Aeris/Aerith

[Zeromus_X]

"Aeris" is a really roundabout variation on the English word "Earth", referring to her role as the last of "the ancients", a race that's in touch with the spirit of the planet. In Japanese characters, her name is written "Earisu", and when they brought it back to English, they swapped the "A" and the "E". Also note that in Japanese, the character "su" can stand for a trailing "th" (like "Sumisu", for "Smith"), or for a trailing "s" (like "Kurisu" for "Chris"). So that's how we go from "Earth" to "Earsiu" to "Aeris".

This isn't entirely accurate. When foreign words and names are transliterated into Japanese, they are spelled in katakana characters, and since the Japanese don't have all of the sounds necessary to perfectly pronounce most of these words or names, they make due with what they have. This is why the katakana transliteration of 'Aerith' is 'Earisu' (エアリス). The katakana transliteration of 'earth' is 'aasu' (アース). You are correct about the s/th interchangeability however. Because of this, the localizers must've chose to ignore the official romanization of her name and went with 'Aeris' instead.

[rubah]

Which versions were those? Clearly they weren't the ones on sale just three years ago.

[grim07]

Final Fantasy VII, the english game, the game we all played and loved and grew up with, had her name as AERIS, NOT AERITH. I dont care if it was "supposed" to be this or that, it wasnt. Call her whatever you want, but over here in America, her name is Aeris.

[f f freak]

Final Fantasy VII, the english game, the game we all played and loved and grew up with, had her name as AERIS, NOT AERITH. I dont care if it was "supposed" to be this or that, it wasnt. Call her whatever you want, but over here in America, her name is Aeris.

No. Even in America her name should be Aerith. Just because you don't say it like that doesn't mean that it is wrong and you are right. Aerith is the correct version though both are acceptable. I personally use Aeris as Aerith sounds like I have a lisp.

[Xaven]

I concur with Zeromus on this one.

I can write either way, but I pronounce both correctly. :P

[Big D]

From what I read in a few sources, it was a deliberate choice to call her 'Aeris' in the English-language version, as it sounded better than 'Aerith'. People just prefer to blame translation error for everything, it seems.

I always called her Aeris, since that was her name in the version of the game I knew and loved. What she's called in foreign languages is less relevant - after all, Cloud is 'Cloudo' in Japanese and 'Clad' in the French game, but I feel no need to rename him something silly when I play the game. Red XIII is probably pronounced 'reddo sateenzo' in the 'official' Japanese version, but I'm not about to change that either.

However, since the official English titles now refer to 'Aerith', then that's what I'll go with. It's her 'real name' in English, so I'm cool with it.

[Garnie]

i prefure Aeris then Aerith!
Aerith does sound silly lol!
anyways if they was to remake VII all the speculation will be solved!

[Ender]

People use 'Aerith' because they believe that makes them better Final Fantasy fans than those who know her as 'Aeris.' After all, millions of people played FFVII, but if you weren't "in the know" you would have assumed that 'Aeris' was her name since that's the option you are given in the primary US releases of the game.

Square then supported their rabid fanbase by establishing 'Aerith' as "canon." Now snooty FFanboys can prove their superiority to FFVII fanboy pretenders by correcting them at every opportunity.

All in my humble opinion of course.

I think 'Aerith' sounds and looks stupid. She will always be 'Aeris' to me.

[grim07]

Final Fantasy VII, the english game, the game we all played and loved and grew up with, had her name as AERIS, NOT AERITH. I dont care if it was "supposed" to be this or that, it wasnt. Call her whatever you want, but over here in America, her name is Aeris.

No. Even in America her name should be Aerith. Just because you don't say it like that doesn't mean that it is wrong and you are right. Aerith is the correct version though both are acceptable. I personally use Aeris as Aerith sounds like I have a lisp.

lol. NO. In the game, when you first meet her, her name doesnt say "Aerith". It says "Aeris." Thats her name. I dont care what it SHOULD have been, it wasnt. And I think the guy who said that Square just changed the name to please the fanboys is right on the money.

[Firo Volondé]

Final Fantasy VII, the english game, the game we all played and loved and grew up with, had her name as AERIS, NOT AERITH. I dont care if it was "supposed" to be this or that, it wasnt. Call her whatever you want, but over here in America, her name is Aeris.

No. Even in America her name should be Aerith. Just because you don't say it like that doesn't mean that it is wrong and you are right. Aerith is the correct version though both are acceptable. I personally use Aeris as Aerith sounds like I have a lisp.

lol. NO. In the game, when you first meet her, her name doesnt say "Aerith". It says "Aeris." Thats her name. I dont care what it SHOULD have been, it wasnt.

That's not really a valid argument. FFVII was riddled with mistranslations, "Attack when the tail is up!", "This guy are sick", "Off course!", etcetera. If the name Aeris was used more often, you may just have a case, but in basically all her other English appearances have been as Aerith.

And I think the guy who said that Square just changed the name to please the fanboys is right on the money.

I assume you're talking about the poster above you? It's just plain ridiculous. I think a company like Square is more concerned with making money than manipulating their fanbase into mindless squabbling.

[Fonzie]

Arguing over a name.

[Goldenboko]

Final Fantasy VII, the english game, the game we all played and loved and grew up with, had her name as AERIS, NOT AERITH. I dont care if it was "supposed" to be this or that, it wasnt. Call her whatever you want, but over here in America, her name is Aeris.

No. Even in America her name should be Aerith. Just because you don't say it like that doesn't mean that it is wrong and you are right. Aerith is the correct version though both are acceptable. I personally use Aeris as Aerith sounds like I have a lisp.

lol. NO. In the game, when you first meet her, her name doesnt say "Aerith". It says "Aeris." Thats her name. I dont care what it SHOULD have been, it wasnt. And I think the guy who said that Square just changed the name to please the fanboys is right on the money.

Oh yes, that statement also says that they MEANT to say OFF COURSE in the battle arena. FFVII had a horrible translation, face it.

[Ender]

[quote=Firo Volondé;2233849]

That's not really a valid argument. FFVII was riddled with mistranslations, "Attack when the tail is up!", "This guy are sick", "Off course!", etcetera. If the name Aeris was used more often, you may just have a case, but in basically all her other English appearances have been as Aerith.

All of her English appearances subsequent to her name being established as 'Aeris' by the game itself.

I fail to see how using examples of improper translations is proof that "Aeris" was also an improper translation. Where's the logic in that? Especially considering those with knowledge of the original Japanese have admitted that the character can be romanized correctly as 's' or 'th.'

Anyway, it's not the same as "This guy are sick," which relates to errors in the translating grammatic aspects of Japanese to English, or "Off course!" which is just a blatant spelling error not caught by editors who didn't know any better. These are obvious errors that have nothing to do with a translator's interpretation of the romanized equivalent of a Japanese character.

I assume you're talking about the poster above you? It's just plain ridiculous. I think a company like Square is more concerned with making money than manipulating their fanbase into mindless squabbling.

Dude, in case you didn't know, the squabbling already existed. I never claimed they manufactured a controversy to manipulate "their fanbase into mindless squabbling." The pure and simple fact is that a controversy existed. Square was ultimately forced to adopt one version as the "official" one. Was it purely coincidence that the "correct" side was the one that offered the better prospects for future profits--the side of those who bought the peripheral FFVII merchandise and who obviously invested more interest in the source of the series itself than those who picked up FFVII and played it because they heard it was a cool game? As you point out, their concern is with making money, and choosing the side of your more loyal fanbase is consistent with that.

Anyway, IMO there's no way to prove that my assumption that they had originally okayed "Aeris" for the game, then when controversy struck they were forced to pick one "official way" is any less logical than your assumption that it was a spelling error all along--short of contacting the people responsible at Square and asking them what really happened.

It amazes me that people need to believe in some sort of meta-truth that exists above and beyond the games themselves. Her name in the American version of the game is "Aeris." That is a fact, regardless of what she has been called henceforth. She is also called "Aerith." That is also a fact.

[Jessweeee♪]

I'm pretty sure Aerith is the right way, but I always call her Aeris because of FFVII :P

I don't remember what I called her on The Sims, but when I put videos of them on Youtube I name her Aerith so avoid being corrected XD

I have a friend who's watched Advent Children and is a big Kingdom Hearts fangirl, but she hasn't played FFVII, and when I said I might cosplay as "Aeris" she was like Oh my God, did you say Aeris? Then she laughed at me

[Xalibar]

Also, her name has never been vocally said any any of her other appearances.