What does the name Setsuna mean?
Michael Lo
were in video games: Setsuna Mudo of Angel Sanctuary, he's the
current incarnation of an almost godlike angel; Setsuna of
Psychic Force 2, he's the master of darkness and Guardian
Angel Setsuna of Evil Zone/Eretzvaju-a 14 yr old schoolgirl
who is possessed by the spirit of a powerful being and defends
the earth from the forces of evil. It may coincidental but
it seems that there's an undercurrent of being a celestial being
with the name Setsuna, rather akin to how the movie X states
that the name Kamui means God's power. What does Setsuna mean?
Andy00
"I have been a word in a book."
The Song of Taliesin
"If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that
fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and
heartbeats."
Richard Bach -- "Illusions"
Dave Menard
"Michael Lo" wrote:
>What does Setsuna mean?
According to the Sailor Moon Sourcebook and RPG, the name "Setsuna", or
rather, the kanji letters that *spell* Setsuna, mean "Instant" or
"Momentary". i.e., Setsuna Meiou (Sailor Pluto) means Momentary Dark King
(Mei=Dark, Oh=King), a reference to both the Pluto of Grewco-Roman myth and
her powers over time.
Further researches, via the Random House Japanese-English Dictionary (1997
edition) compiled by Seigo Nakao, Reveal that "Instant" and "Momentary"
share one of the same kanjii characters (the Chinese syllabary adopted by
the Japanese ), the kanjii for "na", but no other kanjii in common. Going at
it from the other direction (Looking up Setsuna or any homonyms in
Japanese), I find two kanjii that read as "Setsu". The first, meaning either
an occasion or season, or a grammatical clause or paragraph, or the second,
which means theory or opinion. "Na", in speech, is an interrogative particle
used in male speech, equivalent to "Ne", as in "kawaii, ne?" in female
speech. "Na" can also mean "name" or "fame", or as a negatory suffix,
meaning "don't" or "do not" as in "Miruna", or Don't look (at him/her/it).
(Miru=Look at, na=don't).
Much of the punnish nature of anime/manga names often comes from the various
ways in which the kanji can be read, but that requires you be aware of what
kanjii are being used in the spelling of the name. For instance, the name
Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed of the characters that mean
wild/chaos and horse. However, an alternate spelling is with the characters
that spell "orchid" and "momentary/instant"(Yes, the kanjii that means
momentary can be pronounced "ma" or "na"). So Ranma, which in fanfics is
almost universally understood immediately to mean "Wild Horse", could also
be understood to mean "Instant Orchid". Obviously, there are puns at work
here. What my point is, is that no one, not even a native Japanese speaker
who knows every kanjii character back to front would know which meaning
would be appropriate unless they saw the name written down. A major bugaboo
of mine in many a Ranma fic is the immediate comprehension of every
character's "correct" kanjii meaning, just from hearing the name spoken
aloud. Off the top of my head, I can think of only one fanfic where this
alternate meaning was used as a plot point- "Genma's Daughter", by Deborah
Goldsmith.
Too much information? Perhaps. Helpful? I hope it was.
--
Dave Menard
Hack-At-Large
Art-Slave-In-Training
D-Chance.
Susan.
D-Chance.
Manbow Papa
news:ba8737e4.02090...@posting.google.com...
<snip>
> What does Setsuna mean?
My Japanese dictionary says:
<Setsuna [sanscrit: ksana] extremely short period of time.
Instant. originally, in India, it was the smallest unit of time
in which a piece of consciousness moves.>
In contemporary Japanese sentence, setsuna is used almost
exclusively in an ideom "sono setsuna" (at the moment
-something happens-) or as an adjective "setsunateki"
that means 'momentary' especially for short time pleasure.
--
/ Ishikawa Kazuo /
(Remove NoS for E-mailing)
Michael Lo
"Dave Menard" <menard...@SPAMrogers.com> wrote in message news:<yvhe9.183516$8aG1....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>...
Jeanne
<yvhe9.183516$8aG1....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>,
"Dave Menard" <menard...@SPAMrogers.com> wrote:
> For instance, the name Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed
> of the characters that mean wild/chaos and horse. However, an
> alternate spelling is with the characters that spell "orchid" and
> "momentary/instant"(Yes, the kanjii that means momentary can be
> pronounced "ma" or "na")
So you're saying that for the sounds ran and ma, there is more than one
way to spell it because there are characters that you also prounce ran
and ma that have different meanings?
From what you said, ran can mean wild and ma can mean instant so can
ranma also mean wild instant or are only combinations of characters
allowed?
I don't speak Japanese and have never had the opportunity to take a
class so I really know nothing about the language. Sorry if my questions
are a bit goofy or stupid.
> Too much information? Perhaps. Helpful? I hope it was.
I sure learned a lot. Thanks for sharing it.
--
Jeanne's Legacy <http://moonwarrior.livejournal.com>
Warrior Monk of the PKM <http://pkm.puddleby.info>
Catenae member & webmaster <http://catenae.puddleby.info>
ThoomCare reporter & chainer <http://www.thoomcare.com>
Fish Eye no Miko
news:unjofmj...@corp.supernews.com...
> > What does Setsuna mean?
>
> Susan.
And here I thought it was Trista...
Catherine Johnson.
--
dis "able" to reply
"Oh, he makes me so mad! The horrible puny-brained meat child, with his
little glasses, and his... head! 'My name is Dib, with my pointy hair!'
Pointy hair! 'I eat food and have stuff!'."
-Zim, during one of his funnier rants, _Invader Zim_.
Basara
"Manbow Papa" <kis...@NoSparkcity.ne.jp> wrote in message
news:ald4cq$12eg$1...@news.parkcity.ne.jp...
> "Michael Lo" <Iwillnev...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:ba8737e4.02090...@posting.google.com...
> <snip>
> > What does Setsuna mean?
>
> My Japanese dictionary says:
> <Setsuna [sanscrit: ksana] extremely short period of time.
> Instant. originally, in India, it was the smallest unit of time
> in which a piece of consciousness moves.>
>
same Indo-European root as the Latin word that we get the term "second" (as
a time unit) from, if the Romans or Greeks didn't actually borrow it from
ancient India itself, via Babylonia, Sumeria, or Alexander's conquests.
Somewhat appropriate/ironic for Sailor Pluto...
Robert Hutchinson
> D-Chance. wrote ...
>
> > > What does Setsuna mean?
> >
> > Susan.
>
> And here I thought it was Trista...
Quite a few people seem to think it means Mamoru.
--
Robert Hutchinson | "[Destiny's Child] got booed at the NBA
| playoffs. Even men in plush animal costumes
| don't get booed at the NBA playoffs."
| -- Fametracker.com
kesi...@math.ttu.edu
: rather, the kanji letters that *spell* Setsuna, mean "Instant" or
^^^^^
: share one of the same kanjii characters (the Chinese syllabary adopted by
^^^^^^
: the Japanese ), the kanjii for "na", but no other kanjii in common. Going at
^^^^^^ ^^^^^^
: Japanese), I find two kanjii that read as "Setsu". The first, meaning either
^^^^^^
: ways in which the kanji can be read, but that requires you be aware of what
^^^^^
: kanjii are being used in the spelling of the name. For instance, the name
^^^^^^
: Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed of the characters that mean
^^^^^^
: that spell "orchid" and "momentary/instant"(Yes, the kanjii that means
^^^^^^
: who knows every kanjii character back to front would know which meaning
^^^^^^
: character's "correct" kanjii meaning, just from hearing the name spoken
^^^^^^
Make up your damn mind.
And what's with that extra ``i'' anyway? Are you also responsible for
places like the Olde Towne Shoppe?
==Jake
Kaitou Juliet
> For instance, the name
> Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed of the characters that mean
> wild/chaos and horse. However, an alternate spelling is with the characters
> that spell "orchid" and "momentary/instant"(Yes, the kanjii that means
> momentary can be pronounced "ma" or "na"). So Ranma, which in fanfics is
> almost universally understood immediately to mean "Wild Horse", could also
> be understood to mean "Instant Orchid". Obviously, there are puns at work
> here.
Takahashi seems fond of the "Chaos/Orchid" pun, since she used it with
the character of Ran in UY also.
For those who haven't seen UY, Ran is an expert manipulator who really
knows how to turn on the kawaii-blushing-innocent-helpless act to get
men to do what she wants. But she's also capable of being a real
harridan and will hold grudges for literally decades over some real or
imagined slight.
Juliet
Dave Menard
"Jeanne" <jea...@puddleby.info> wrote in message
news:_Ose9.13775$6i4.1...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> In article
> <yvhe9.183516$8aG1....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>,
> "Dave Menard" <menard...@SPAMrogers.com> wrote:
>
> > For instance, the name Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed
> > of the characters that mean wild/chaos and horse. However, an
> > alternate spelling is with the characters that spell "orchid" and
> > "momentary/instant"(Yes, the kanjii that means momentary can be
> > pronounced "ma" or "na")
>
> So you're saying that for the sounds ran and ma, there is more than one
> way to spell it because there are characters that you also prounce ran
> and ma that have different meanings?
Got it in one.
> From what you said, ran can mean wild and ma can mean instant so can
> ranma also mean wild instant or are only combinations of characters
> allowed?
It can't really mean "Wild Instant", since that would be "Ranran". If you're
making a joke or pun name, any combination of kanji would be right. (kanji
are the intricate, Chinese characters the Japanese adopted from the Chinese,
as opposed to Katakana and Hiragana, which are the two "native" Japanese
alphabets- the Ranma in the standard Japanese Ranma 1/2 logo is in Hiragana-
"Ra"-"N"-"Ma") But you could, with the right combination of kanji, make the
name mean "Wild Orchid," which is kinda pretty. Or "Instant Horse", which
sounds more like a bad Hollywood Native American name, than anything else...
> I don't speak Japanese and have never had the opportunity to take a
> class so I really know nothing about the language. Sorry if my questions
> are a bit goofy or stupid.
Not goofy, or stupid. You don't have to know Japanese to enjoy anime, but it
helps.
> > Too much information? Perhaps. Helpful? I hope it was.
>
> I sure learned a lot. Thanks for sharing it.
You're welcome- I'm glad it was of use to someone.
--
Dave Menard
Hack-At-Large
Art-Slave-In-Training
Real Conversation Overheard at Party:
"Say, have you seen the Utena movie?"
"Yeah, I watched a digisub of it, I didn't enjoy it, 'cause Katherine kept
trying to make it into this big ol' gay thing..."
"Uhh... Maybe because it IS?"
mechdan
"Dave Menard" <menard...@SPAMrogers.com> wrote in message
>"Jeanne" <jea...@puddleby.info> wrote in message
>news:_Ose9.13775$6i4.1...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
>>In article
>><yvhe9.183516$8aG1....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>,
>> "Dave Menard" <menard...@SPAMrogers.com> wrote:
>>>For instance, the name Ranma, using one kanjii spelling, is composed
>>>of the characters that mean wild/chaos and horse.
And of course, this is how his name is spelled (when refering
to male Ranma).
>>From what you said, ran can mean wild and ma can mean instant so can
>>ranma also mean wild instant or are only combinations of characters
>>allowed?
>It can't really mean "Wild Instant", since that would be "Ranran". If
you're
>making a joke or pun name, any combination of kanji would be right. (kanji
>are the intricate, Chinese characters the Japanese adopted from the
Chinese,
>as opposed to Katakana and Hiragana, which are the two "native" Japanese
>alphabets- the Ranma in the standard Japanese Ranma 1/2 logo is in
Hiragana-
>"Ra"-"N"-"Ma")
The title name, Ranma in hiragana, is female Ranma's name.
This distinction is lost when spoken, of course, but it's there in
the original manga version.
Isaac Kuo