# I need a name for a city of merpeople. Thoughts? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2010, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112 "2010-12-22T20:13:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/21 "2010-12-22T21:17:47Z")
You’re no fun anymore! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/22 "2010-12-22T21:19:57Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > You’re no fun anymore! 😉 :: sighing :: Fine. I have dispatched a company of the flying monkeys to pummel you with spitballs. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/23 "2010-12-22T21:23:13Z")
If it could be described as lying adjacent to (or in the vicinity of) the Nether-regions (Dis), you could get away with Paradis. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/24 "2010-12-22T21:29:14Z")
Seattle? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/25 "2010-12-22T21:41:15Z")
Colors are always good for this sort of thing. “Aquamarine” is obvious, but I also like “Azure”. Or how about “Tarshish”? It’s the biblical city (actual location unknown) that Jonah was running to before he got et by a whale, so you’ve got your marine allusions. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/26 "2010-12-22T21:43:53Z")
Wet. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/27 "2010-12-22T22:04:37Z")
Coralina ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/28 "2010-12-22T22:07:01Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Coralina Nothing could be finer. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/29 "2010-12-22T22:09:43Z")
Y’all can keep talking about it, but I have decided to go with Tethys, slightly modified. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/30 "2010-12-22T22:15:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Why not? Because not all intelligent species would tend towards living in cities. In the merfolk’s case, it’s because their environment would hinder that kind of development. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/31 "2010-12-22T22:22:27Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > Because not all intelligent species would tend towards living in cities. In the merfolk’s case, it’s because their environment would hinder that kind of development. It’s an inherently silly discussion, but those are my speciality, so I’ll respond. This is a work of _fiction_ I am writing _upon request_ as an Xmas present. It’s about the requestor’s fantasy visit to the city of the merpeople, set ina world I’ve written about before. The basic conceits imply either magic or a world with different physical laws than the real one. I don’t see why you’d expect sociology to work the same when physics clearly doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/32 "2010-12-22T22:32:02Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Or how about “Tarshish”? It’s the biblical city (actual location unknown) that Jonah was running to before he got et by a whale, so you’ve got your marine allusions. “Tarsis” is a pretty major city in the Dragonlance world, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/33 "2010-12-22T22:32:11Z")
Do the mermen (and merwomen) speak English? Or do they speak a foreign language in the story? This is an important distinction. If they speak English then they could call it something like Wateria, Oceana, Oceania. If they speak Mermish then they could call it Loubalouhoop or whatever makes sense in their local language. Or you can call it Atlanta! /futurama ---
**Author:** ![Peeta\_Mellark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Peeta\_Mellark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peeta_Mellark)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/34 "2010-12-22T22:49:38Z")
I like Nereidia. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/35 "2010-12-22T22:53:37Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Do the mermen (and merwomen) speak English? Or do they speak a foreign language in the story? This is an important distinction. If they speak English then they could call it something like Wateria, Oceana, Oceania. If they speak Mermish then they could call it Loubalouhoop or whatever makes sense in their local language. > > Or you can call it Atlanta! /futurama By the previously established rules of this universe, the fantasy characters have their own languages. When speaking with persons who speak a foreign language they use a translating device which is programmed to ignore certain words, proper names among them. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/36 "2010-12-22T22:54:28Z")
How about Noctiluca? It’s a genera of oceanic algae, some species of which, at least, are bioluminescent when disturbed. Perhaps the town can use them as a light source. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/37 "2010-12-22T23:10:43Z")
Kyanos. Looking up Homer + wine-dark, I discovered that this was the Greek ( then ) for blue. ‘_A long, long sigh For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden, And the gleam of her golden hair._’… _sigh_ No-one reads Arnold anymore… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/38 "2010-12-22T23:23:53Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Kyanos. > > Looking up Homer + wine-dark, I discovered that this was the Greek ( then ) for blue. > ‘_A long, long sigh > For the cold strange eyes of a little Mermaiden, > And the gleam of her golden hair._’… > > _sigh_ No-one reads Arnold anymore… Will you feel better if I recite “Dover Beach” from memory? Never mind. On the one hand, you’d know you have a fellow Dover fan. On the other hand, it’s freaking “Dover Beach,” what with the image of ignorant armies clashing and all. And you know that girl left him the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/39 "2010-12-22T23:46:45Z")
Depending on their political philosophy, you may want to consider the name Rapture. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2010, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112/40 "2010-12-22T23:53:04Z")
I like the idea of something with “Nauti-” in the name just because it’s a good watery prefix. Or Algaeria (don’t kill me!) 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-need-a-name-for-a-city-of-merpeople-thoughts/565112.md?page=3)