I nomi magici della saga di Fairy Oak

Magic names in the Fairy Oak saga. This paper analyzes the "magic" names found in the italian fantasy tale 'Fairy Oak' which is aimed at early teen readers. The anthroponyms and toponyms in question can be subdivided in trasparent names (either indicating some characteristic or emanating from the realm of Nature), phonosymbolic names, tongue-twisting names, hypocoristic names, nicknames, and commonly known names. Almost for all categories one notices a discrepancy between the cultural level necessary for the understanding of the implied references inherent in the onomaturgical mechanism and the tale's target audience. Besides, the profuse presence of aliens names (most of them Anglicism) renders the comprehension of most meanings on the part of a non-English-speaking public almost impossible. The publication of the first volume of the saga (Il segreto della gemelle) in Castilian Spanish and in Basque underlines some of the dynamics involved in the traslation of such fictional names, in particular the retention of the English and Latinized forms.