We’re still in the month of Names, which Edally is good for.  But I’m going to do something a little different.

A couple years back, I turned several of my friends’ and readers’ names into their Calenyen versions, but Eseme was offline during that era.

She chose a colorful bird, so here we go.

A noun isn’t going start with an E in Calenyen; not unless it’s one of those that are Beyond the definition of Use — the sky, the sea, the mountains, the moon, the sun.

Now, a word coined first in Calenyen wouldn’t start with the se- sound, either.

But one that they stole from another language, that might.

In terms of vowel sounds, Calenyen does not a long a, so we’ll have to get as close as possible.

Edited to add: Calenyen does TOO have a short E.  Here’s the new version:

So: Zemai is the closest I can get. Or Zezemai.

I like Zezemai better, to be told.

Let’s see.  Esemay, Bitrani word coming for their word for loud.  It’s a bird with a sweet song, brightly-colored plumage (even the females are more bright than is normal for birds), and an elaborate topknot-like arrangement of head feathers.

The Calenyena like this bird.  Ziezamai, they call it, and it’s their word for the best of brightly colored fashion as well.

If this was being used as a name, it would probably be Ziezamaizai.