mmh maybe I should point out why I think a too greco-latin name is a bad idea in general ?
Because for most of us, a name that comes from such language is usually easily recognised as such. The problem then is how do you explain that an alien civilisation, in a sci-fi context, ends up being called with a purely european name ?
Certainly if the name is "what we earthling call them" then that''s ok, but you should also have a name that is used by those people themselves. Right ?
Hence my suggestions of more ancient languages that are less known to most of us westerners. (unless you are a linguist and consider indian language as "western", anyway).

So what about something NOT latin or greek ?

Sancte Isidore ora pro nobis !

What? No Vulcans or Romulans?

quote: Original post by ahw
mmh maybe I should point out why I think a too greco-latin name is a bad idea in general ?
Because for most of us, a name that comes from such language is usually easily recognised as such. The problem then is how do you explain that an alien civilisation, in a sci-fi context, ends up being called with a purely european name ?
Certainly if the name is "what we earthling call them" then that''s ok, but you should also have a name that is used by those people themselves. Right ?
Hence my suggestions of more ancient languages that are less known to most of us westerners. (unless you are a linguist and consider indian language as "western", anyway).

So what about something NOT latin or greek ?

You can say that the better literal aproximation to their name is that latin word.

Lawn Gnomes... oh yeah...