TWCL

[psuedodragon]

The advice I need is on some names for a new story-line idea I've had. The biggest problem is that I've already decided that I'm going to use my degree in Classical Studies for this story no matter what!

Well, not so much "no matter what" but more along the lines of "it started rolling down that hill and now I can't seem to stop it"...


Anywho...

The "names" I need help with are actually titles given to champion/paladin type people... Individuals trained to fight in the defence of others. I was quite delighted when I realized that there is an ideal greek word for this, and then I looked at that word and went "oh sh*t, how do I bastardize that?"

so the two words (which are related) are:
‘υπερασπιστης = (h)uperaspistes = one who holds a shield over/protector/champion (it is a noun)
‘υπερμαχος = (h)upermaxos = champion/defender (it is an adjective)

How would I write them into the dialogue as if modern people who don't really understand ancient greek were using them as the titles of people?

My best attempt thus far was to go with (h)uperaspistes becomes hyperapsist (yes, I know I inverted the "p" and "s"... my grasp of what normal [i.e., those who don't regularly try to read and speak dead languages] people can pronounce easily is shaky, feel free to correct) and (h)upermaxos becomes hypermaxis but I don't know... hence needing advice...


Thanks!

[Luke]

psuedodragon wrote:

(h)uperaspistes becomes hyperapsist

Please take a really hard look at that and tell me that you see it.
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[NaarieKermie]

I'm sorry but I read "hyperapsist" as "hyper rapists" and I doubt that's the image you want to bring up.

"Hypermaxis" sounds pretty badass, though.

EDIT

Luke wrote:

psuedodragon wrote: (h)uperaspistes becomes hyperapsist Please take a really hard look at that and tell me that you see it.

I see it! I see it!
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[wendyw]

Luke wrote:

psuedodragon wrote: (h)uperaspistes becomes hyperapsist Please take a really hard look at that and tell me that you see it.

Why is it I didn't see that until you put it in bold?

That is a really difficult word to try and come up with a modernised version of it that doesn't look potentially dodgy. I have nothing right now.

I do quite like hypermaxis though.
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Blog

[vulpeslibertas]

I'm not digging the hyper part. It's one of those words you use when you're obviously exaggerating something ( "Hyper-Ultraman used his hyper-neutron cannon to destroy Lord Xerxon's fleet of hyper-ship robots!"). It may just be me, but it makes me think of florescent tights. You could corrupt it further, say to uber. Maybe cut off the prefix, and just go with Aspites and Maxos. Or maybe Aspites and Hypermaxos. Maybe Hyperiax, by way of Hyperion. It's a little more classy that way.

Another possibility is to spell it graphically, instead of phonetically: Unepastin, Unepuaxok, Unepok, Aunepoch, Aunepox, etc. Basically, whatever English letters you can pretend to see in the word, rearranged for good flavor.

Although, I suppose, it depends on what you're going for in a comic. Is this going to be set along side Hercules and Odysseus, is it the year 3000AD with flying cars and minotaur cyborgs?

Or, if you're daring, just spell the word in Greek and let the readers imagine how it sounds.
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[psuedodragon]

It's a modern supernatural with tie-ins from Ancient Greece (i.e., instead of being called "supernatural" monsters back then they were called the "children of Echidna")

I agree that the "hyper" part was throwing me off. Unfortunately the Greeks liked to use it on a semi-regular basis. I think I like the idea of dropping prefix, though if I do that I don't know if I'll use hypermaxos or a variant of it...

Thanks for the help

(and yes, I noticed the "hyper rapist" problem, I just wasn't sure how to fix it)

[Wonderdrome]

Have you considered translating (h)uper as uber, instead of hyper? I believe they have similar meanings of "above". Opens up a few possibilities- Ubermax, Ubermaxos, Uber Asp, Uberspistes, Uberaspis...