Some thoughts on the Gaera Guide

[Besyanteo]

OK. So, I was thinking about some of the things in our Cannon recently. Specifically, various names for things and people(s). Like, Nekogami and the Nekojin. These kinda make sense, as their whole schtick has kind of old Japan basing.

... So what's everyone else's excuse?

Over half the gods, most of the furries. many posted demon races, and even some aquatic races are all named basedo n the Japanese language. And I can totally see why they originally were (convenience, since it doesn't sound like English made all silly).

But why are they STILL that way? Garou have aparently dropped the "jin" when talking abuot themselves ICly, so their name is now more french (the loup-garou, although it is aparently also used in Katakana or whatever? The 'foriegn' Japanese I've heard it called?), but otherwise it all seems... very fanboyish. *shrug*

Anyway, I just thought it would be neat if some of the race experts that are still active atleast gave this some thought. Or better yet, comment! If you don't agree that some (if not alot) of these should be changed, tell me so!

[Kai]

Well, unfortunately it seems the first person to post is not going to be an expert. But I'm mouthy, so here goes.

I'm rather fond of the nomenclature used on the site/in Gaeran canon. Using the Japanese terms does two things:

It avoids naming everything without context or reasoning behind the name. Often in fantasy settings it's common to give characters batshit insane names. This is okay for characters from my view, but not for things which ought to be relatively standardized, which brings me to my second point.

The Japanese system of naming (at least as it is adapted to be used here) can be a little more regular than, say... English. It's easier to make the things which have to do with cat people (to use your example) more standardized and more closely connected to one another. A Nekojin worshipper of Nekogami who lives in Nekonia. Cat theme ahoy.

I realize not all of the word bases/naming systems for deities/locations/whatever are based on the Japanese language. But I don't see any reason for it to be changed. As it stands, the terms are easy to remember (at least they'd be much more difficult with another system), and it's easy to improvise.

It's much more simplified than a naturally-developed nomenclature probably would be, but I like to think of that as an advantage rather than a drawback. Because it was organized over a much shorter period of time than, say, hundreds of years, allowances could be made early on. The naming system may change later on. Who can say? But it should change because it no longer fits the things it's naming, not because the system has too strong a theme or an obvious derivation.

So... while I admittedly have not been using the system as long as most other people on the board since I haven't been exposed to it as long, I'm casting my vote of confidence that it's fine the way it is. <p>-------------------------
"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit and the emperor remains an emperor." -- Sandman "The Kindly Ones" </p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=kai@rpgww60462>Kai</A]&nbsp; at: 9/14/05 17:09

[Archmage144]

I think it's just convention--we're not the only community that does it when referring to an anime-esque RP setting, though no other examples come to mind. It also has to do with the fact that nekojin and inujin, at the very least, were pioneered and named by Amanda. Ditto for many of the original deities (Nekogami, Inugami, and Ryuugami come to mind--and it should be noted that the proper name for Inugami is Fideleo).Since "Japanese" doesn't exist in Gaera, whether or not they're named in "Japanese" is largely irrelevant, and these names might just be common words. The inujin might call themselves something different in their own language, for example, but I can't think of anything in 'Spanish" that conveys the idea of "anthropomorphic dogs."

They are "still" that way because changing them would likely create confusion and would overall be pretty pointless.

The simplest explanation is that the words (which sound "Japanese" to us) are some form of Gaeran Common, and Japanese was used as the base real-world language for the nomenclature of anthro races and deities just because it was convenient and sounded good as opposed to anything else anyone could come up with in English. Gods can have alternate names (one example has already been given, others do as well--I know I never use the name Jiyuugami for Kazeros or whatever the JPN-esque name is). Races can have alternate names as well, but I think it's best to stick to the "Japanese" nomenclature since it's already in place. Arguing the point is really beating a dead horse, especially since it's more or less semantics ("Japanese doesn't exist in Gaera!" Neither does English, but there's no point in learning an entirely fictional language to RP).

If it makes us look like "fanboys" or whatever, it's something that's never bothered me. Appropriating words from other languages that sound cool is pretty damn common, linguistically speaking, and Americans are in no way the only ones that do it. The Japanese appropriate English (where do you think Engrish comes from?) and slap it all over products and in song lyrics because it sounds exotic, modern, and interesting, even if they don't know what's being said. So do many other cultures. A lot of Latin music that is otherwise being sung in English randomly lapses into Spanish for the sake of fitting a rhyming scheme.

Just my perspective on the subject.

Edit: Kai posted while I was composing mine. Yar! <p>

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</p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=archmage144>Archmage144</A]&nbsp; at: 9/14/05 17:13

[Capntastic]

Most of my characters say things like "Lizardfolk" or "Bearfolk."

Except Ned, who says "Nekojin" for obvious reasons ;D

[Idran1701]

I've brought this up before myself, since I found it odd. I think I ended up just deciding in game that all the racial/god/whatever names were drawn from Nekonian for some reason, but Brian's explanation makes more sense. The occasionally-mentioned "translation filter" that's sometimes considered to be built into the fourth wallas it were, that also results in people that make rhyming works rhyme in English, or that make puns that make sense in English, or so on. <p>

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"Never let your morals get in the way of doing what is right" - Salvor Hardin
</p>Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=idran1701>Idran1701</A] at: 9/15/05 7:04

[PriamNevhausten]

I know I avoid the use of "-jin" wherever it is even moderately possible. Instead of "Nekojin" and "Inujin" to refer to species, I will *always* use "Nekonian" and "Inustani" because, well. The characters literally speak english because we do, even if this english is only something of a translation from their assumedly-not-english language, so it only makes sense to use English-language area-of-origin classifiers.

In a historical sense, you may recall that I wrote the Inustani civilization guide with the notion that they call their own people "gente." As far as I see it, the first people they encountered were likely the Nekonians, who then gave them the moniker "Inujin" as a way to differentiate Inustani from their own citizens. So, I suppose it is acceptable and recognizable to call them so, but, being a Nekonian-given name, most Inustani would likely be loath to call themselves that.

It all works out in the end if you just blame the Nekonians for everything =D <p><span style="font-size:xx-small;">"It's in the air, in the headlines in the newspapers, in the blurry images on television. It is a secret you have yet to grasp, although the first syllable has been spoken in a dream you cannot quite recall." --Unknown Armies</span></p>

[Groxley Grunk]

And in an ironic twist, that's exactly what I do for all problems incountered on the internets, only I blame the Japanese!

[Archmage144]

You can only blame the Japanese for all your problems on the internet if you're playing FFXI. <p>

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[Besyanteo]

Otherwise we have to fall back on Gypsies, the Mail Man, and Red Skull. It gets old, but we're not much on alternatives recently.

[Kelne]

You forgot Cyber-Stalin. <p>Centuries of threats of "I'll turn you all to stone!" and "I'll knock you all down!" have caused Domans to develop an instinct to form small groups. For safety, I assure you. – Keir</p>

[Groxley Grunk]

Ah yes... the infamous Cyber-Stalin. He will get his one day, mark my words. *Fist shake*