Translating into D&D Elvish

[Maelynn]

backstory = one of my players has recently given birth to a daughter, and she made the announcement in our party's WhatsApp group as if her newborn were an NPC that came to our setting's city to set up shop. I loved this and decided to make her an actual NPC: a shopkeeper who sells magic consumables like potions and scrolls.

Her father's last name is Wu, a Chinese surname that literally means 'gateway to heaven'. I want to give the NPC an Elvish variant of this name, but I'm stumped. Online translators I could find only translate bits or come up with weird garbled half-arsed attempts. Now, I don't even need the literal translation, I'm already content with whatever is the best approach to this existing last name. Is there anyone who could help me come up with a fitting surname that I could use?

tl;dr = I need to figure out the best possible (D&D) Elvish translation of 'gateway to heaven'. Please help.

[Anxe]

https://www.elfdict.com
This is a Tolkien dictionary, but I think it still works.
Heaven translates as Menel and gate translates as ando. So Menelando or Andomenel both seem like good options to me.

Further research indicates that in d&d the closest would be Surinya'oth. Surinya is the Elvish word for Celestial and oth is the word for gate.
https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/races/elf/lexicon.shtml
https://lingojam.com/CommontoElvish%28D%26D%29

[Particle_Man]

"Gatewaime ana menel" If you are a Tolkein fan.

3.5 might have "Freewing Goodlight" as an approximation of gateway to heaven, if you get allegorical about flying to the light at the end of the tunnel. Not sure what the D&D tranlation is.

Another page game me Sehanae for "Travel to" and Tharivae for "good light" if that helps.

[hymer]

It should be no problem picking up the pieces of the word: In Sindarin, 'fennas' means door or gate. 'Menel' means heaven, at least in the sense of 'sky'. Turning it into a name could add an ending like '-wen' (daughter, girl, or maid) or '-iel' (young woman or girl). Arrange them together, maybe drop a syllable: Elf name. :smallsmile:

And now you know why Sindarin names are sometimes so long. :smallwink:

[Maelynn]

"Gatewaime ana menel" If you are a Tolkein fan.

Oh, huge Tolkien fan here, which is why this particular result made me throw up my arms in despair and turn to the playground to write my plea here.

Menelando - nice find. I got stuck with Valinor (or valin-) for the heaven part - something like Valinorando (gate to the land of the gods). Technically menel is more the firmament, the sky, but I'm certainly not opposed to it, it sure sounds a lot better. Although I think I'd prefer the Sindarin version Menelannon.

Surinya'oth - I think 'Celestial Gate' is the closest approximation possible in the D&D setting without having to cram Arvandor in. I wonder if the name wouldn't be shortened to Surinyoth, but the more often I read that name the more it reminds me of a new type of Demon.

Right now I'm more inclined to go for the D&D version, simply because we're in a D&D setting and not a Tolkien one, but I do like Menelannon. Tough decision.

[Beleriphon]

Oh, huge Tolkien fan here, which is why this particular result made me throw up my arms in despair and turn to the playground to write my plea here.

Menelando - nice find. I got stuck with Valinor (or valin-) for the heaven part - something like Valinorando (gate to the land of the gods). Technically menel is more the firmament, the sky, but I'm certainly not opposed to it, it sure sounds a lot better. Although I think I'd prefer the Sindarin version Menelannon.

Surinya'oth - I think 'Celestial Gate' is the closest approximation possible in the D&D setting without having to cram Arvandor in. I wonder if the name wouldn't be shortened to Surinyoth, but the more often I read that name the more it reminds me of a new type of Demon.

Right now I'm more inclined to go for the D&D version, simply because we're in a D&D setting and not a Tolkien one, but I do like Menelannon. Tough decision.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Elven_dictionary

List of known words in Elvish from Forgotten Realms sources. This is probably as close as you'll manage as "official". None of the D&D designers were conlang nerds like Tolkien.

http://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Elven_dictionary

Alternative source. Officially used in D&D sources, plus some extrapolations using the sources for other words that are similar.