: Re: How do I create a good naming system for the magic system in my Fantasy novel? So there is a magic system in my novel, and I'm struggling to give each power its own name. Each power is

@Welton431

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Let the characters in the story decide what to name magical things. Here's a process that I've used for naming magical things. Maybe you will find it useful too.

Consider word origin.

Research the etymology of normal words that could be used to describe the magic. I've used Wiktionary for this.
Create new terms or hybrid terms based on different components in the origin of those normal words. Consider having some terms that are technical and others that are slang.

Apply environmental aspects.

Use the new terms or hybrid terms from step 1, and then think about the world and time era that the magic is used within. Is it futuristic outer space, fantasy realm, medieval castles, present day suburbs? Look for terms that are more appropriate for the place and time.
Create new terms that add in elements of the place and time. I've written down word-pairs for this to see how things may come together.

Listen to how it's used in conversation.

Write a few situational paragraphs where the people or creatures in the story are talking about the magic, using the magic, and being affected by the magic.
Consider its legacy. Maybe the magic has been around for a long time and there are faerie tales that were told to the children about the magic. As your characters start to talk about the magic, they'll probably use some colloquial terms for the magic. Those terms may be something from step 1 or step 2, but maybe they'll call it something else so their child will relate to it during the bedtime story.
Consider context. How may one character secretly talk about the magic to another character? Is the magic common or rare? Maybe a regular word like "lift" would be the term that everyone uses for magical levitation, because the it's used in context so it's clear what is implied. Many normal words are used to imply a similar action based on context, such as using the term drive in the context of vehicles or in the context of pc hardware or in the context of getting tasks done.

In my experience, the characters know what to call it based on the magic's history and usage --so everyone is familiar with what they're talking about.

I think that a scientific method to come up with magic terminology can only take you so far --maybe providing good inspiration --but in the end, it seems that testing new terminology through contextual writing may work the best for me.

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