Apostrophes in character names?

[Madman Starryteller]

What are your thoughts of apostrophes in character names, such as: Vala'mor, Al'sicka, Dru'di, etc?

What is even their purpose? And are they grammatically correct to use?

I use them very rarely and mostly as an aesthetic. I personally think of them as a short pause in the name, or if the name has double meaning, as a separator. Are those even correct ways to think of them as such?

Thoughts?

 

[Naomasa298]

They "look" fantasy and exotic, which is their main purpose. Though apostrophes are, I believe, used in Xhosa and other languages that have click sounds.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

Hang on, I'll run down and ask the O'Briens.........
.............
................
...yeah, they're cool with it.

 

[Heartlet Happer]

Makes easier to tell the character names from other words in text. Makes characters better protected from being mistaken to some accidental unexpected cultural background. Say Val'amor sounds undefined, but Valamor feels like a random Bulgarian electrical technician, who pretends to have an engineering degree in his mid 40s.

 

[JT Woody]

What are your thoughts of apostrophes in character names, such as: Vala'mor, Al'sicka, Dru'di, etc?

I mean, as Rigor alluded to, the Irish do it, lol

But, I dont think its really needed. The reason why (and, Irish folk, correct me if I'm wrong) the apostrophe was in names like O'Connor, O'Brien, O'Neill is because it indicates descents. So, O'Connor= descendent of Connor.
Much like the Scandinavian "dottir" and "son" is used to indicate lineage.

Personally, I dont mind apostrophes... but i think I'd spend too long trying to figure out what it meant (like, if they are related to another character, for example). My mind: Is Vala'mor or the "Vala" family, or the "Mor" family? Do I have to pay attention to specific spelling and apostrophe placement? Its written this way for a reason right? so I must find that reason or pattern!

 

[Naomasa298]

Like my mate, Shank O'Lamb. Or Café O'Lait.

 

[defaux]

Muad'Dib

 

[defaux]

So, in English the apostrophe comes from conjoining two words. In other languages I guess you'd have to check how their grammar is supposed to work.

For made-up fictional languages, I don't necessarily believe you need be as in depth as Tolkien. Consistency is key, of a language structure looks and sounds a particular way, then names in that language would too. (See above example)

 

[Stuart Dren]

I used to abhor then, but have softened to them as I age.

They place a hesitance in the name along side the otherworldiness, which changes how I read it in my head.

Two in a name still seems like too many though.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

What are your thoughts of apostrophes in character names, such as: Vala'mor, Al'sicka, Dru'di, etc?

The O'Briens and O'Laits not withstanding, seeing a collection of personal names with random apostophes is enough to make me put the book back on the shelf. They're bound to be associated with place names like The Kingdom of Ci'Cada and Sum'Reely Loud Chi'Rpin.

 

[Also]

How do you feel about Häagen-Dazs?

Or Håägén-dass?

Or Håägën-#daa550?

Isn't it the same kind of thing? Diacritics are only decoration in the US, as you of all people here know well. Elsewhere they distinguish words and letters.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

If I come across a book with a character named Håägën-#daa550, I'm dropping the book on the floor instead of putting it back on the shelf.

By the way, Häagen-Dazs is a meaningless word invented in the 1960s to market ice cream made in the Bronx.

 

[Rigor Mortis]

The apostrophe in Irish names is only in the anglicised version of the name but is so familiar that seeing it included in fantasy names doesn't strike me as odd nor off-putting. I will admit, I don't always try to get the phonetics when reading, just visually recognise.
The O' in Irish names is Ó in Irish, designated for male descendants, Ní (pronounced knee) being the female equivalent. My name, if wrangled into Irish, would be Rigor Ó Mortis. My sister Pallor Mortis would be Pallor Ní Mortis. Mac is Irish for son, McCormack being the son of Cormac.

There's something about genitive case that haunts me from Irish classes in school, but I can't remember the details.

Not meaning to get too off topic, but just an illustration that the names in a fantasy effort can, if you're deep diving, use whatever symbols you want and can be made cogent. They can also assist with sounding out unusual names for those readers inclined to so do. I don't read a lot of fantasy genre, but sometimes the abitrary collections of letters that seem impossible to speak out loud can knock me right out of immersion.

 

[Naomasa298]

I have used an apostrophe in a horse's name in my latest story Morvarc'h, because that's the old Breton spelling of it. The Brythonic version of the Arthurian King Mark of Cornwall is likewise King Marc'h.

 

[CatrionaGrace]

Diacritics in international personal and place names aren't in the same category as fictional names. I used diacritics for appropriate words decades ago when I wrote a couple of novellas based on Welsh mythology. (That was a challenge on an old-fashioned English typewriter.) An apostrophe in an occasional name is fine if it makes some kind of logical sense. However, when mishmashes of random syllables accented by apostrophes form 90% of the character names, I am done with a book before I start.

 

[Homer Potvin]

H'mer McPotvin doesn't care...

 

[DLC]

They all speak english like Jesus did in my stories.

 

[Kiraann]

They "look" fantasy and exotic, which is their main purpose. Though apostrophes are, I believe, used in Xhosa and other languages that have click sounds.

I thought the exclamation mark (!) was used for that.

 

[Naomasa298]

I thought the exclamation mark (!) was used for that.

Ah, apparently there are six different symbols for six different clicks, no apostrophes: ʘ ǀ ǁ ǂ ǃ 𝼊

I must be thinking of Klingon.

 

[Kiraann]

What made me think that was the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy and the bushman in it.
N!xau