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Fantasy Monster Names (D&D, Pathfinder)

by Oŝo-Jabe, July 17, 2018

Messages: 3

Language: English

Oŝo-Jabe (User's profile) July 17, 2018, 11:03:46 PM

I found the wonderful translation of Pathfinder into Esperanto, Drakoj, but it seems to only have the equivalent of a Player's Handbook in it. I want to eventually make a stab at translating a few basic monsters stat blocks into Esperanto so that people don't need to rely on resources in national languages, and to that end I am trying to find good equivalents for monster names. Here's the list of monsters I'm thinking of making a stab at translating (mostly based on the monster list from Microlite20), with monster names I'm most uncertain about in bold - I'd love to hear people's input on additional monsters that might be worth including in this list, as well as what the best name for that monster in Esperanto is:
  • Animal, small (badger) - Besto, malgranda (melo)
  • Ankheg - Anĥego
  • Bugbear - Koŝmarulo ["Bugbear" is related to "Boogeyman", and I think this captures that sense.]
  • Choker - Strangolanto
  • Deinonychus - Deinoniko
  • Dire Rat - Giganta Rato
  • Earth Elemental - Terelementulo, Tera Elementulo
  • Gargoyle - Groteskulo, Groteskfiguro, Statuaĉo ["Gargojlo" is a false friend, and is some kind of water spout.]
  • Gelatinous Cube - Gelateneca Kubo
  • Goblin - Goblino, Gobleno, Koboldo [Most dictionaries give "koboldo" as the translation of "goblin", but D&D/Pathfinder both use "kobold" for a different monster. One Esperanto translation of The Hobbit used "gobleno" and "hobgobleno", but Drakoj already use "la goblina" for the goblin language so it might be worth following its example although I don't see too much of a problem with the language being "la goblina" and the people who speak it being koŝmaruloj, goblenoj, and hobgoblenoj.]
  • Griffon - Grifo
  • Hell Hound - Inferhundo
  • Hill Giant - Monteta Giganto
  • Hobgoblin - Hobgoblino, Hobgobleno, Goblinego, Goblenego [See Goblin]
  • Human Commoner - Homa Plebano
  • Insect, small (spider) - Insekto, malgranda (araneo)
  • Kobold - koboldo, draketaĉulo, drakeculo [Little lizard/dragon people isn't usually what "koboldo" means, so if we give "koboldo" to goblins we might have to come up with another name for these creatures.]
  • Ogre - Ogro
  • Orc - Orko, Aŭrko [Drakoj uses "duonorko" for half-orc, so I will probably follow them here, but I believe one Esperanto translation of Lord of the Rings uses Aŭrko.]
  • Owlbear - Strigurso
  • Rust Monster - Rustmonstro
  • Shadow - Ombro, Ombrulo
  • Skeleton - Skeleto
  • Stirge - Giganta Kulo, Monstra Kulo, Strigkulo, Stirĝo
  • Stone Golem - Ŝtona Golemo
  • Troll - Trolo
  • Vampire - Vampiro
  • Werewolf - Homlupo
  • Wight - Dolmenulo, Kadavro [The first is from the Esperanto translation for Lord of the Rings for "barrow-wight"]
  • Wolf - Lupo
  • Wyvern - Viverno
  • Zombie - Zombio

impaisley (User's profile) December 3, 2023, 2:03:14 AM

Mi pensas, ke tio estas mirinda ideo! Mi ankaŭ pripensas ĉi tion.

Mplmcconnell (User's profile) December 6, 2023, 4:17:28 AM

Beholder - Rigardisto?
Mimic - Imitisto?
Devil - Diablo
Imp - Diableto?
Demon - Demono

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