Reader responses to personal names in translation: evidence from character names in Slovene novellas

Abstract

This study reports the results of surveys of Slovene and English speakers’ responses to the sounds of fictional characters’ names. Responses were measured with two kinds of surveys – implicit and explicit – that gauged how readers reacted to the names of characters in Slovene rural novellas of the 19th and 20th centuries. The focus was on the initial sounds of names. The hypothesis was that certain sounds correlate with positive and negative names and that Slovene and English speakers would respond similarly to names of positive and negative fictional characters. If supported, the hypothesis justifies the practice of preserving personal names in translation. Evidence from the surveys showed that Slovene and English speakers’ responses to personal names were similar to a high degree.