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Old 2009-06-16, 11:52   Link #122
Vexx
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
*Author
 
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
What we know for a fact is that her name is identical to the ancient Ainu word for "wolf" (link already provided) ... its one hell of a coincidence if there isn't an intentional connection. Ainu words *are* written in katakana and its spelled both in the light novels and in the Ainu dictionaries using the same characters: ホロ

An additional problem is that there's no European given name that approximates her name.

Basically, the counter-argument you're using seems to be "we don't know for sure unless the author explains how he developed her name" - which is something I have to concede and why it'll never be utterly certain until then. But authors don't just pull their names out of the air - they design them to connect to the character.

Side note, Japanese look at alphabetical letters with an eye to their 'elegance' or 'coolness' factor which sometimes drives their choices more strongly than standards or accuracy. I've been told by a couple of correspondents that "L" simply looks nicer than "R" to their eye.

Hey, if it turns out I'm wrong I'll fold ... its just that so far the weight of the evidence seems to point to "Horo" more than "Holo". Either way, I'll pronounce it exactly the same
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Last edited by Vexx; 2009-06-16 at 12:12.
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