https://www.reddit.com/r/ainu/comments/1fzgoow/writer_question_traditional_ainu_names/
created by TheAtomicDonkey on 09/10/2024 at 01:56 UTC
6 upvotes, 2 top-level comments (showing 2)
Hello r/Ainu!
So, I'm a writer, predominantly of mystery/crime fiction. I'm currently working on an alternate history short story set in northern Japan, during the late Edo period. I'm planning on including a few Ainu characters, and I'd like to give them period-correct names. And therein lies my problem... I've been able to find a handful of name lists online, but most of them seem of dubious provenance. In short, I'm not really too sure how accurate they are.
All that being said, does anyone know a repository of historical Ainu names that I can access? Or, conversely, can anyone here 'vouch' for the names listed on sites such as this [1]or this[2]?
1: https://www.behindthename.com/submit/names/usage/ainu
2: https://name-archive.fandom.com/wiki/Ainu_names
Thanks in advance! I've become very intrigued by the history of the Ainu people, and, while my story is admittedly *not* particularly accurate, I'd *like* to try and at least be as accurate as possible.
If you'd like to vet me, and my writing, feel free to check out my website: SBWatson.com
Comment by Kiki-Y at 09/10/2024 at 02:10 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
On the server, we have people that read/speak Japanese and are *actually based in Japan* and have worked *directly* with the Ainu community and/or have contacts there. I'm not sure how much they frequent reddit, let alone this subreddit. They are not necessarily ethnically Ainu, but they are *very* knowledgeable.
Comment by Kiki-Y at 09/10/2024 at 02:08 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I recognise some of the kamuy names as legitimate (I've read Ainu Creed and Cult at least 3-4 times) but I'm not sure about the others.
For the best English-language list of Ainu words, Rev Batechelor's dictionary[1] is your best option. It's outdated, it's not the best, but if you are restricted entirely to English, it's one of the better resources for the Ainu language in English.
1: https://archive.org/details/anainuenglishja00batcgoog
However, I've not run across any English-language materials that truly explain how traditional Ainu naming worked. It's probably better to ask this in the subreddit's server than on the subreddit directly. On just reddit.com, you can go to the subreddit's main page and it'll be in the sidebar. On new.reddit.com, it'll be at the top of the subreddit's main page. On old reddit, you won't find the link at all.