#and to deal with the stands out next to aubrey and kel problem

[warriorssurvivalandstuff]

Name translation thoughts, phonetical or by meaning.

Phonetical preserves the cultural context and generally applies best for settings with naming systems where even most of the common names don't have their meanings widely known, so looking them up is expected whether in the original language or a translation.

But having been majorly focused on Warriors for a long time where most names are from common-ish words with clear definitions and not like archaic, meaning translations work best there, and this method comes to mind first. Though, technically they are already such translations in the original text, or we'd have Watership Down style conlang. Plus the only cultural context to names present in wc is in the structure, with no root language difference.

So, got used to meaning translations, and they were fun to work with in choosing words and such. Semi-forgot it's common practice to do phonetical translations for a while. So before the official translations came out, was rolling with a meaning translation for Basil since 1. that's clearly a plant, for the flowerboy 2. not that common a name like Hazel... Though perhaps only by my experience 3. 羅勒 works very well, 羅 as a first name is common, 勒 means strangle/restrict. The official translation is of course phonetic, as otherwise would make his stand out next to Aubrey and Kel's names (Hero is an exception for reasons), though I didn't realise that and was disappointed.

Then, getting into HnK. Did not start with the English translation and 法斯法菲萊特 of the early fan translations was a pain to read. Alright, phosphophyllite isn't a mineral everyone knows either, but it's the same stuff with diamond, obsidian, especially amethyst with the numbers get really ridiculous. But it made Cinnabar stand out with an actual(ly understandable) mineral name and be sort of like Kongo, like they do in the original. The distinction is of note as vol9 bonus material comments on it, and other gems with kanji names still use loanwords from English. (Obsidian, Jade, Hemimorphite...) Flipped for English translation with Shinsha being meaningless. While having all the gems use definition-translated names loses this tidbit in English. It's not entirely lost for the Chinese translation as it's like the more archaic name for Cinnabar, like how Adamant is kinda archaic for diamond, but it does show how phonetic translation could be important.

Still wouldn't want to suffer through remembering a whole slog of meaningless characters for names though, especially when they get really long and people have stopped using the proper name mark (underlining names).

And still using Luo Strangle for Basil in my head cuz it's funny.