About Those Names
Entry posted by ToM Dracone
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So, that thing about trends in the names from 2001-2 I mentioned a earlier. Specifically relating to two consonantal sounds: f/v and s/z.
V was all over the place in 2001, but f much less so. This led me, in considering the name "Faxon," to wonder whether it was a question of the following vowel that determined whether the hard v or soft f were used; for instance diphthongs like ai or au or stronger vowels like a or o or, apparently, u. For instance, Vakama, Vuata Maca, and Amana Volo, contrasted with Fikou, the only name starting with f I could think of, which had the softer i sound.
This led to pondering the letters s and z, both of which were conspicuously lacking in 2001-2 – there were the Krana Su and Za, but before that all I can come up with even now are the Suva, Fusa, and Manas. Naturally, since the two sounds have exactly the same relationship as f and V, the same rule would probably apply to them, but with so few examples one couldn't say.
Since then (actually just this afternoon), I've found that the idea of soft or hard sound depending on following vowels doesn't really work, as shown by the Fau Swamp and Fusa (I had forgotten about that one), but I think I'll still be using that rule in Matorau. It's a fun idea. I also just thought that with a name like Hafu, where the f sound is in the middle, whether f or v depends on the rest of the word. I say "Hafu" with that strong English – more American than British, I think – A sound (like in "ham" or "fan"), so that would override the u after the f... Whereas words like Nuva and Suva don't have such strong vowels.
Just some ideas, really, which I'll be using even if they don't completely work within the Maori-esque age of Bionicle. The Fau swamp and Fusa would, I suppose, just be your average irregularities...
...Oh, that's enough for one entry. I'll list the names tomorrow, referencing this heavily, because I might as well go into the Makuta's names at the same time, and that will bring up a whole new subject at the same time...
~ ToM
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