A name may carry more than sound
A joke, profession, clue, or relationship can be hidden inside a name. If the plot depends on a harbor being called Second Bell, a translator needs to know why. A bare spreadsheet cell gives the word but loses the function. Add a short note explaining what the reader must understand and when.
Give each name a policy
Use three practical labels: retain, translate, or adapt with explanation. A character’s personal name may stay; a descriptive street name may translate; a puzzle built around a letter shape may need adaptation. These are project decisions to discuss with the translator, not universal rules for every language.
Budget space in the interface
A short English label does not guarantee a short localized label. Test layouts with longer sample text, larger type, and wrapped lines. Do not turn a made-up multiplier into a promise that every language will fit. Offer space for descriptions and short display forms, and test the actual translated strings when available.
Keep clues out of unexplained spelling
If a puzzle depends on the letters of a name, mark that dependency early. Otherwise a well-intentioned spelling change can remove the solution. Consider whether a visual mark, repeated object, or dialogue clue could carry the same information with less dependence on English. The aim is an adaptable puzzle, not an English spelling test in disguise.
Record uncertainty honestly
This site’s invented names do not come with verified real-language meanings. If you borrow a real word or cultural naming pattern, research reliable language sources and involve an appropriate speaker or specialist when needed. Do not turn a generated gloss into an etymology. A fictional interpretation can be useful while remaining clearly fictional.
Prepare a handoff note
For each important name, include entity type, short context, narrative function, pronunciation intention if relevant, fixed letters if any, display limits, and questions. The resulting register is small enough to maintain but detailed enough to keep the translator from having to reconstruct the entire project.
Provide grammatical context, not just a gloss
A location may appear as a destination, origin, or direct reference, while a person’s title may appear in a formal address and an intimate greeting. Supply example sentences for those roles rather than a single isolated label. The translator needs to know which distinctions are meaningful and which can change naturally. In your source register, identify the entity consistently so that a visible wording change does not create a new reference by accident. The exact implementation depends on the project, but the editorial objective is stable: preserve a relationship between the name and its uses instead of assuming one copied string fits every sentence.
Explain a clue before handing off its words
Suppose a letter says “the second kettle,” and a later scene reveals it as a promise to wait after the last ferry. A translation note should explain the custom, the first introduction, and the moment when recognition matters. Do not insist on literal word-for-word preservation if that would destroy the connection. Invite an adaptation that retains the clue’s function and test it in the actual scene. If the puzzle depends on a letter shape or English spelling, identify that dependency early. Concealing it in a list of names pushes the design problem onto somebody who may not have enough context to solve it.
Record a pronunciation intention cautiously
A pronunciation note can explain the rhythm or distinction you intend, particularly when two invented names appear together. It should not pretend to certify how every language or speaker must pronounce a fictional word. Avoid assigning an invented form a real-language meaning solely because it resembles a familiar syllable. If cultural or historical accuracy is part of the project, add appropriate research and review as a separate responsibility. For a freely invented setting, a short note such as “two clearly separated beats; keep distinct from the harbor name” may be more useful than a decorative pseudo-etymology that nobody has verified.
Plan for display forms and search forms
A full ceremonial name, a small map label, and a search alias can perform different jobs. Link them deliberately in the register. A search aid should help locate the correctly displayed form rather than replace it with an approximation everywhere. Test the actual translated interface when available; longer placeholder text can expose cramped layouts but cannot prove that all languages will fit. The comparison table’s visible counts describe the present draft, not a universal width measurement. Keep the user-facing name as text, allow sensible wrapping, and avoid relying on one decorative icon or color to distinguish closely related entries.
Give adaptations a review path
A collaborator may propose changing a location name because its sound has an unintended association in the target language. Record the concern, the alternative, and which links or clues need rechecking. A name can be revised without invalidating the world if its purpose and evidence are documented. Conversely, do not accept an apparently elegant adaptation without checking the scene that originally depended on it. The appropriate reviewer should understand both the linguistic issue and the project’s design constraint. This is a collaboration task rather than something a finite naming word bank can settle through an automatic confidence number.
Deliver a usable example record
A complete handoff might read: “Entity: harbor-04. Current English form: Rivet Quay. Display form: Rivet Quay. Function: busy repair landing. Earlier local name: Second Bell. Clue dependency: both names must be connected before the lost-letter episode. Translate or adapt the descriptive image; preserve the place relationship and the waiting custom. Review the map and the arrival dialogue together.” This gives another contributor a reason to choose well rather than merely a string to reproduce. After adaptation, keep the revised sentences and a short explanation alongside the source so a later edition does not accidentally undo the decision.
Make the next draft your own.
Try the method in a tool, keep a candidate in your notebook, and revise it against your actual project.
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