See the results of this poll: which?
Respondents: 18 (This poll is closed)
- Zahir : 12 (60%)
- Raza : 5 (25%)
- Sulayman : 0 (0%)
- Juda: 3 (15%)
Respondents: 18 (This poll is closed)
From your list, [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] sounds good. The first name I thought of was [name_m]Diarmuid[/name_m] (spelling?).
I like [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] the most.
[name_u]Zahir[/name_u] fits the picture and description the most, to me.
I too went with [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] as I found it easiest to say.
I can’t choose between [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] and [name_m]Juda[/name_m]. I think both would fit.
I like [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] best. It’s easy to pronouce, feels a bit familiar but also has an exotic quality to it. This also pairs nicely with Erebus - I could tots see this as a RL subset. ([name_f]Edit[/name_f]: I also just thought about how his brother - should he be in the book - could tease/taunt him with the nn [name_f]Zaza[/name_f]. Feels like something a [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] would hate but might have accidentally given himself as a toddler when he could pronounce his own name.)
Raza would be my second choice for the same reason’s though it lacks some of the mystery to me. (It also reminds me of a razor).
[name_m]Juda[/name_m] is too familiar for this character I think. We all already have a picture of what [name_m]Juda[/name_m] looks like in our heads - also for non name officiates [name_m]Juda[/name_m] could feel like a reference to [name_m]Judas[/name_m] -> which one would feel blunt if that is what you are after and otherwise would probably be avoided.
Sulayman - I don’t know who your target audience is for this book. Sulayman is the most difficult to “know” how to pronounce. I looked it up and wasn’t too far off with [name_f]SU[/name_f]-lay-mahn instead of the actual sul-ay-MAHN but if he is a prominent character I think a more intuitive name might make him instantenously more approachable to the reader.
Thanks so far everyone. Especially [name_u]Lexie[/name_u] with her detailed talking about it because that’s super helpful. I never considered that Sulayman was really that difficult to say until she actually spelled it out
So far, [name_u]Zahir[/name_u] is winning