Nomenclature help

[ritaxis]

Okay, so there's a nation and a nationality and a language in this fictional fantasy which I've called Alman. They're on the other side of the war.

Does the sound of this name evoke a real-world nation and nationality and language?  Does it cause you to expect certain historical events, or influences, or national character?  Would you think that these Almans are supposed to correspond to something in the real world, even if I said very strongly that they didn't?

Should I change the name to something else ?

It would be a massive search and replace project, but I'm suddenly worried that I might be seen to be saying something I don't mean to say.

My son says it's not an issue, but he doesn't speak French.

Comments

[heleninwales.livejournal.com]

If they were obviously non-European and the setting and plot bore no resemblance to events in Europe in the 20th century, then "Alman" would be fine. But as I think this novel has very strong echoes of the World Wars and the Alman are the Other Side, it's almost identical to "Yr Almaen", which is "Germany" in Welsh. More importantly -- because I doubt you will get many Welsh speakers reading it! -- I think enough Brits will retain enough French from school (or from the Eurovision Song Contest) to recognise it from Allmagne.