Linguistic Geek Strikes Again

[Clyde Arronway]

Ok, no one seems to get this. The name of Aeris in japan was Aerith, but someone seems to have purposly changed it back, because Aeris is latin for Air, which seems to be reflected in her limit breaks. Here's the kicker though, Aeris can also be translated, "Cloud's Posession", loosely.

Secondaraly, The final boss's name was changed from the japaneese version to Safer Sephirioth. In reality, the japaneese version called him Seraph Sepheroth, which literally means "a burning number." now, seraph also is a kind of heavenly being by many given the misnomoer of an angel, which fits, because his's final battle music is labled "one wing angel." but it really means fire.

But! Doesn't this seems to be a big language conspiricy??? why are these words altered to make them into things they don't mean, or to keep them from saying what they do mean??? Huh??? Huh???

[Kirobaito]

A mess-up. That's it. They have stupid people working on these games. I still call him Seraph Sephiroth.

[zacks_clone]

Hm. Well, perhaps to keep us who have these "mess ups " intrested in the jap games?

I really dont know. Its kinda cool what you said though.

[-N-]

Safer is supposed to represent something else, but I don't know what. I didn't know Aeris could be translated to "Cloud's Possession" - in what language is this?

And when did the Linguistic Geek strike the first time?

[BG-57]

I think it's supposed to be 'Sefer Sephiroth'. The sefirot are numbers used in Kabbalism to enumerate the aspects of God. Sefer means 'book', like Sefer Yezirah, one of the texts used in Kabbalism.


If that seems mystical and obscure, it pales in comparison to Xenogears. :eep:

I think the problem is the game designers have no input in the translation efforts, by well meaning individuals who simply don't know the intent of the designers. And Japanese leaves a lot of ambiguity when trying to figure out spelling and pronounciation, especially when they render foreign words in ways that they can pronounce and spell. Like 'service' in 'sabitsu'.

All in all, frustrating for game purists. It won't be solved unless the game designers are brought into the translation efforts.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

It's Sepher, not Safer or Seraph. Sepher Sephiroth means "the Book of Numbers," in reference to the Kabbalistic Sephiroth, the numerical "Path to God."

[Big D]

Kabbalist symbolism is rampant in FFVII.
but someone seems to have purposly changed it backI heard that they did a survey, and English-speakers simply preferred the sound of 'Aeris'. They may have considered it as an option because of deeper meaning, though.

Interestingly, though, a translation of the Japanese game script gives Cloud's name as "Claude", which would seem to undermine all the 'cloud' references - "Cloud's possession", "Heaven's Cloud" and the like.

[DJZen]

WAY too many of the names in the game were badly translated (or translitterated if you want to be technical). I'm hard pressed to think of many, but there's quite a few Engrish names for monsters. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is the "Kimera Bug". I suppose I should just be glad that Barret's name didn't get changed to Bullet, even though there was an attack in FF8 that got called "Meteor Barret" when it probably was supposed to be "Meteor Bullet" @.@

Basically, if you have an understanding of how Japanese is pronounced, try re-translitterating a name and seeing what else it could be..... I certainly hope 'Kishi knows what I'm talking about here.....

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Bullet should be Bullet. I'm used to Barret, of course, but I can't ignore what an abomination it is.
Originally posted by Big D
Interestingly, though, a translation of the Japanese game script gives Cloud's name as "Claude", which would seem to undermine all the 'cloud' references - "Cloud's possession", "Heaven's Cloud" and the like. Heaven's Cloud, or Ame no Murakumo, or Gathering Rain Clouds, or Stratos, or Nimbus, has been around since FFV. (Considering what thread this is, I'll say that its name is a play on Kumo no Murasame, which is what Murasame has been called in the Japanese games. Hey, wait: Murasame is the opposing sword to Masamune, which is Sephiroth's sword in this game, so there may be some extra meaning there after all, however coincidental.)

[Big D]

'Bullet' is a fundamentally stupid first name for a person in an English-speaking environment.
How does someone get such a name?

(1) "Aw, what an adorable little baby son we've got! Let's call him 'Bullet', just in case he turns out to be a gunslinger."

(2) "Damn, man, I lost my hand. My name used to be 'Finger', but now I shoot bullets from the place my fingers used to be. Ah well, 'Bullet' it is then!


Actually, from the Dyne flashbacks, we know he's always had that name, so it wasn't something he adopted after the Corel massacre. 'Barret' at least is a name that an actual person might have. Descriptive names aren't usually that good, as with "Mash" Figaro in FFVI. Sabin, while an unusual and outdated name, has the benefit of being a real name.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

I doubt Mash was supposed to be a descriptive name, especially since it could very well have been intended as Matt.
Originally posted by Big D
'Bullet' is a fundamentally stupid first name for a person in an English-speaking environment.So is "Cloud."

[Big D]

'Cloud' is less moronic; at can be viewed as a kind of hippy-esque name. At least it's a natural name, sort of like people in our world with names like 'River' or 'Skye'. 'Bullet' is about as logical as 'Sawtooth', 'Axe Head' or 'Arrow'.

Barret is a pretty logical transliteration anyway, since the l in 'Bullet' and the r in 'Barret' are equivalents in Japanese...

[BG-57]

At least they didn't go with 'Ballet' then.

Also, if memory serves, Steve McQueen played a character named Bullitt. Granted it's a movie character.

[DJZen]

'Cloud' is less moronic; at can be viewed as a kind of hippy-esque name. At least it's a natural name, sort of like people in our world with names like 'River' or 'Skye'. 'Bullet' is about as logical as 'Sawtooth', 'Axe Head' or 'Arrow'.

Or Wolf Blitzer. Anyhoo, I remembered another one of the screwed up monster names. Velcher Task.

[ShadyMilkman]

there was an attack in FF8 that got called "Meteor Barret" when it probably was supposed to be "Meteor Bullet" @.@

I always thought it said that would that I dunno how to spell but is pronounced "buh-ray." If you know what I'm talking about, spell it fer me. But I thought it said that cause thta would make sense, ya know?

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

A beret is a hat. METEOR HAT

[DocFrance]

Could it be possible that Bullet is his nickname?

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

And his real name is Marsellus (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/)?

[Linus]

I know a kid named Bullet. His mom is a chemistry teacher.

[zacks_clone]

I know a kid named Bullet. His mom is a chemistry teacher.

Thanks for sharing Linus.

Somone brought up something on real names. Any name is real, such as cup,or flower. Come on, people name their kids after weather. "Sunny" "Stormy". And flowers "Iris" "Rose". So whats a "real name"? I think Cloud would fit the bill,as would Bullet.

[Clyde Arronway]

Somone brought up something on real names. Any name is real, such as cup,or flower. Come on, people name their kids after weather. "Sunny" "Stormy". And flowers "Iris" "Rose". So whats a "real name"? I think Cloud would fit the bill,as would Bullet.

This is true. English uses names from other languages so we don't really know what they mean. my real first name is an actual word for 'god fearer' I know a girl named 'lord' in another language and almost everyone with the word 'el' at the end of their name has a jewish name having to do with 'god'

[ShadyMilkman]

A beret is a hat. METEOR HAT
I admit, you got me there. It was very funny. Now I remember the word I was thinking. Barrage. I got the two of them confused. Now, I must admit, Meteor Barret does sound really stupid now...I'll just pretend like I still think it means barrage. So I'm blissfully ignorant.

[totw]

dunno how late this post is but I wanted to point something out with the whole Sephiroth thing. His name was not really changed.
Seraph Sephiroth
Safer Sephiroth

Look carefully and you will slowly see how they in fact only made the ph into an f. everything else is just rearranged.

eraph-S
erph-Sa
er-Saph
r-Saphe
Sapher- now change the ph to an f
Safer

See the name was not changed it was just rearranged. There is no deeper meaning here behind his name. The US version is often changed as far as names in order to either A. make the name applicable because the context of it's meaning was lost in translation. B. Give the character a name easier to pronounce.(rarest reason) C.The translators and/or creators of the game have decided that they would like the names changed for reasons of their own choosing. The reason usually being that neither the creators nor the translators think the names and/or meaning the name will be understood or appealing to people in the US.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Good job reviving a very dead thread--a thread deceased for ages, so post-mortem it hurts--only to contribute nothing but misinformation. As was stated almost a year ago, it was Sepher Sephiroth originally, not Seraph, which is entirely different phonetically and in the meaning of the name. Good morning.