Naming a character

[MacBean]

I'm working on an Aikido based Martial Artist and I need a name. I've come up with a few based on my oh so small understanding of Japanese.

I'm looking for something water based to denote the flowing style of Aikido.

If someone knows the language, could they help identify which of these might be good and which are bad for whatever reason.

Iwashimizu (kind of a mouthful) (supposed to mean 'water trickling from the rocks)

sakamaku (surging water)

medaki (the smaller waterfall)

mizukagami (reflecting water)

mizukusai (many meanings, but includes both distant and watery)

shinshoku (erosion)

Any thoughts?

[MacBean]

Anyone? Bueller?

[Yogzilla]

Don't ask me - - I once came up with a martial artist named Jay Jitsu...

-Yogzilla

[TheTemplar]

Well, anyone - please correct me if I'm wrong...but

"Do" as a suffix in Japanese means "Way of", correct?
So, here's a few neat words I've picked up through Video games, etc.


Kage (shadow)
Oni (demon)
Ryu (Dragon)
Mushi (Warrior)
I can't remember what Blood is...that may be Kage..in which case, I've forgotten what Shadow is...but, given those...

Kage-Do would be "Way of the Shadow" or "Way of Blood" (sorry..wish I could remember which is which.)
Oni-Do - "Way of the Demon"
Ryu-Do - "Way of the Dragon"
Mushi-Do - "Way of the Warrior"

For more info (and the correct definition of Kage) try using any search engine (search.yahoo.com; www.google.com, whatever) and searching for English to Japanese translations. Very handy.

Hope this helps!

-T

[TheTemplar]

Just hit me.

Mura is blood. Kage is shadow..and Musha is warrior..(mushi may be plural...no knowledge of Japanese tenses. 3- roll.)

So, Mura-Do would be Way of the Blood
and Kage-Do would be Way of the Shadow

...neither sound particularly Heroic, per se....but it's a start. ;)

-T

[MacBean]

Originally posted by TheTemplar
www.google.com, whatever) and searching for English to Japanese translations. Very handy.

Hope this helps!

-T

I like the idea but I'm not sure this is what I'm looking for.

Mainly, I'm hoping someone can tell me if, from a Japanese perspective, the names I listed above might be appropriate.

And the tool I was using to get somewhere in the ballpark of what I wanted was:

http://poets.notredame.ac.jp/cgi-bin/jedi-inon

[TheTemplar]

D'oh! Sorry, mate. Totally misread what you were looking for there. As far as I can tell (by crossreferencing your site posted w/ ones that I have used for similar projects) your names are accurate, in terms of conveying the desired meaning. But, you may want to wait around for a more definitive answer from someone who can actually SPEAK Japanese, not someone who can just plug word fragments into a website translator, like me! :D

Good luck!

-T

[KA.]

Well, MacBean, sorry that no one has been able to help you so far, but now my heroes are now going to have to face a ninja named:
Murakage - Blood Shadow

:D

KA

[mildmildwest]

I once had a Robotech character named Waki Yaki. A friend played his brother Waki Taki

[BNakagawa]

I thought 'ketsu' was the word for blood.

'mura' usually means village.

[TheTemplar]

Originally posted by BNakagawa
I thought 'ketsu' was the word for blood.

'mura' usually means village.

ROFLMAO!!

D'OH!

Or, I could be TOTALLY wrong altogether!

Sorry, all! Somehow...."Village Warrior" doesn't sound particularly intimidating...sounds like a kabuki theatre version of the Village People! :D

Hope I didn't spread TOO much confusion here. Thanks for the clarification on that, BN!

So, KA, that would make your ninja

Ketsukage - Blood Shadow (or Kageketsu - Shadow of Blood..whichever is more grammatically correct...I've typically only seen Kage as a prefix..)

-T