"Castle Big Hill!!!" because its on a hill

Aren't I creative

Ah... Asterix is very cool.

We should try an Asterix CCC-compatible project.

Well... It would be fun.