Abh clan names

[wombat1138]

Finally got the first volume of TokyoPop's English translation of the original Seikai novels (aka Crest/Banner of the Stars). My first flip-through was pretty rocky, what with all the conlang vocab sprinkled throughout, but I think I'm starting to get a better handle on things by cross-referencing with the manga; the anime could probably use some repeat viewing too, since it's been a while since I watched the OVAs.

One particular problem is that the three different media don't share a consistent system of transliterating the conlang. Most of the hardcore fans seem to prefer a relatively literal system, but the licensed media prefer phonetic spellings. I'm making a foolhardy attempt at drawing up a concordance on paper, but it's not going to be a happy process.

However, an unexpected point of interest is that according to a Korean fansite, the nomenclature of the Abh noble clans is drawn from the same 28-constellation cosmology that Fushigi Yuugi is based on, except for the Imperial family of the Ablïarsec (given the phonetic spelling "Abriel" in all three media translations); their name is based on the sun goddess Amaterasu.

The fansite has a list of the other clans' names, original specializations on the ancestral mother-ship, and distinctive features, which I will shamelessly ransack here (the latter via Babelfish/Google autotranslation). It's based on the fan transliterations; I've added the official phonetic spellings when available. However, since I'm a bit doubtful about some of the translations they give for the constellation names, I've been cross-checking those against other sources and subbing in different info when it seems necessary.

Ablïarsec (Abriel): responsible for space navigation on the original mother ship, whose name had also been Ablïarsec; they have pointy ears. Within the Imperial clan, there are eight royal branches: Scirh (Skirl), ïrich(Iriish), Üescoc (Wesko), Barcéc (Barke), Lasisec (Lasis), Balgzédéc (Balgzede), Chülgzédéc (Shulgzede), and Crybh (Kryv); I don't know where the branch names come from.

(Eastern constellations, in the quadrant of the blue-green serpent Seiryuu)

Ruc: communication and electronics maintenance. Their name is from a nanori reading of the kanji for the constellation "su" (horn); they have unusual noses.

Aimh: general spaceship maintenance; from a nanori reading of a star name within the constellation "ami" (neck). Silver hair.

Lomh: powergrid maintenance; golden eyes. They produce calm, cold military personnel and scientists but lack financial sense. Another nanori reading? from "tomo" (chest).

Loepoess: medical staff and healthcare, except for obstetrics; slender fingers. From "soiboshi" (stomach-star).

Dachoc: energy supervision? Long, narrow lips. From "nakago" (center/buttocks).

Aislairec: metal refining; ebullient to the point of rashness. From "ashitare" (tail).

Biboth (Bebaus): surveying and astrogation; soft, curly hair and a reputation for Spectacular Insanity. From "miboshi" (tail-star).

(Northern constellations, in the quadrant of the black serpent/tortoise-hybrid Genbu)

Cilych: machinery design/manufacture. From "hikitsu" (balance).

Idaimh: genetic manipulation; later, terraforming. Icy eyes. From "inami" (cow).

Nych: medical recovery/nurture? Sharp cuspid. From "uruki" (woman).

Lobitec: a large clan, originally in charge of "miscellaneous tasks"; dark green hair. From "tomite" (void).

Fimegaimec: ventilation and hydroponics. Dark spot in the center of the forehead. From "umiyame" (snake).

Calyc: navigation records; no distinctive physical trait, but generally calm and fair. From "hatsui" (shelter).

Dabaimec: recycling and sanitation; slightly reddish Frosh (the space/time-sensing organ in the center of the Abh forehead). From "namame" (wall).

(Western constellations, in the quadrant of the white tiger Byakko)

Losaich: civil engineering? Green/brown eyes. From "tokaki"?

Tlaimh: mineral surveying and supply logistics? Unusually small Adam's apple. From "tatara".

Sosïéc: mineral recycling? Lustrous hair. From "ekie"?

Spaurh (Spoor): navigation and technical control? Red eyes. From "subaru"

Aimenyrh: medicine/chemistry; hair that turns paler toward the ends? From "amefuri"

Snoech: munitions and ordinance; speckled iris? From "toroki"?

Sarrych: life-support systems? From "kagasuki"

(Southern constellations, in the quadrant of the red phoenix Suzaku)

Tlich: fuel production/supply; short tempers? "chichiri" (well)

Lamcoemec: hydroponics and protein vats; cheerful and optimistic. "tamahome" (ogre)

Duneucec: life-support intrastructure? musical talent? "nuriko" (willow)

Cotponic: nuclear weapons? generally produces scientists and engineers rather than artists. "hotohori" (star)

Lineucec: nuclear engineering/propulsion? Logical and practical. "chiriko" (net)

Larych: weapons/ordinance? "tasuki" (wings)

Beussaicec: supply/logistics management. "mitsukake" (chariot)

Comments

[qadgop.livejournal.com]

Obvious question: how are the novels, as novels? For an sf fan not utterly devoted to the source material but already familiar with it, would you say they are worth buying/reading?

[wombat1138.livejournal.com]

There's only the one novel out so far, the first volume of CotS; by comparison to the rather condensed CotS manga, it only covers two out of seven chapters. I don't recall offhand how closely the manga's allocation of narrative maps onto the CotS OVA, but the general arc is the same-- by way of introductory preface, Jinto's dad surrenders their planet to Abh dominion in exchange for noble status and Jinto gets sent offworld for his early education; the story proper begins when Lafiel scoops him up to join the fleet. This novel ends while they're stalled at a petty noble's asteroid belt, so they're not yet stuck on the later planet which iirc dreadfully bored you.

Is it worthwhile? I dunno, I guess it depends on how much more you want to learn about Abh society and culture. The OVAs seem to've been an extremely good adaptation, in that I don't think I'm picking up much added character/plot depth from the novel that hadn't already been clear in the anime. The anime is also easier to follow because the subtitles translated a lot of the Abh-language jargon into English-- does it really make a difference, culturally speaking, whether chopsticks are referred to as "grei" instead? How do you feel about wading through paragraphs like "To the outside observer, a Flasath lookeds like a single rotating particle. Noktaf and Skobrotaf described the direction of a Flasath's revolution. Every Sazoiirl needed to know that in order to enroll"?

(A "flasath" is a space-time bubble. "Noktaf" = "state of movement within Fath" and "skobrotaf" = "stopped state within Fath"; "fath" = plane-space. Yes, there's a glossary in the back. I wish they'd formatted the Abh words in italics instead of capitalizing them.)

Based on some of the discussions I saw on TokyoPop's site, the translator has English as a first language but also studied Japanese long enough to gain a very good degree of fluency; she also consulted with existing fansites about maintaining as much faithfulness to the original as possible, other than the phonetic transliterations. However, in some cases her English prose ends up being weirdly clunky; I'm not sure whether it's because she's trying to preserve a little bit too much from the original Japanese, or whether her independent choice of English diction just doesn't feel quite right-- there's a specific example that I can't find now, but if you remember the little mini-swords which the Abh ship captains wear at their belts, at one point the translator describes it as a "rod" or similar, where "baton" would've felt like a more English-idiomatic choice to me without being substantially different in meaning.

[qadgop.livejournal.com]

Hmm. Kinda doubt I'll pick it up, then; I'd frankly be more interested in Other Tales Of The Abh Universe! than I am in retreading the series I've already seen. I seem to recall the anime being spotty about which Abh speech it did or didn't bother to translate, which led to a certain amount of "What the heck is wrong with my machine? Is the DVD defective?" consternation here in the Qadgop household. But while I'm not especially interested in pursuing the linguistics further, I'd be quite up for, say, heavier exposition on Abh history, how the science works in manageable terms, and much more about who the other powers are (other than scheming Allied powers who don't realize the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere is good for them, of course).

Why not just "sword", ceremonial or not?