Fic - Upsetting people

[jack]

Let's see who I can be controversial to.

*-nomen

I painted myself into a corner by thinking of a couple of names I liked and then thinking what system could fit them, preferably also:

* Making people be referenced by the same name only
* Showing family ties
* Allowing cool names
* Not being too confusing

I thought "Wow, the linguists will roast me to a crisp for this one" but looking on wikipedia, it seems I've re-invented the roman system, if everyone were in the same clan. That is, people are usually refered to by a cognomen, which is either inherited or adopted, but may also have a praenomen for intimate use and to tell them apart.

Religion

Miracles from gods:

* You can use it as a nice metaphor for miracles from gods or God
* But the whimsical/impotent nature of the god would cast aspersions on God in such a comparison
* Why has Athiest Jack put religion in at all? Because it's cool and I get to explose Issues (TM) :)
* I can use it as an occasional "out" provided it isn't at the end of a story

Comments

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

Actually, speaking as a Christian, I know that Atheist Jack is remarkably fair-minded. :-) I very much liked your priest in that vampire story - she was extremely believable.

Speaking of which, once I stop NaNo-ing like a train I'm going to proofread that for you, since there are a few spelling mistakes and wrong words... but I haven't spotted any plot howlers or the like.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I very much liked your priest in that vampire story - she was extremely believable.

Thank you! She was some sort of ideal. In fact, a main comment was not to use her much or she'd be a Mary-Sue :)

I'm going to proofread that for you, since there are a few spelling mistakes and wrong words...

*hugs* That's wonderful of you. I love proof-readers. However, if you can bear it, it might be better to hold off; there are some higher level changes I should make but aren't quite sure how, so the ugly little mistakes might mutliply yet if I rewrite :(

[miss-next.livejournal.com]

You love proofreaders? Oh good. I am not only a proofreader, I'm a compulsive one. *hugs back* May I be your auntie? :-)

I think I can hold off till the end of the month, since, although it looks quite certain that I can write 100 000 words in that time, you can bet I'll still be sitting there at 11 pm on 30 November tidying up the loose ends!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Well, ok, not quite. I love copyeditors/proof-readers who I can always turn to for grammar decisions, and I love that some people will help my with my typos, but I hate that I make any typos in the first place, let alone a lot, and feel guilty that I need someone else to look for them.

LOL. *hugs auntie*

[mair_in_grenderich]

explose Issues

is that a cross between explode and expose?

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

Ooh, lots of proof readers. That was supposed to be 'explore'

[blue-jenny.livejournal.com]

the same in russian pages:)tring to tell something importent, but they prefer to comment your mistakes...

[blue-jenny.livejournal.com]

ps: my mistakes in english are horrible. dont even try to corect it...I have no chance to spell right:)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

LOL. I understand you. I won't say anything.

Except: you could use capital letters at the start of sentences. That's easy to do :)

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

This is who my friends are, I accept it. I try to make bait them by making little mistakes where it will draw them into an interesting conversation...

[mair_in_grenderich]

I thought a cross between explode and expose would be interesting, but I guess exploring is interesting too :-)

[rochvelleth.livejournal.com]

Hmm... That's not a bad summary of the Roman system on Wikipedia. But I'd like to see a bit more in the way of references - I want examples of when people are called by one name or another.

Really, the nomen is the same as a bog standard surname. The praenomen is for use by those you're close too. And the cognomen is the one that actually refers to you as an individual within the state. IYSWIM :)

What do you mean by Making people be referenced by the same name only, by the way?

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

This is the curse of wikipedia.

Really, the nomen is the same as a bog standard surname. The praenomen is for use by those you're close too. And the cognomen is the one that actually refers to you as an individual within the state. IYSWIM :)

That's how I interpreted it, apart from the cognomen: wikipedia said it changed in use.

Would my system work?

What do you mean by Making people be referenced by the same name only, by the way?

That as much as possible, in the text, the same parts of someone's name will be used, because it's very confusing if you have Firstname Surname, Duke of Thingy, Bishop of Whatsit, and sometimes he's called Firstname, and sometimes Surname, and sometimes Thingy, and sometimes Whatsit. Obviously that can be useful, and main characters need at least an intimate form of address, but I'll be nice to my readers wrt the minor characters :)