Pleased to meet you, Frodo... Reppuli?

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate

However, "susi" to me sounds like some sort of sweet candy, while "hukka" sounds indeed dangerous. I can't help it

Haha. Actually when I wrote that I realised that "susi" doesn't sound wolvish at all. But if you ask me, it doesn't sound like candy either.

Actually, Berta is a woman's name also in Czech (coming from German, probably), though it's not much common.

I assume the troll was still male ...? Weird.

And concerning Järin Möyremä, to me it sounds quite nice and appropriate for Michel Delving. But it could also be a Ranger's name.

A ranger?! No way! You should know how it's pronounced but I don't even try to explain... but I assure you it doesn't sound noble at all. To me it sounds like a stubborn badger, but that's probably because "mäyrä" means badger and "jääräpäinen" means stubborn...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

I assume the troll was still male ...? Weird.

He was male, but maybe it was that by adding -a the translator tried to make it sound more vulgar, like Vilda.

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

A ranger?! No way! You should know how it's pronounced but I don't even try to explain... but I assure you it doesn't sound noble at all. To me it sounds like a stubborn badger, but that's probably because "mäyrä" means badger and "jääräpäinen" means stubborn...

I'm not sure if I pronounce it correctly, but if I do, it could be a Ranger's name. Even if it were to mean "stubborn badger" (after all, Rangers are close to animals, even to badgers ). I never said it had to sound noble - the Rangers just as Rangers do not seem noble at all. For a "common Ranger", like Halbarad or someone without any rank among them, it could be fine... But the main point, and the advantage of this, lies in the fact that when it's an alien word for me, I can imagine anything I wish under it - only limited by what it sounds like.

[Volo]

Originally Posted by Legate

No, that one does not fit. Baril Barbaras is the name of Barliman's grand-uncle, who owned the "Pony" in times long ago, after the Fell Winter, who defended his inn and fought the wolves and goblins.

I double-checked, but that's what they call him in the Ukrainian translation.

Originally Posted by Legate

Gladden Fields - Kosatcová pole

Please, tell me what kosatcová means, because now I'll think of them as Cossack Fields...

And I sure wouldn't want to be a Czech Dwarf. :S A Czech Hobbit on the other hand sounds proper.

Hukka sounds pretty laughable to me from a foreign perspective. But then again, it's probably made like that on purpose.


More Ukrainian names:

By the way, I have a strong feeling that the Ukrainian G is pronounced like a soft H!

Тед Піскун/Ted Piskun - Ted Sandyman
Хранителі Персня/Hraniteli Persna - The Fellowship of the Ring (book) Хранител/hranitel - guardian/keeper)
Дві Вежі/Dvi Vezhi - The Two Towers (book)
Повернення Короля/Povernennja Korolja - The Return of the King (book)


Oh, it's too late, sorry for these half-posts, but I better go sleep...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Volo

Please, tell me what kosatcová means, because now I'll think of them as Cossack Fields...

No, nothing common with Cossack Kosatec is normally the word for iris.

[Thinlómien]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

But the main point, and the advantage of this, lies in the fact that when it's an alien word for me, I can imagine anything I wish under it - only limited by what it sounds like.

Indeed. *thinks of a big, ugly, carnivorous monster called Stromovous*

Originally Posted by Volo

Тед Піскун/Ted Piskun - Ted Sandyman

Giving him that name robs him the last crubs of dignity, if you ask me... "Ted Piskun" sounds like someone outrageously pitiable. Maybe it's because "piskuinen" is a negative or pitying word to describe something little or tiny in Finnish.

And just to add...
The Fellowship of the Ring - Sormuksen ritarit (The Knights of the Ring)
The Two Towers - Kaksi tornia
The Return of The King - Kuninkaan paluu

[Volo]

Originally Posted by Thinlómien

Giving him that name robs him the last crubs of dignity, if you ask me... "Ted Piskun" sounds like someone outrageously pitiable. Maybe it's because "piskuinen" is a negative or pitying word to describe something little or tiny in Finnish.

Ha! That's because there are two very similar words in Ukrainian (or at least in Russian): pisok - sand and pishat' - to squek.

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Volo

Ha! That's because there are two very similar words in Ukrainian (or at least in Russian): pisok - sand and pishat' - to squek.

And because there are a lots of words "borrowed" to Finnish from Russian...

[Macalaure]

Reading this thread, I can't help thinking of Tolkien when he said he's "translating" the Westron names into English because otherwise they would seem as alien as the Elvish names. The Finnish, Czech and Ukrainian names give me the same feeling as the few Westron names that we know.

Originally Posted by Legate

However, sadly, I am not capable to make the German words fit to Middle-Earth - given by the geographical and cultural circumstances, I just know it's German, so any further attempts to imagine a "German Middle-Earth" as some different world are lost

Of course, unfortunately, this effect gets lost quickly if one knows the other language.

Originally Posted by Nogrod

These are just so Finnish! I mean they sound like things or creatures from the past of Finnish mythology...

The translations may look like just slight diversions from English but they actually sound very ancient Finnish at the same time. Maybe Tolkien was once again picking these from the Finnish phonemes?

This reminds me of when I first read LotR in English, and was surprised to see that several Rohirric names (Riddermark, Erkenbrand, Elfhelm, Hornburg) were the same in the original as in the German translation. They fit in so perfectly with the translated names.

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Barrow-downs ~ Hügelgräberhöhen
- might look terrible but when pronounced is quite pleasant, awoking ideas of the Alps to me...

The problem with Barrow-downs is that there are no barrows in Germany, and because of that there only exists the more complicated "Hügelgrab", which means hill-grave.

Originally Posted by Lommy

but on the other hand the ones that have something to do with Elves don't sound very fitting.

True. Especially "Bruchtal" for "Rivendell" doesn't fit at all, in my opinion.


I'd like to see translated names in more languages!
Where are the local speakers of the Romance languages?

[Aganzir]

Nice thread, Lommy.

Czech - I had no idea it's that Entish language. The Ents' names sound just wonderful.
And now I can't wait until I get to read Lotr in German. I have a copy waiting in the shelf, but I haven't had time to read it yet. Schattenfell, Hexenkönig - they just sound so much better than Hallavaharja or Noitakuningas.

If I pretend having no clue what hukka means, and think about the word itself, it reminds me of some horrible Japanese thing that teenager girls are attracted to. Thanks a lot - I've lost one of the nicest words of the Finnish language.

I have a copy of Lotr in Swedish so I thought I might as well post something. I don't have time for more today, so here are only some names from the Fellowship of the ring. Hope I have time to post more later this week.

A rough guide to pronounciation: å is pronounced like a in the word all, ä as e in help (or as a in bad if ä is in front of r), ö as u in fur.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Sagan om ringen (the tale of the ring)
The Two Towers: Sagan om de två tornen (the tale of the two towers)
The Return of the King: Sagan om konungens återkomst (the tale of the return of the king)

Frodo Bagger (Frodo Baggins)
Nedomkull (Underhill)
Sam Gamgi (Sam Gamgee)
Merry Vinbock (Merry Brandybuck)
Hjortrongull (Goldberry)
Gamla pilträdsgubben (Old man willow
Barliman Smörblomma (Barliman Butterbur)
Vidstige (Strider)
Bill Ormbunke (Bill Ferny)

Baggershus (Bag End)
Hobsala (Hobbiton)
Fylke (The Shire)
Gamla skogen (The Old Forest)
Kummelbergen (the Barrow-Downs)
Kummelgast (the Barrow-Wight)
Stegrande ponnyn (The Prancing Pony)
Myggvattensträsken (Midgewater)
Väderklinten (Weathertop)
Vattnadal (Rivendell)

Dimmiga bergen (Misty Mountains)
Mörkmården (Mirkwood)
Västerness (Westernesse)
Midgård (Middle-earth)

[Thinlómien]

Really. It seems that the Swedish language makes everything sound silly. I mean, look at those names. If I didn't recognise them, I would never guess those names were from LotR - I would guess they were from some children's book. I wouldn't be surprised at all to find Snusmumriken (or whatever the name is) or Lilla My on the list.

(Hmmm... I did not mean to be rude, but you have to study Swedish here and I've only recently overcome my almost hysteric dislike of the language that lasted for years. *sigh* And when did you ever meet a Finn who didn't diss Sweden? )

Originally Posted by Macalaure

The problem with Barrow-downs is that there are no barrows in Germany, and because of that there only exists the more complicated "Hügelgrab", which means hill-grave.

I see. It still sounds funny... I'm glad the Finnish translator decided to use the simple word "hauta" which means grave or tomb. (We don't have a word for barrow in Finnish either...)

Originally Posted by Aganzir

And now I can't wait until I get to read Lotr in German. I have a copy waiting in the shelf, but I haven't had time to read it yet. Schattenfell, Hexenkönig - they just sound so much better than Hallavaharja or Noitakuningas.

Funny you should choose those examples, because they are one of the Finnish names I like the most, both having the exact feel of the persons whose names they are, whereas I found Hexenkönig both impressive and comical (I don't know if I like it or not) and Schattenfell sounds more like a place than a horse to me...