[Meme] things that didn't make it into stories

[edenfalling]

I am home and bored and "Secrets" is being frustrating, so... meme time!

Via askerian: Comment with a story I've written, and I will tell you one thing I knew, learned, or wondered about while writing the story that didn't make it onto the page.

Comments

1. Names

[edenfalling]

The name Marea is derived from marach, bitter, which is also the root for myrrh, a spice used in burials and winter rites. It is often confused with Miria (the name of the mother of God) which comes from miri (or mirian), a white desert flower with a delicate perfume; it is a symbol of purity and virginity, often worn by Church brides. Marea means bitter, bitterness, and sorrow; Miria means pure, virgin, and beauty.

Miria's birth name was Alaiah, a variant of Laiachal, which means 'he loves God.' Al is a name for God, from aleked, or lord, and laiach is love. Alaiah means 'God's love,' or, more specifically, 'God loves her.' The male version would be Alaiachim. The female version of Laiachal would be Laichala. Laiachal is the root of Laikal, Larach, Achal, and Laikam, four Doran names. Laichala is the root of Laikala, Larachine, and Akally. Alaiah is the root of Allia, Alysea, Halla and Alka. Alaiachim is not a name from the Book of Days, and is not used much in the Holy Land; it would be presumptuous. There are no Doran variants.

Miria is the root of Maria, Mary, Marian, Mariana, Mirian, Mirial, Moria, Marylla, Marilys, Maritha, Margalys, Magria, Midaria, Mirda, Marina, and many other names. Marea is the root of Mara, Myrah, Mikara, Michara, Aharae, Harah, and Harai. Mara and Michara/Mikara are surprisingly popular names, considering their source. It is perfectly conceivable for children to be named after Saint Marea Imiret of Minrocheh, who was healed by the Lord and followed him until his death, but her name is generally translated as Maria, just as Miria is generally changed to Maria in translation. So the two are frequently confused.

Saturday, September 27, 2003
Quick pronunciation note: feminine nouns and names are pronounced with the accent on the second syllable of a 3-syllable word. Masculine nouns and names have the accent on the first syllable of a 3-syllable word. This is because the secondary accent in masculine words is always on the last syllable, while in feminine words it's on the second-to-last syllable. So it's Al-ai'-ah and Lai'-ach-chal', Ma-re'-ah and Ah'-ho-maal'.

Most place names are feminine, since women are associated with the home and hearth, while men moved around to hunt or tend flocks and herds, so: Zai In-no'-nal.

This rule only applies to names from the Holy Land and Book of Days.

Monday, September 11, 2006
As I wrote "Finding Marea," some of my thoughts on names changed. Apparently neither Miria nor Marea is usually transliterated to Maria; instead, they remain distinct from each other. I find it amusing that Harai Inosikae, my narrator, is herself named with a (much-removed) variant of Marea. I'm not sure she knows this; she's not a linguistic specialist.

The Adam and Eve equivalents in this world are called Adin and Zefaiah. Adam is apparently derived from the Hebrew word for 'earth' or 'dust.' Eve seems to mean 'life.' Therefore, the first man is named Earth and the first woman is named Life. Adin likewise means 'earth.' Zefaiah, however, doesn't exactly mean 'life;' instead, the name means 'fruitfulness' or 'bounty,' with a connotation of 'graciousness/grace/gift.'

Kos and Dora are loosely equivalent to ancient Greece and Rome, and have correspondingly similar-yet-distinct naming systems. Doran male names tend to end in ON, IM, or IS, and family names end in A or EUS. Kosian names tend to end in OS or IAN, and several family names end in AE or, again, OS. Names from the riverlands sound vaguely Italian -- Challo, Avedura, Fichona, Medaeo, etc. -- and names from the Holy Land and Ochre Varos sound vaguely Biblical and/or Middle Eastern.