Nomenclature

Discussion and analysis of graphics, story, levels, and so on.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

Andy wrote:Seem more likely it's derived from Berkeley...
IIRK it was derived from somebody's name. I don't remember where I read that, though... I didn't dream it, did I?

I used to find the Keen enemy names too simplisting for my liking, but they've grown on me over the years. It just seemed wrong to name alien creatures based on words from the English language. But it never made sense to me why aliens would base their alphabet on English either. Such things that make no logical sense seem to be part of what make the Keen world so charming.

That names in CKMB were really just words that sounded nifty to me at the time [like Instigators and Interrogators]. I don't think I used them in the story or anything, but I mentioned it at the site once. I plan to drop those names and come up with some more Keenish ones.

I was obsessed with a D'niesque [the race of people in Myst] form of Jibberish, using lots of apostrophes, when I created the name of the race, though. Din'u or something, IIRK. That's gonna be changed as well.
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XkyRauh
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ooh

Post by XkyRauh »

I've always pronounced Narln as NAR-uln, which is technically two syllables. I wanted a name that complimented 'Vorticon' when said in rapid succession. "Vorticons and Narlns" flows easily off of my own tongue. :)
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

I used to find the Keen enemy names too simplisting for my liking, but they've grown on me over the years. It just seemed wrong to name alien creatures based on words from the English language. But it never made sense to me why aliens would base their alphabet on English either. Such things that make no logical sense seem to be part of what make the Keen world so charming.
Reason 1.) Aliens arrived on earth and taught us the SGA, this later beacme english, which is why it borrows off so many other languages, when the aliens couldn't find an alien word for something [like Kindergarten] they borrowed one that sounded nice.

Reason 2: Alien names are just what the locals call them, based on SGA words. For example, the Shikadai call shocksund Glyx-tvii, and nobody wants to pronounce that, so a pun was used [Berkeloids attack anyone that gets within range, earning the nickname 'Berks' or 'Beserkers' which eventually became 'Berkeloids'
Benvolio
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Post by Benvolio »

Plausable enough explanations. But seeing as all the aliens in Keen are under Mortimer McMire's command, I'm sure he would insist on the signs and names being in English.
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levellord
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Post by levellord »

Are you kidding? He's Mort; the Grand Intellect, in the middle ages intellects would insist you talked to them only in latin, even today scientists cloud their language in incomprehensible jargon.

I imagine it went something like this:

Vorticon: Sir? Why are we learning SGA? We all write Vorticon.

Mort: Because its an interplanetary language

Vort: But, sir, there will only be Vorticons here!

Mort: *evil grin* Perhaps, perhaps, but I *do* need to give the clown a fighting chance.
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Tulip
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Post by Tulip »

Yes I know this topic is over two years old, but I'm bored today so I'm writing something here.

The names for my monsters are much older than the mods, as I am using monsters I was drawing while I was in primary school... still they are influenced by the original Keen games. I'm not a native english speaker, so some of the names were translated from my mother language.
An sometimes they just have to sound strange or funny.
Also I like to find names that come from mythological beasts that may fit my monsters.

I find naming of the things found in the mods important, and so do most Keenfans I suppose, and it's interesting that all the levels of Keen 1 have now names in KeenWiki. Sure, how else could you make an article of it.

One should spend some time trying to name creatures, they deserve to get a little love from its creator...
levellass
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Post by levellass »

I personally would name level-articles 'Level 1, Level 2...'; but since the Keen 4-6 and Dreams levels have names, (And indeed the Keen 3 levels have 'decipherable' names) I guess it's really more in character to have names for them.

Three cheers for topic bumping!
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