The name "Xi"

[Merkuri]

In sticking with the Chinese/Mandarin theme:...

Good start. I'll have to mull some of those over. Note that the name need not be Asian (though they do seem to have a lot of one-sylable names to borrow).

 

[David Howery]

first name Xi. Last name 'who must not be named'?

 

[Richards]

I've always pronounced "XI" as "eleven."

Johnathan

 

[Crothian]

As players we would poke fun a bit at the name until we came in conflict with the natyion and then we'd be saying "Xi beat the Xit out of us!"

 

[NewJeffCT]

Good start. I'll have to mull some of those over. Note that the name need not be Asian (though they do seem to have a lot of one-sylable names to borrow).

I believe all Chinese last names are one syllable, and there's like 1.3 billion people... so, that gives you a lot of choices.
Mao Zedong
Deng Xiaoping
Jiang Zemin (pronounced "Jahng")
Hu Jintao
Yao Ming
Zhang Ziyi or Zhang Yimou
Chow-Yun Fat
Jacky Chan
Chen Kaige
and, of course, Bruce Lee

 

[kitsune9]

of course you can turn the game around and find out what the words for rediculous goofballs is in chinese and call the lost civilization that instead.

By the way, when is the new years? today?

Spring Festival (as the Chinese call it) was Thursday. If you guys get a chance, go to China during Spring Festival. It's truly an awesome experience.

 

[NewJeffCT]

and, a Happy Year of the Rabbit to everybody. Xin Nean Quai Le, Gong Xi Fa Cai

 

[Flatus Maximus]

...
Hu Jintao

I've trained my dogs to think "Jintao" means "crapped on the floor," not for any particular reason, mind you...just because I can.

"Hu Jintao? Huh? Answer me: Hu Jintao?"

 

[Asmor]

I'd pronounce it "gZee", but that's not really relevant.

I'm not familiar with the "that's what she/Xi said" reference so I don't think it would be an issue in my game.

I've heard on your side of the pond, the equivalent term is, "as the actress said to the bishop."

It's just something you interject after anything with a potentially-sexual double entendre. e.g.

"It's too small!"
"That's what she said!"

 

[Haltherrion]

This is one of the things I was worried about. The in game reason is that this was a culture that inhabited the continent long before the current populace, and it's only known of through their ancient writings (which are magic-resistant and hard to translate), artifacts, and ruins. It's very different from every culture that lives there now.

Would that be a good enough reason?

Yes that could work, especially if you established at some point that the pronounciations associated with the alphabet (or just that race's conventions around the use of the letter X which is an oddbal letter, after all) is different from present.

It could actually be interesting if they first learn of the race from inscriptions and then later find someone who pronounces it the proper, old way.

The similarity to a common pronoun might cause some giggles. My 12 year old might not be able to get past that but hopefully your group is more mature