Translating names

[Cyril Slobin <slobin@ice.ru>]

[la .ivan. cusku di'e]

> Another problem is that it is hard to tell if the {s} or {n}
> was there originally or is a cmene-maker. That's why I have
> suggested that the thing appended to vowel-final names should be
> something that the name couldn't end in, or would be unlikely to
> -- John's {vzv} is a reasonable candidate.

I believe cmene-making is (or should be) even more artistic than tanru-
or lujvo-making. Short but maybe didactic example follows: I dwell in
Moscow (Russia), which is spelled "Moskva" in Russian language. My first
attempt to lojbanize it was {moskvas}, but this is illegal due the "kv"
which is forbidden. Technical solution is {moskyvas}, but extra syllable
made it clumsy. So I tried {moskas}, {moskuas}, {moskovas}... until hit
into {moskav}. It is short, contains exactly the same set of letters as
original Russian name, and close resembles the Average European Spelling
(Moscow, Moskau, Moscou). Alas no such trick with "Russia" = {rosi,ias}.

P.S. Just do not interpret it as a pair of rafsi. ;-)

[co'o mi'e kir. ne la moskav. po'u la'e me'o ru'o my .obu sy ky vy .abu]

-- 
Cyril Slobin <slobin@ice.ru>