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D20ragon
2018-02-15, 11:21 PM
That's it really. The setting I'm working on involves a forest that encompass much of a continent, and outside of silly gibberish words I'm running into trouble thinking of anything that hasn't been used a million times before. How many ways are there to say "big forest" after all. My plight may be unsolvable, and I may resign myself to "the great wood" or "vastwood" or "deepwood," "wildwood," "many many many many trees" etc. :smalltongue: If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them.

Mendicant
2018-02-15, 11:32 PM
Use a silly gibberish word. It'll work better and it'll stop sounding like gibberish after the first couple uses. Nobody blinks at "The Amazon" or "The Sahara" because those are just those places' names.

I like mutating words and placenames from foreign languages for this purpose. It gives me a way to develop a lot of coherent-sounding names without having to develop a whole conlang of my own.

D20ragon
2018-02-15, 11:50 PM
Yeah, it's getting to that point. I'll probably end up going that route.

Xuc Xac
2018-02-15, 11:50 PM
How many ways are there to say "big forest" after all.

Just off the top of my head:
Greatwood
Grosserwald
Grande Forêt
Gran Bosque
Magnasylvania
Nui Ka Nahele
Rừng Lớn

Honest Tiefling
2018-02-15, 11:56 PM
A place THAT big is going to have several names. I'd pick a lovely descriptive name from the list that the lovely Xuc Xac provided and one gibberish name. They can just be names from different cultures, or just two different names for the same place.

Keep in mind, names are often stupid. Sahara just means 'desert' and Amazon is because the guys attacking early European explorers reminded someone of the Amazonian tribes. My home state is named for a character in a novel for whatever reason. So if you want the name to stick, just give it a stupid name that sounds good and have the players discover the origin. That way they might even remember it!

Also, Aldweald. It's basically a basatardization of old english to mean 'Old woodlands' and might not be accurate, but...Close enough for players, amirite?

D20ragon
2018-02-16, 12:05 AM
Just off the top of my head:
Greatwood
Grosserwald
Grande Forêt
Gran Bosque
Magnasylvania
Nui Ka Nahele
Rừng Lớn


A place THAT big is going to have several names. I'd pick a lovely descriptive name from the list that the lovely Xuc Xac provided and one gibberish name. They can just be names from different cultures, or just two different names for the same place.

Keep in mind, names are often stupid. Sahara just means 'desert' and Amazon is because the guys attacking early European explorers reminded someone of the Amazonian tribes. My home state is named for a character in a novel for whatever reason. So if you want the name to stick, just give it a stupid name that sounds good and have the players discover the origin. That way they might even remember it!

Also, Aldweald. It's basically a basatardization of old english to mean 'Old woodlands' and might not be accurate, but...Close enough for players, amirite?

:smallbiggrin:

I think I'll do just that, many thanks for the push. I get easily bogged down on relatively small issues like this and end up wasting a ton of time that should be used further developing the actual project.

FreddyNoNose
2018-02-16, 12:48 AM
Forest Of Unusual Size? FOUS

The Glyphstone
2018-02-16, 12:50 AM
The Endless Green.

RedMage125
2018-02-16, 01:30 AM
The largest forest in my campaign world, inhabited by elves, and all manner of fey is The Sylvanwood. Feel free to take it, if you like.

Xuc Xac
2018-02-16, 01:38 AM
The largest forest in my campaign world, inhabited by elves, and all manner of fey is The Sylvanwood. Feel free to take it, if you like.

That should be "the Sylvanwoodwald Forest" just to pack on a few more layers of "forest" words. It's like Torpenhow Hill, which means Hillhillhill Hill because every new wave of immigrants pointed at it and said "what's that?" and the name got longer each time as they called it "X hill" in their language.

Lvl 2 Expert
2018-02-16, 02:01 AM
Everwoods.


Yeah, silly random name is probably better.

The moulgrap?


Would this even be seen as a single entity? Or is it just that normal for terrain to be forested in this world/region that there is no common word to describe "this continent except for a few mountain peaks and the parts we cleared around the edges?" Australia has "the bush" for roughly that function, so maybe something in that direction. It's just the woods.

D20ragon
2018-02-16, 02:21 AM
Everwoods.


Yeah, silly random name is probably better.

The moulgrap?


Would this even be seen as a single entity? Or is it just that normal for terrain to be forested in this world/region that there is no common word to describe "this continent except for a few mountain peaks and the parts we cleared around the edges?" Australia has "the bush" for roughly that function, so maybe something in that direction. It's just the woods.

I like the moulgrap :smallcool:

As far as the single entity thing, it’s subdivided into regions, but it still gets referred to collectively just because there’s nothing else really like it in this world. It’s unique to this particular area, and even within the continent, it’s the only forest, the rest being grassland, scrubland, and mountains. Combined with its size, that’s what makes it unique enough to become its own separate thing.

Kol Korran
2018-02-16, 02:26 AM
Another way would be to pick a certain common feature of it, and apply it. This could be color, sound, a sensation, and so on... You can also try and turn it tied a bit more to folklore/ myth/ legend...
Some basic examples:
- Red wood: The bark/ sunset gives the woods a redish look. You can alter it to Bloodwood/ Bledred...
- Whisperwood: The wind makes the leaves rustle as whispering. You can alter it to Mutterwood/ Hag crack/ The sussuruss and so on...
- Twisting wood: Both for the shape of the trunks/ branches/ bark, and for it's enourmeous size ans ease of getting lost. You can add lots of myth on that...
- You can name it after a major geographical feature in it- such as a river, a mountain, some magical phenomenon and more. In a campiagn I was planning I called a region The Serpentine Expanse due to the major river running through it (The Serpentine).

You can also base the name on some sensation/ perception/ experience. The name could have existed a loooonnng time, and different culture giving it their own interpertations/ meaning. You don't even need to explain/ decide now.
For example:
- The Hungering woods.
- The Serene.
- The changing. (Let the PCs figure that out!)
- The cold.
- The heart
- Lost wood (Why do they call it that, when it's right there?)
- The Hydra.
- Chimera.
- The Marching forest.
- The short.
- The pale.

And so on...

Rynjin
2018-02-16, 02:34 AM
I might just call it "The Forest".

"Dave went into the forest the other day-"

"Which forest?"

"THE forest ya git, it covers half the bloody continent!"

Something that big everyone knows what you're talking about. We got by just fine for thousands of years just calling whatever bit of water nearest us "the ocean" (or sea), and everyone knew what was up.

hymer
2018-02-16, 02:42 AM
I like the more generic suggestions thoughts and suggestions above. It makes sense. I'll add the suggestion 'The World Forest'.
Or you could pick up some old elements in English and call it Morefirth or Firthmore, meaning 'big forest', basically.

FabulousFizban
2018-02-16, 03:01 AM
Bigmclargehuge forest

honestly something that big would be divided up into regional names, like Germany. Germany used to be just one big forest, nobody gave the forest a name, it would have been pointless, they just specified the region within the forest that they lived in

Segev
2018-02-16, 11:59 AM
A forest that big probably wouldn't have a singular name, yeah. It's just how the land itself is. Until the European explorers came to North America and needed to name every stretch of land to report back what they'd found, the denizens of the Great Plains didn't call them anything. It's just what the land WAS.

There's also a huge difference in forests as climate changes, and as cultivation vs. uncultivated trees and grounds happen. The forests of North America are largely untamed, overrun with snarled hills, tangled roots, and tons of underbrush, not to mention trees that grow thick enough to make navigation difficult even on foot. I'm told that what they call "forests" in Europe are broad and flat with plenty of room to ride horses or even pull carriages through them. We'd barely call that a nice tree-dappled yard, here.

So having "tamed" forest areas named for the cities, counties, farmsteads, lumber yards, or what-have-you would make sense. Then they'd each have their own regional name for the untamed wild forest that is considered dangerous and/or nigh impassible. Some might just call the untamed part "the woods," others might have darker or more grandiose names like "the black forest" or "the wolf-lands" or "the darkwood" or "the wild."

2D8HP
2018-02-16, 02:56 PM
Endor?
.....

hymer
2018-02-16, 03:21 PM
Endor?[/COLOR]

Napalm! Break out the napalm! :smallfurious:

Honest Tiefling
2018-02-16, 03:59 PM
Napalm! Break out the napalm! :smallfurious:

But you'll need all of that for the Gungans!


A forest that big probably wouldn't have a singular name, yeah. It's just how the land itself is. Until the European explorers came to North America and needed to name every stretch of land to report back what they'd found, the denizens of the Great Plains didn't call them anything. It's just what the land WAS.

Uh...That's quite a few cultures you're lumping into one category. I'm pretty sure of all of the tribes that inhabited that area, someone gave it a name. I think the Ojibwe had a name for the place at the very least. I don't think you can have massive trade networks without at least naming places, else that would get confusing.


There's also a huge difference in forests as climate changes, and as cultivation vs. uncultivated trees and grounds happen. The forests of North America are largely untamed, overrun with snarled hills, tangled roots, and tons of underbrush, not to mention trees that grow thick enough to make navigation difficult even on foot. I'm told that what they call "forests" in Europe are broad and flat with plenty of room to ride horses or even pull carriages through them. We'd barely call that a nice tree-dappled yard, here.

Untamed in the sense that disease had wiped out some tribes before continuous European contact, maybe. But there is evidence that several different groups of Native Americans set forests on fire to encourage more resource-rich second growth or first growth environments. There are also signs of massive deforestation, and I think the Mississippian culture contributed to this given their massive wooden buildings.

Through, thinking of Europe, it's named for a lady who had kinky sex with Zeus. If you are really scrambling for names of the forest (or regions) tying it to myths that might be plot hooks or drive plot hooks could also work.

Segev
2018-02-16, 04:33 PM
Uh...That's quite a few cultures you're lumping into one category. I'm pretty sure of all of the tribes that inhabited that area, someone gave it a name. I think the Ojibwe had a name for the place at the very least. I don't think you can have massive trade networks without at least naming places, else that would get confusing.

I'm willing to bet the locals named regions within the Great Plains. Despite the unified name, there's a ton of variation across the geography. And the point wasn't "the European explorers" so much as "some foreign-to-the-land explorers" who happened to be determined to explore as MUCH land as possible and return with a report on it.

2D8HP
2018-02-16, 04:59 PM
I'm willing to bet the locals named regions within the Great Plains.....


Probably, but to english speakers in the 19th century much of it was known as
The Great American Desert (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_American_Desert).

Anyway, how about "the great forest" being known as:

The Forest Sauvage (http://kingarthurpendragon.wikia.com/wiki/Forest_Sauvage)?

Or maybe

The Taiga (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiga)?

comicshorse
2018-02-16, 05:27 PM
Garroting Deep

Honest Tiefling
2018-02-16, 06:29 PM
I'm willing to bet the locals named regions within the Great Plains. Despite the unified name, there's a ton of variation across the geography. And the point wasn't "the European explorers" so much as "some foreign-to-the-land explorers" who happened to be determined to explore as MUCH land as possible and return with a report on it.

Okay, I see your point. My mistake. However, the forest is NOT a natural feature, so I think there's the argument that creepy forest might get a name all to itself, through I think names for the regions will probably help the players mentally navigate the place, so that's a good point.

Chicago is named for wild onions/garlic (I don't really know which one), so what about naming bits after common or useful plants?

PopeLinus1
2018-02-16, 06:58 PM
The Wyverlèaf

Spitballing. It works.

Grek
2018-02-17, 12:41 AM
The Tree Sea, obviously.

Metahuman1
2018-02-17, 12:56 AM
Point of clarification: When you say Giant forest,


does it only mean it's a forest were in it just covers a stupidly large amount of land?

does it mean it's a forest were things are far more massive then they should be? (I.E., all the trees are notably bigger then normal, all the plants are notably bigger, all the animals are notably bigger, ext.)

or does it mean it's a forest that has both factors going for it?

Erik the Green
2018-02-17, 03:16 AM
That's it really. The setting I'm working on involves a forest that encompass much of a continent, and outside of silly gibberish words I'm running into trouble thinking of anything that hasn't been used a million times before. How many ways are there to say "big forest" after all. My plight may be unsolvable, and I may resign myself to "the great wood" or "vastwood" or "deepwood," "wildwood," "many many many many trees" etc. :smalltongue: If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them.

How about the Hundred Mile Forest? It's bigger than that, as you say, but it's called that because you can travel through it a hundred miles and never see the sky through the leaves or bare dirt/bedrock through the undergrowth. It's so huge and old and dense there are probably fires there the size of Texas (from time to time) that no one knows about except some druids whom no one in the civilized lands knows about either.

E

Or, if its' mostly in some general direction on your main continent, just have everybody call it the Great Western Forest or whatever, and everybody knows that's where orcs come out of to raid the civilized lands...

Florian
2018-02-17, 05:02 AM
honestly something that big would be divided up into regional names, like Germany. Germany used to be just one big forest, nobody gave the forest a name, it would have been pointless, they just specified the region within the forest that they lived in

Jepp. Things are named by their boundaries. The Alps are the Alps because they start and end somewhere. The big forest covering basically all of northern Europe doesn't. So only the parts with clear boundaries got names. Like, the forest in the kingdoms of Bavaria or Bohemia are called... drumroll... Bavarian Forest and Bohemian Forest. Forests below a certain size don't have names, what'd be the point of it?

LibraryOgre
2018-02-17, 10:50 AM
The Wald.

(Yeah, as others said, it's gonna have a lot of names, unless you've got an overculture that imposed a single name).

Honest Tiefling
2018-02-17, 02:15 PM
(Yeah, as others said, it's gonna have a lot of names, unless you've got an overculture that imposed a single name).

Maybe the forest itself imposes its own name. That could be creepy and/or silly, depending on how it is handled.

"Yeah, we call it the Great Wald, and you best be doing the same. Those who don't, dream of it. That is one place you don't want to visit in your dreams..."

hymer
2018-02-17, 03:08 PM
Maybe the forest itself imposes its own name. That could be creepy and/or silly, depending on how it is handled.

"Yeah, we call it the Great Wald, and you best be doing the same. Those who don't, dream of it. That is one place you don't want to visit in your dreams..."

I like that. Circle of Dreams just got an interesting campaign hook. Thank you!

D20ragon
2018-02-17, 04:29 PM
Maybe the forest itself imposes its own name. That could be creepy and/or silly, depending on how it is handled.

"Yeah, we call it the Great Wald, and you best be doing the same. Those who don't, dream of it. That is one place you don't want to visit in your dreams..."


I like that. Circle of Dreams just got an interesting campaign hook. Thank you!

That there is what we in the business call a damn fine idea.

2D8HP
2018-02-17, 11:36 PM
The "Witch Wood".

"Which wood"?

"Yes, precisely"

"But which is it"?

etc.

Lvl 2 Expert
2018-02-18, 03:52 AM
The "Witch Wood".

"Which wood"?

"Yes, precisely"

"But which is it"?

etc.

That one?

Shhh, not so loud, you'll wake him.

Who?

No, the dead one.

Who's on third base.

Beleriphon
2018-02-18, 09:38 AM
You call always go for not calling it a forest. The Great Leaf Sea might be an apt description, and thus name.

Segev
2018-02-18, 01:31 PM
However, the forest is NOT a natural feature, so I think there's the argument that creepy forest might get a name all to itself

The Creeping Woods might be a name for an unnatural and growing forest.

The Blightwood, perhaps.

LibraryOgre
2018-02-19, 11:16 AM
Maybe the forest itself imposes its own name. That could be creepy and/or silly, depending on how it is handled.

"Yeah, we call it the Great Wald, and you best be doing the same. Those who don't, dream of it. That is one place you don't want to visit in your dreams..."

Ohh, I like that. Makes Druids REALLY interesting.


You call always go for not calling it a forest. The Great Leaf Sea might be an apt description, and thus name.

"The Horrid Green"

othaero
2018-02-22, 01:53 AM
http://www.fantasynamegenerators.com/realm-names.php#.Wo5orqjwZhF I like to use this website when trying to come up with names. Pretty much has anything you would possibly need.

D+1
2018-02-22, 12:58 PM
Mother Green


...and her killing machine.

Oddcraft
2018-02-22, 11:02 PM
Oddwood.

There’s a pretty funny joke there too. But i’ll Wait till later to get banned.

jhonny
2018-02-23, 08:34 AM
The ubiquitous forest, The thousand years rain forest [fire should be suppressed here :smallsmile:)],

the Gaia gardens forest, the life bane forest (drains life every hour or days) ^^.

Segev
2018-02-23, 10:28 AM
The Goblin Wood might work, too.

Or the Gobbling Wood; the locals' accent makes it hard to be sure.

Yora
2018-02-23, 02:49 PM
I simply have to throw my hat into the ring with...

The Great Forest

Segev
2018-02-23, 03:06 PM
I simply have to throw my hat into the ring with...

The Great Forest

And several others scattered around called, "Those Other, Less Impressive Forests."

DeathChallenged
2018-02-23, 03:46 PM
Timber Trees. Now see if your players get paranoid if trees would fall on them. :smallbiggrin:

a_flemish_guy
2018-02-23, 07:43 PM
is this an already long inhabited area or a newly discovered one?

if it's the first then follow the other suggestions, if it's not then you could just follow the australian tradition (the australian dessert is called the great sandy dessert :smallbiggrin: )

ross
2018-02-26, 02:05 PM
Call it whatever you want, your players are just going to think of it as the forest, if they think about it at all

eru001
2018-02-26, 03:57 PM
Options

Funny:
The Elf Motel
New Treeland
Vertical Logsville
Motel Sticks (Not to be confused with the primary afterlife accomidation, Motel Styx)
The land of many ambushes

Human
The Imperial Forrest
The Kingswood
The (Insert Color) Forrest/wood
The (Insert Season) Forrest/wood
The Widewood
The Oldwood

Dwarven (Germanic)
Der Tannenwald (the forest of fir trees)
Der Tannenzpafenburg (the city of pinecones)
Der Kieferland (Pine tree land)
Der Baumstammplatz (Log place)
Der Dunkelwald (The Dark Forrest)
Der Kaltwald (Cold Forrest)
Der Altewald (The Old Forrest)

Orkish
DA BIG PLACE WOTS GOT ALL DEM TREE THINGIES

Elven
Our Forrest
Mine
Not Your Forrest Get Out
The Moonwood

Halfling/Hobbit
The Mushroom Woods
The Rabbitwood
The Tallwood

Small Child
The Hundred Acre Wood

Segev
2018-02-26, 04:21 PM
Options

Funny:
The Elf Motel
New Treeland
Vertical Logsville
Motel Sticks (Not to be confused with the primary afterlife accomidation, Motel Styx)
The land of many ambushes

Human
The Imperial Forrest
The Kingswood
The (Insert Color) Forrest/wood
The (Insert Season) Forrest/wood
The Widewood
The Oldwood

Dwarven (Germanic)
Der Tannenwald (the forest of fir trees)
Der Tannenzpafenburg (the city of pinecones)
Der Kieferland (Pine tree land)
Der Baumstammplatz (Log place)
Der Dunkelwald (The Dark Forrest)
Der Kaltwald (Cold Forrest)
Der Altewald (The Old Forrest)

Orkish
DA BIG PLACE WOTS GOT ALL DEM TREE THINGIES

Elven
Our Forrest
Mine
Not Your Forrest Get Out
The Moonwood

Halfling/Hobbit
The Mushroom Woods
The Rabbitwood
The Tallwood

Small Child
The Hundred Acre Wood

Exalted
The East