A guest post by Heidi C. Vlach
In our modern Earth lives, we have words for concepts that we don't actually consider to exist. Stuff like dragons, magic and demons. Those familiar words can make us feel like we already understand things we've never seen.
But sometimes a fantasy writer wants to create something new -- an animal, a metal, a scholarly subject, a type of energy. That new thing will need a name. And, of course, the new name should sound believable. When fantasy nomenclature sounds like some goofy word an author made it up, it can ruin a reader's suspension of disbelief. Good fantasy nomenclature, on the other hand, blends seamlessly into its story.
