LBB: Polling the flist for a name

[delphipsmith]

Lucius has deerhounds, or maybe wolfhounds; we all know that, right?



And he's French -- he's got that certain je ne sai quoi, right? So I need a good name for a big French dog or two. And yes, I know, neither deerhounds nor wolfhounds are French, they're Scottish or Irish or something, but don't pester me with details. I looked at this list but it's giving me issues. The names that je comprends are dumb (Floffy? Floppi? Lucius would DIE of mortification) and I refuse to use a person's name (pas de Belle, pas de Sebastian) and I don't want to use a name je ne comprends pas (Fripouille? Guimauve? WTF?).

So somebody who knows French, or is French, or has French friends, help me out here: if you were French (or proud of your French heritage) and had a big deerhound (or wolfhound) or two, what would you call them?

Comments

[toblass.livejournal.com]

Ok, I've got two messages out to fb friends. One is living in Paris, the other translates for a living. We'll see what they say...

[delphipsmith]

Sweet! Thanks :)

[toblass.livejournal.com]

OMG...look at all that CHEEEEEEEESE!!!!!

*drools*

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Have you tried looking at some French dog breeds? Like the Grande Bleu De Gascoyne (I can see Lucius with these rather than the deerhounds like Champion Kilbourne Macleod who played Sirius, and his brothers Macbeth and Macdeva were on-set, so presumably Lucius' dogs in the pic.)

French dog names - try French literature - Dartagnan (on the pedigree I linked to) or what about the characters from Les Laisons Dangereuse? Valmont, Danceny, Merteuil, Tourvel.

[delphipsmith]

Ooh, good suggestions -- snarky French folk, an excellent fit :)

[aalia7.livejournal.com]

Probably completely unhelpful, but it's a fitting anecdote anyway. When I was very little, I remember going to tea with my parents' friends and they had two Afghan hounds called Foil and Épée. So maybe consider object names that just....sound better in French? :)

[delphipsmith]

LOL! Excellent :) Perhaps Jeté and Fouetté ?

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

I like the idea of giving the dogs historical first names, and if we think the Malfoys went back to the Norman conquest, some French Norman names include:

Beaufort
Durant
Lisle
Mortimer
Lovell/Lovella (means "wolf")
Reynaud/Reinald

Or if Lucius has a literary bent, you could name the dogs Crapaud and Grenouille, the two characters who discuss Quidditch in Malecrit's play, "Hélas, Je me suis Transfiguré Les Pieds" (Alas, I've Transfigured My Feet), as referenced in Quidditch Throughout the Ages.

[delphipsmith]

Oooh, a literary reference. But I'm pretty sure "crapaud" is "toad" and I'm not sure how Lucius would feel about that LOL! I like Beaufort and Reynaud. At this rate I may have to give him six of them just to use all the names I want...

[delphipsmith]

Ha!! Spouse just pointed out that "crapaud and grenouille" is in fact "frog and toad." ::giggles:: Maybe Neville's dogs...

[ennyousai.livejournal.com]

Robespierre and Danton!

(I don't think Lucius would name his dogs that, but I would.)

[delphipsmith]

À bas les aristos!!! Yeah, I'm pretty sure Lucius wouldn't do that :D But I would too.

[pokeystar.livejournal.com]

http://french.lovetoknow.com/Women_in_the_French_Revolution

Roland strikes me as an excellent name.

Or Gouges or Corday?

Hmmm....

If it were me, I'd name them Souffle and Omelet :-)

Ooooo Cassoulet! Mousse? Foie Gras? (This would be especially hilarious if le puppy likes to chase ducks). Confit? Baguette? Fondue?

[delphipsmith]

*snerk* "Here, Omelette! Here, boy!" But no: real men don't have dogs named Quiche... Corday I know, that's Charlotte Corday, yes? But what is Gouges?

[pokeystar.livejournal.com]

(from the link)

Olympe du Gouges

Olympe du Gouges was a political activist and playwright in late 18th century France. She challenged the status quo on women's place in society and as political tensions escalated she even published the "Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen". She was especially outspoken against slavery and other social injustices. She was imprisoned and, through the help of friends, continued to publish political pamphlets. She opposed capital punishment, but ironically, she was guillotined after three months in prison.

[delphipsmith]

Impressive resume! Alas, somehow I can't see Lucius choosing a name associated with social equality and the freeing of slaves (for slaves read house-elves). She and Hermione sound like they'd have a lot in common, though. SPEW, anyone?

"Pate au Choux! Sit!"

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Though not French, last year I named them Antonia and Drusus - a suitably classic pair, I thought. (Yes, I'd just been re-watching "I Claudius".

I'm assuming you're not after cutsey names like Nounou and Poupee. How about Margot and La Môle? (French queen and her lover)

[inamac.livejournal.com]

I wsa thinking of Latin names too - given that he called his son Draco (or was that one of the dogs? Dis Narcissa get confused?)

[delphipsmith]

Heh heh heh. I had a friend in college with a very unusual, but lovely, name. Turns out she was named after a friend's dog :) Latin, yes -- Voldemicanus, perhaps? Or maybe Vorator Mortis?

[delphipsmith]

Right, no cutesy names :) I hadn't thought of Latin, but yes, that could work ::ponders::