DB Multiverse

Latin adaptation of Names

by the Latin version translator: Unochepassava

As some of you may know, the Latin language divides names into declensions. A declension is the inflection of nouns, pronouns and adjectives to indicate their number (singular or plural), their gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) and their role (subject, object or complements).

While I was translating, I wondered how I could make characters' names (which don't have an actual translation) fit properly in every sentence. At the beginning I thought I would deal with them by using them as "inflexibles", which means that they would keep the same form whatever their role is.

But then I realized that some of them were so recurrent that many sentences would get quite twisted and difficult to understand without specifying any role of those names.

So I decided to add declensions to the characters' names in order to make sentences clearer and more understandable.

You need to know that Latin has five declension, and each of them has its own "thematic vowel" (a vowel that stands between the stem of a noun and the endings of a declension):

1st declension > A

2nd declension > O

3rd declension > I (E), none

4th declension > U

5th declension > E

Knowing this, these below are the "rules" I followed to adapt those words:

Every name ending in "-a" (Ex. Vegeta, Varga, Bulma, etc.) is considered as belonging to the 1st declension.

Every name ending in "-o" (Ex. Piccolo, Kakarotto, Vegetto, etc.) is considered as belonging to the 2nd declension.

Every name ending in "-is, -es or consonant" (Ex, Gohan, Nail, etc.) is considered as belonging to the 3rd declension.

Every name ending in "-u" (Ex. Son Goku, Majin Buu, Ginyu, etc.) is considered as belonging to the 1st declension while keeping a ‘u’ in their stem (Ex. Gokuus- Gokui-etc.).

Some names that appear only once or twice are left non-flected.

I also had to slightly modify some names in order to adapt them to Latin language:

Broly > Brolis

Trunks > Trunx

Raditz > Radis

Gotenks > Gotenx

Raichi > Raichis

Jeece > Jeecis

Babidi > Babis

Some others less important

One last note about the adaptation of "Cell".

In DB, there are some names that would have an actual translation (Freezer, Cooler, Cold, Piccolo, etc.) but they are just names, so I left them as they were. The only one used for his real meaning is Cell (as explainde above). So I decided to adapt his name with the Latin word that stands for cell: Cellula!