# The apostrophe in names - is it just me?



## mosaix (Jul 16, 2006)

Practically every SFF book you pick up now has name after name containing an apostrophe. Why?

I find it very irritating and distracting.

Authors - please stop doing it. Just think up a name that can be pronounced properly so it doesn't get in the way of enjoying the story.


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## dustinzgirl (Jul 16, 2006)

I whole-heartedly agree. Apostrophe's in names are irritating and hard to think about.


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## j d worthington (Jul 16, 2006)

I wouldn't say to stop it, but certainly use it with caution, and make it actually fit the sort of language roots of the name. Some languages have things like glottal stops, and an apostrophe is a good way to indicate that. Most do not, and so such things should be used very sparingly.


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## dustinzgirl (Jul 16, 2006)

Yes, especially if they are used repeatedly in a paragraph or twice in a sentance. That is the hardest of all. 

PS: Sometimes, though, if it is introduced and used properly, it is not a hinderance at all.


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## Rane Longfox (Jul 16, 2006)

If used consistantly, with a correct linguistic explanation, it's fine. When you get stuff like the "Wi'tch" series, it's just plain annoying, aye.


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## jenna (Jul 17, 2006)

i haven't actually read any books with those names, but perhaps it's because if i read them in the blurb i tend to put the book down and walk away... i imagine it would be very, very irritating.


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## Becca (Jul 17, 2006)

I take all apostrophes in names to be glottal stops, some of them are easy to see how to pronounce them, others i don't have a clue, and some i just automatically make up my own way of saying them and then later realise that what i've been saying is nothing like the spelling, yes it's annoying.


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## Nesacat (Jul 17, 2006)

If the apostrophe is a part of the language and is explained so everyone can understand then I'm alright with it. Also helps that it's used consistently so the reader can get a feel for the pattern of the names and get into the rhythm. If it's there for no real rhyme or reason then it's just plain aggravating as in Rane's example. Unfortunately, as Mosaix said, this does seem to be becoming more and more popular for some strange reason.


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## star.torturer (Jul 17, 2006)

hi im joe 'swell
how you doin


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## Rosemary (Jul 17, 2006)

I agree, Nesacat.  I have no trouble with the apostrophe in names.  It certainly helps one to understand a little about the people, where they live or what their station in life is...There are quite a lot of examples in Steven Erikson's books.


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## Thadlerian (Jul 17, 2006)

Aphostrophes to denote slang and sociolects and such, are OK. In names, I hate them. Whenever I see a name with an aphostrophe in the middle, I see an unimaginative author making an exotic-sounding name the cheap way. I don't care whether they're consistent or not; it feels like a great big cliché anyway. I guess it's Robert Jordan who did it.


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## murphy (Jul 17, 2006)

I think it was Anne McCaffrey who first started it.  When you impressed a dragon and became a dragon rider, your name automatically lost a vowel and gained an apostrophe.  Didn't bother me.  The later usages did.


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## steve12553 (Jul 17, 2006)

I really think they ought to be creative and create a new character for emphasis so that Microsoft will have to come up with an upgrade to be able to display it on a forum. Don't you?


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## star.torturer (Jul 17, 2006)

yep taht sounds fun


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## zorcarepublic (Jul 18, 2006)

I tend to use them, but only when creating names, and I set out a reasonably simple grammatical structure for the names.

Typically I do it with ship class names. But quite a lot of the time I can avoid them by using different emphases (that the right word?)

For instance, I created a naming system for a specific race. The first syllable would determine whether the class was a ship or a base (Ja- for a ship, Weh- for a base). Then it got more complicated:

The second part of the name--usually two syllables--would have four letters. The first letter (capital) would determine whether it was a capital ship (H), a cruiser (G) or an escort (F). The third letter would determine whether it was a ship-of-the-line vessel (-r-), a support ship (-l-), a combination of the two (-y-) or a carrier (-yr-). The second and fourth letters would determine whether the vessel was heavy for its type (-u-i), medium (-e-o) or light (-o-a).

Therefore, a heavy capital line ship was a JaHuri, a light cruiser support/line ship would be a JaGoya, and a carrier variant of the JaGoya would be the JaGoyra.

Oh, and for bases a -Q would be added at the end, just to distinguish between land, sea and space bases (so a heavy capital line base, or in other words, a war base, would be a WehHuriQ)

Once it got into fighter territory I gave up


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## star.torturer (Jul 18, 2006)

that sounds like a raly good way of making up names for characters, tahnks zorca


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## mosaix (Jul 18, 2006)

Yep - and all pronouncable!


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## zorcarepublic (Jul 19, 2006)

Well, I wouldn't know about WehHuriQ 

Its quite easy to make up a naming system, when you think about it. Just give certain syllables meanings, and soon you'll be creating more names than you can think of...

For another race I created, I simply used three syllables for ship class names. The first two would determine the size of the vessel, and the last syllable would determine what type of vessel it was.

StaSta- meant heavy
StaFra- meant medium
FraFra- meant light

Then:

-Gum meant warship (in which case a hyphen and a fourth syllable would be used. -Hak meant command, -Kul meant battle, -Dew meant escort and so on)
-Vol meant fighter
-Gar meant civilian vessel (in which case a hyphen and a fourth syllable would be used to determine whether it was a bulk freighter (-Fer), a fuel tanker (-Lup) etc.

So, given these rules, give me the translation for:

a) Battleship

b) Light Fighter

c) Supertanker


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## Thunderchild (Jul 19, 2006)

errr - do we get little star stickers if we answer correctly


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## star.torturer (Jul 19, 2006)

a) StaFraGumKul
b) FraFraVol
c) StaStaGarFer


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## mosaix (Jul 19, 2006)

Star Torturer I can't believe you went to the trouble to do that.


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## zorcarepublic (Jul 20, 2006)

mosaix said:
			
		

> Star Torturer I can't believe you went to the trouble to do that.


 
You many not believe it, but two of the names were correct.

a) was wrong--a battleship would be a StaStaGum-Kur

b) was spot on

c) was correct, but it needed a hyphen (StaStaGar-Fer)

You get two stars!


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## star.torturer (Jul 20, 2006)

yay, i only got it rong because i dint go back to read the original post

ps: i only did it cause i needed to get out more from the tearooms


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## Anomander (Jul 24, 2006)

Rane Longfox said:
			
		

> If used consistantly, with a correct linguistic explanation, it's fine. When you get stuff like the "Wi'tch" series, it's just plain annoying, aye.


 
Tell you what mate, after reading about people pointing at her saying "wi'tch, wi'tch, you're a wi'tch", the book died for me. It still lies there on my bookshelf, gathering dust.


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## mosaix (Jul 24, 2006)

Anomander said:
			
		

> Tell you what mate, after reading about people pointing at her saying "wi'tch, wi'tch, you're a wi'tch", the book died for me. It still lies there on my bookshelf, gathering dust.



Welcome to the Chronicles Anomander.


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## Anomander (Jul 24, 2006)

Thank you, thank you very much.


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## mosaix (Jul 24, 2006)

Anomander said:
			
		

> Thank you, thank you very much.



Do you know there is an 'introductions' thread where everyone can get to know you? Give it a try - you will be surprised how friendly everyone is.


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## PoeticExplosion (Aug 5, 2006)

When apostrophes are included for no reason it's annoying, but if there's a plausible reason it can be positive. I hesitate to use any Star Wars books as examples of good writing, but I liked Zahn's explanations of apostrophes in the Chiss names. Each Chiss name has a root name and a prefix and suffix based on the family one belonged to. The two apostrophes were always the second and second to last sounds in the root name. So, for example, Thrawn's full name is *Mitth'raw'nuruodo.

*As with anything, its not the apostrophes that are bad or good, its how they are used.


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## Princess Ivy (Aug 14, 2006)

murphy said:
			
		

> I think it was Anne McCaffrey who first started it. When you impressed a dragon and became a dragon rider, your name automatically lost a vowel and gained an apostrophe. Didn't bother me. The later usages did.


yes, when a rider was impressed, his name would be contracted, eg: Kevin = k'van. although this was only for male riders, apparently it was a thread fighting thing, because when the dragons were flying thread they would talk very quickly. it was a badge of honour.


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## Nesacat (Aug 14, 2006)

The contraction made sense in the Pern books and the reason was explained. The contractions were also consistent so the reader got into the flow and rhythm of the names.

Many of the recent names though seem to have an apostrophe for no particular rhyme or reason. Almost as if they were the latest fashion accessory or writer's accessory in this case.


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## GOLLUM (Aug 14, 2006)

UH OH..looks like the Princess is back....

*GOLLUM runs to take cover to avoid a barrage of frozen items*

BTW nice to see you around...


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## Princess Ivy (Aug 14, 2006)

it is new and improved princess, no frozen poultry in sight! (although we all know what can be hidden under my chair)


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