What's In a Name?

I thought it would a good idea to showcase a study on the names of cities and areas of the Tirnreich, to show my fellow Union members the thinking behind every one, as well as to provide a kind of identity to each unique entry.

First, I'll start with the larger entities, such as terrain features, region names, and even the country name itself!

Tirnreich- This name, the country's name, is really a combination of a fictional terrain feature, as well as a historical naming mechanism.

The word "Tirn" is the name of the largest river in the Tirnreich, the Tirnfluss. The name was literally pulled out of thin air; at first it was just the region name, but it evolved into a national symbol, in the form of a prefix for several national services. (ex. TirnPost, AirTirn, TirnGlobal [not Nat'l]) The word "reich" is traditionally translated as "Empire," or more recently into "realm" or "kingdom." The combination literally means "Tirn Empire."

Tirnfluss- Name of the largest river in the Tirnreich. Once again, the prefix/suffix combo works here. "Tirn" is the name of the river, with no actual meaning. "Fluss" on the other hand means "river;" so "Tirnfluss" literally means "Tirn River" or the "River Tirn."

Deutsch/Polnisch/Tschechisch Teilung- This is the name of the "thirds" of the Tirnreich. The country is split in three divisions, German, ("Deutsch") Polish, ("Polnisch") and Czech. ("Tschechisch")


Next, we shall look at smaller entity names, such as those for cities, parks, and even buildings.

Nachtsburg- Capital city. "Nacht" means "night," and "burg" means "castle." The capital's name is literally "Night Castle;" this city is named after the famous Nachtsburg. (castle) I really wanted to have a 'burg' city, and the capital city seemed like the appropriate place, since most of the rest of the country was destroyed during WWII.

Baden-Stadt A major city just west of Nachtsburg, Baden-Stadt is a mix of two German words. "Baden" means "to bath," while "stadt" means "city." The name ("Bathing City") stems from the historical Roman bathhouses that were built in the city. (off record: To be honest, I thought of some German-structured word and came up with Baden, so it stuck. )

Nord Park- Simple city with many political centers. The name, comprised of "Nord," meaning "north," and the English/German "Park," was given to the city when it was a camping ground for Nachtsburgers and Baden Stadters.

Hekli- Communist stronghold, modern cityscape. The name is a random combination of consonants and vowels that form a speakable word. Honestly, I just created it. The lake in the middle of the Nordsektor is named "Hekli Meer," or "Hekli Lake."

Sudfeld- Sports complex-oriented town. "Sudfeld" again combines "Sud," meaning "South," and "feld," which means field, into another terrain-inspired name. The land south/southeast of Hekli was just a giant green pasture, so the town was named after its appearance.

Flugstadt- Airport town. One of my personal favorite names, "Flug" means "Flight," and "stadt," which is often used in my city names, means "city." So it's literally "Flight City," a name suitable for a city containing an airport. (In fact, I may name the airport after it too!)

Dajrmund- University town. Pronounced [Dahr-moont]. The city name stems from the name "Dajr," who was a prominent poet that lived in the Tirnland in the 1800's. "Mund" means "mouth," so the city is named "Dajr's Mouth," according to German trends. At first, I wanted a Dutch-sounding name, but I ultimately settled with this cool-sounding name.

Kloettron Hills- Hilly suburb. "Kloettron" is just the name of the hill range, and "hills" means the same thing in English as it does in German.

Akiel Forest- Sleepy winter resort village. Named for the forest on the south side of the city limits.

Kaelville- Suburb town with industrial area. Named after the Kael (family) Villa, a mansion situated in the forested hill, but was moved to a different location.

Raumfield- Small city. Literally "Spacy Field," Raumfield is a small city that has a large farmer's market. It was known for holding community events in the 1950's, where large festivals would be held, and there was always space for more things.

Port Franc- Port city. This port city is named "French Port" if spoken literally. Port Franc, as a port, produces that largest amount of non-industrial jobs in the city. The area has a French Quarter, much like New Orleans, and it is the city most likely for French tourists and immigrants to flock to.

Guels Park- Space center/rural habitat. "Guel" is another made up word, and is a name of the military program that funded the space shuttle development, Project Ghoul. The name of the city is more traditional.

Dassen- Transit town. "Dassen" looks German, but it is not, but there's no actual translation of the word.

Osttor- TBA. "Ost" meaning "East" and "Tor" meaning "gate," the "Eastgate" has an actual gatehouse area, with a stonewall that predates Hadrian's. Is basically the gateway into the Tirnreich.

Bridgeview- TBA. The point is that made here shows the Americanized real estate market, with a name often found in suburb,s urban districts.

Republik Stadt- Literally means "Repiblic City." City is a sattelite city of Nachtsburg; it seats several minister's offices, as well as the Simlympic Park.

Nice idea Geoff, really gets you thinking about place names. Are you fluent in German or something?

haha no, but I'm taking a German course in school, so the knowledge helps me make realistic city and area names, while using German helps me stay familiar with the language.

Ah cool. I'm learning Italian at school, which is where some of the things for Cattala come from.

Yeah, great job! Well done!

Nice idea for those names!