[Facts] Re: Samantha
in reply to a message by Retrospectre
Out of curiosity, I checked the names from those plays and found one exception to them using names inspired by ancient Greek or ancient Persian names - in the play "The Loyal Brother" (from 1682) about half of the characters' names are more or less accurate to 17th-century Persia. I've wondered why this particular play had more accurate names and found that it's based on a French book from 1676, "Tachmas, prince of Persia", though several names (along with the plot itself) were actually changed from the book version.
This is the book version, translated into English:
https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/handle/20.500.12024/A62415 (click Preview under the second file)
I used this article about the play to compare it with the book:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348204519_Thomas_Southerne's_Muslim_Settings_and_the_Politics_of_the_Succession_Crisis_A_Critical_Study_of_The_Loyal_Brother
As far as I can tell, the book version uses names accurate to those used in 17th-century Persia (with the exception of Begona, as this name seems to be based on Begum, a female title). Semanthe's counterpart is called Negara, for example. But the biggest surprise to me was that the name Sunamire actually came from the book, because I thought it was made up for the play. Now I'm wondering if it's also based on a genuine 17th-century Persian name.
This is the book version, translated into English:
https://ota.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/repository/xmlui/handle/20.500.12024/A62415 (click Preview under the second file)
I used this article about the play to compare it with the book:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/348204519_Thomas_Southerne's_Muslim_Settings_and_the_Politics_of_the_Succession_Crisis_A_Critical_Study_of_The_Loyal_Brother
As far as I can tell, the book version uses names accurate to those used in 17th-century Persia (with the exception of Begona, as this name seems to be based on Begum, a female title). Semanthe's counterpart is called Negara, for example. But the biggest surprise to me was that the name Sunamire actually came from the book, because I thought it was made up for the play. Now I'm wondering if it's also based on a genuine 17th-century Persian name.