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For a thing I'm basically fleshing out a wuxia style martial sect. Just trying to name a few things and people. I'm doing all the research I can, but it really takes someone who is familiar with the language to tell whether it just sounds awkward and makes no sense, or if I've stumbled upon an unfortunate pun or reference.

MíngYì Sect 明义- the sect in question

JiànShè 建設- department in the sect, basically logistics

People:

Family name: Mò莫 Given Name:SuìBăi碎柏 I care less about this name being awkward as she was given it casually (ex:I know Băi is usually masculine). Mò is because she has no family or background, and for the rest she was being specifically compared to a tree that had been badly damaged but still had new leaves

Family Name: Shǐ史 Given Name: ĀnLán安岚 Courtesy Name: JūnNíng军寧 A person of high stature in the sect, all the references to peaceful being in direct opposition to his actual personality

Name: Elder HuáLù 滑逯 No family name for a reason. Gave to himself, supposed to be descriptive

Family Name: Yǒng永 Given Name: Yù玉 Courtesy Name: LínJīng琳精 Rich kid from powerful family

Family Name: Hé河 Courtesy Name: DòngChéng栋诚 Head of the sect, elder therefore his given name never really gets used

Family Name: Liǔ柳 Given Name: ShēnShuǐ深水 Courtesy Name: LiánZhàn㢘湛 Direct desciple of the above, so good standing

Family Name: Chén陳 Given Name: Cǎo草 Courtesy Name: Xuē薛 Relatively low ranking person in management position

Family Name: Huáng黄 Given Name: XíXū習胥 Courtesy Name: Low ranking person, the assistant of the above

Family Name: Jū居 Given Name: LéiZhū雷諸 Courtesy Name: Commern person of no particular rank

Family Name: Wàn萬 Given Name: WèiJiū衛鬮 Courtesy Name: HuáiYì 懷義 Given name was meant to help bring him luck

I've done my best but I'd appreciate someone pointing off anything that just seems off and suggestions.

(I realize my formatting of the names are off from the standard, right now I just have them written this way for reference. In the actual writing Mò SuìBăi will be Mo Suibai.)

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  • I am not suggesting you change all the names, but my comment is that, after reading close to 50 odd Chinese martial arts novels, (some running to many volumes), the rationale in the naming of characters is to use nicknames which are both "colorful" and descriptive of a particular character. The name is enough to tell you all about the character of the character. In cowboy novels, you'll have "Fast-draw Mike", etc, and the native Americans have equally striking names, like, "Sitting Bull", etc. So too some of your characters should bear such names, with Chinese characteristics of course. Jul 1, 2021 at 2:57
  • Maybe you need to consider about the "Courtesy Name" should be relate to the Given Name
    – Tyr
    Jul 22, 2021 at 9:27

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MíngYì Sect 明义

A martial art sect is 一個武術門派, the name has to include 門 or 派 or other indicating word to identify it as a martial art sect

We don't just call Shaolin as 少林 when we are referring to the Shaolin martial art sect (not including the Buddhism element). We call it 少林派, so you have to call it 明义門(usually a small sect), 明义派(usually a large sect that has a long history) or even 明义教 (a cult having its own unique style of martial art)

JiànShè 建設- department in the sect, basically logistics

A department is typically called 部, but 建設部 sounds very commercial. I suggest 後勤 or 後勤部 for the logistics department

  • 莫碎柏 sounds like a transliteration from a foreign name. Base on the description, I suggest 莫殘松 /Mò cán sōng/ which sounds very poetic

  • 滑逯 doesn't sound like a name, I have never heard of any name that contains the character 滑, if it is descriptive, 游逯/Yóu lù/ would fit

  • I have never heard of the 河 family name. Consider change 河栋诚 to 何栋诚

  • I have never heard of a family name 居, and 雷諸 sound unnatural, I suggest you pick a different surname and change the given name to 諸雷

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  • And I think to use some word like "松", "柏", "常", "青" would be a very WuXia style
    – Tyr
    Jul 22, 2021 at 9:25

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